> Apparently the photos were taken a few years ago according to this local
> article:
> http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2014/01/southwest_michigans_li
> ghthouse.html
> Still spectacular, though, and I would expect similar conditions this winter
> judging from recent weather reports.
I thought so. But I didn't have the proof.
There are several harbors that ice formations like this can occur, but
for the most part they really are a rarity because it involves the
right size waves and the proper amount and direction of wind as well
as the right temperatures.
During a cold winter, we get an ice formation that goes out into the
lake for a ways. The leading edge of the ice is where the waves will
break. They'll go under the leading edge of the ice and then break
through a hole, which will form these really cool ice volcanoes. Then
the wind dies down a bit and the slush near the ice formation will
freeze and form another distance of ice. During a cold winter will
repeat and you can walk out on the lake for quite a distance. Up where
I grew up, the farthest out I've ever been was over a half mile and we
climbed over dozens of ridges of volcanoes.
It's not that ice won't form on these navigational structures, but to
get ice formations like this is very rare. Most of the time it just
looks like blobs. To get these formations, the waves would need to get
the end of the pier, splash way up in the air (which they do) and then
the wind blow them down the pier. Otherwise, the ice would take on a
different look. For this kind of spray, the waves were probably in the
20' range and the wind 40+ knots.
One year I lived on the Lake Michigan shoreline. The house I rented
was really close to the bluff. My bedroom was something like 28 feet
from the edge and it was 45 feet almost straight down. At the bottom
was a sea wall. One night we had 15 footers rolling in and the wind
was strong. In the morning, my car (and yard) was covered with 2-3
inches of ice. All night long, the house was getting pelted with water
spray.
AG
--
Ken Norton
ken@xxxxxxxxxxx
http://www.zone-10.com
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