Advances in Observations and Forecasts

Storm Warning: Advancements in Marine Forecasting since the Edmund Fitzgerald

	Background Information:
		The Edmund Fitzgerald
		The Fall Storm Season
		Forecast and Warning Definitions
		Resources, Links and Credits
		Advances in:
		Scientific Understanding
		Numerical Weather Prediction
		Communications
		Radars and Satellites
		Observations and Forecasts
		Back to:
		Main Page
		NWS Marquette Home Page

Observation Network

Forecast Format

Example from 1975

Example from 2010

Gridded Datasets

Forecast Example from 2010

5 day time frame

Individual synopsis and outlook for each Great Lake

Increased spatial and temporal details via individual forecast zones

Increased MAFOR information

.SYNOPSIS...RECORD BREAKING LOW PRESSURE OF 28.3 INCHES WILL
GRADUALLY MOVE NORTHEASTWARD FROM INTERNATIONAL FALLS MINNESOTA BY
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. ON THURSDAY MORNING THE LOW WILL BE OVER JAMES
BAY AT 29.1 INCHES. IN ITS WAKE...HIGH PRESSURE OF 30.4 INCHES WILL
SETTLE OVER THE WESTERN PLAINS THURSDAY. THE HIGH WILL THEN SHIFT TO
THE TENNESSEE VALLEY BY FRIDAY AS IT WEAKENS TO 30.2 INCHES. ON
SATURDAY MORNING A LOW PRESSURE TROUGH OF 30.0 INCHES WILL DROP
SOUTHEAST OVER THE UPPER GREAT LAKES. HIGH PRESSURE OF 30.1 INCHES
WILL MOVE IN OVER THE GREAT LAKES SATURDAY EVENING INTO SUNDAY.

LSZ162-270915-
LAKE SUPERIOR WEST OF A LINE FROM SAXON HARBOR WI TO GRAND
PORTAGE MN BEYOND 5NM-
912 PM EDT TUE OCT 26 2010 /812 PM CDT TUE OCT 26 2010/

...STORM WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT...

.REST OF TONIGHT...SOUTHWEST STORM FORCE WINDS TO 60 KNOTS. RAIN
SHOWERS. WAVES 7 TO 10 FEET BUILDING TO 20 TO 25 FEET. 
.WEDNESDAY...SOUTHWEST STORM FORCE WINDS TO 55 KNOTS DIMINISHING TO 50
KNOTS. RAIN SHOWERS LIKELY. WAVES SUBSIDING TO 12 TO 17 FEET.
.WEDNESDAY NIGHT...WEST STORM FORCE WINDS TO 50 KNOTS BECOMING
NORTHWEST GALES TO 45 KNOTS AFTER MIDNIGHT. A CHANCE OF RAIN
SHOWERS. WAVES SUBSIDING TO 7 TO 10 FEET. 
.THURSDAY...NORTHWEST GALES TO 45 KNOTS BECOMING WEST GALES TO
40 KNOTS BY MID AFTERNOON. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF RAIN SHOWERS. WAVES
9 TO 12 FEET.
.THURSDAY NIGHT...WEST GALES TO 35 KNOTS DIMINISHING TO 15 TO
25 KNOTS AFTER MIDNIGHT. WAVES SUBSIDING TO 4 TO 7 FEET. 
.FRIDAY...WEST WINDS 15 TO 25 KNOTS BECOMING SOUTHWEST 10 TO
20 KNOTS BY MID AFTERNOON. WAVES SUBSIDING TO 1 TO 3 FEET. 
.FRIDAY NIGHT...WEST WINDS 5 TO 15 KNOTS BECOMING SOUTH LESS THAN
10 KNOTS AFTER MIDNIGHT. WAVES SUBSIDING TO CALM TO 2 FEET. 
.SATURDAY...NORTHEAST WINDS 5 TO 15 KNOTS. WAVES BUILDING TO 1 TO
3 FEET. 
.SUNDAY...NORTHEAST WINDS 5 TO 15 KNOTS. WAVES SUBSIDING TO CALM
TO 2 FEET. 

$$

...

LSZ261-280400-
MAFOR 2721/
SUPERIOR WEST...GALE WARNING IN EFFECT...
11666 11650 11660 13760 11750 11640. WAVES 15 TO 19
FEET SUBSIDING TO 10 TO 14 FEET TONIGHT. 

SUPERIOR NORTH CENTRAL...GALE WARNING IN EFFECT...11566 12660 12766 11760 12750.
WAVES 16 TO 21 FEET TONIGHT SUBSIDING TO WAVES 13 TO 17 FEET THURSDAY.

SUPERIOR SOUTH CENTRAL...GALE WARNING IN EFFECT...
12566 12666 11766 11760 11750 11760. WAVES 12 TO 17 FEET. 

SUPERIOR EAST...GALE WARNING IN EFFECT...12576 13666 11766 11756 11766.  WAVES 15 TO 20
FEET.

$$

Credits | Disclaimer | Privacy Notice | Site Map | Feedback