Those with boats on Lake Huron need not worry about the lake water levels this year.  The combination of heavy snowfall this past winter and a very wet spring has resulted in a rapid rise in the water levels.  This rise has occurred in the past month.  The water level of Lake Huron in March was actually fifeteen inches lower than the same time last year.  As the heavy, widespread snow began to melt, the lake level started to rise.  Next, one of the wettest springs, and in places actually the wettest spring, has caused the water level rise to accelerate.  The first image shows the rapid rise in lake levels on Lake Huron.  The current water level is the solid blue line.  Notice the steep rise in the last two months.  Today the water level has caught up to last year.  The forecast of the water level rise is in blue dots.  That's the forecast from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Detroit District.  If the rain keeps falling, however, the trajectory of the water rise will take our lake levels well past last year when we hit the normal lake level high in July.  In fact, as you look at the trajectory, it already looks like that is happening.  Also, the next image shows the rise of Lake Superior.   

It has risen ten inches in the last month!  Ten inches of water on Lake Superior is ALOT of water.  Did you know you can fit all of the water of all of the other Great Lakes, and five more Lake Eries, in Lake Superior?  What's interesting to note is while Superior and Michigan-Huron are just now at last year's levels, Lake Erie and Lake Ontario are twelve and twenty-five inches above last year at this time.    

The reason for the rise on the Great Lakes is obvious, heavy snow this winter and heavy rain this spring.  The final two images show rainfall amounts in the last 60 days around the Michigan area, and the departure from normal amounts of rainfall.  As you can see, some areas of Michigan have received over fifeteen inches of rain in the last two months, putting areas some six to eight inches above normal.   

So, while we have moaned about all of the rainy and snowy days, now it's time to use that water.  Use it for some fun, and get out on the lake!  Just make sure you always check the forecast and the radar here at NBC25 before you go boating.