Hurricane Sandy Will Affect Lake Michigan

By Amy Cavanaugh in News on Oct 28, 2012 6:00PM

We may not be in the path of Hurricane Sandy, but the storm will affect Lake Michigan the next few days. The National Weather Service has issued a lakeshore flood watch for late Monday night through Wednesday afternoon.

The remnants of Hurricane Sandy are forecast to move across the eastern Great Lakes by Wednesday. Due to the large size of the storm system, strong northerly winds of 50 to 60 MPH are forecast to occur on Lake Michigan for a prolonged period from late Monday through Tuesday night. As a result, waves across the southern end of the lake are expected to build significantly, with wave heights of 15 to 20 feet possible by Tuesday along the Cook County shoreline.

The waves will "batter the beaches and shorelines," which could cause erosion and flooding. Another effect of the hurricane? It's going to block cold air from moving out of Chicago, so it will remain in the high 40s or low 50s at least through next weekend.