19 November 2024

Those who live at the eastern and western ends of Lake Erie are well aware that a strong west wind can trigger a storm surge in Buffalo and dry lake bottom at Toledo. When the storm is gone it becomes a seiche that makes the lake slosh back and forth like a bathtub. If you’ve never seen it, these videos will help.

Of all the Great Lakes, Lake Erie is the most likely to slosh because it is shallow and oriented along the storm path. The wind has a long distance (fetch) to kick up waves and amplify the effect.

What is a seiche? The name comes from the French word meaning “dry.”

First there is wind, then the water becomes a standing wave as it moves to reach equilibrium.

On 10 November there was a big seiche event that exposed the lake bottom at Toledo.

Tomorrow and Thursday a strong cold front will sweep west to east across the region with winds gusting as high as 38mph. Perhaps there will be another seiche.