‘Cooler By The Lake’ Rears Its Ugly Head as Temps Drop Nearly 30 Degrees in a Matter of Minutes Sunday
Mother Nature turned on the air conditioning on Sunday afternoon, and it caught many by surprise in the Twin Ports.While "cooler by the lake" is often a phrase we hear during the warm weather months of the year, Sunday started off as a day that was warm by the lake. I recorded 77 degrees at my apartment (below the hill) around 1 pm before heading up to Hermantown, and Sky Harbor Airport notched 81 degrees at 2:53 pm according to the Duluth News Tribune. Less than a half hour later, it was all very different.
As I mentioned, I was up in Hermantown, where things cooled down slightly from the mid-80s to the mid-70s in a short period of time. The change wasn't drastic, but it was pleasant and noticeable, but I didn't put any further thought into what things were like at home, below the hill. As I made my back home around 5pm, I arrived to some fog and 48 degrees. Suddenly the shorts and t-shirt I was wearing were not weather-appropriate attire.
For folks that were enjoying a day at the beach, in Canal Park, or elsewhere below the hill, the change was far more drastic. As the Duluth News Tribune reports, temperatures at Sky Harbor Airport on Park Point fell 27 degrees (from 81 to 54) in a matter of 21 minutes (between 2:53 and 3:14 pm). Temperatures continued to fall into the 40s through the rest of the afternoon, bringing with it fog and a shock to the system of anyone sporting shorts or short sleeves anywhere below the hill.
The sudden change in temperature was due to a shift in wind, which occurred as part of a weather system passing through the region. As wind shifted to coming off the lake, it carried with it the famous chilly temperatures a lake wind can carry. According to NOAA, current surface water temperatures in Western Lake Superior are hovering in the low to mid 40s, which is exactly where our air temperatures went when the wind shifted on Sunday.
While everyone that lives here knows this can happen, one can't help but feel bad for all of the tourists that were caught very off-guard by the sudden plunge in temperatures. It's also a good reminder - if you don't already have one, keep a sweatshirt with you at all times. You never know when you might need it around the Twin Ports.