A three-day weekend is on the horizon for Michiganders to celebrate Juneteenth and thousands of Michiganders are heading to the state’s beaches, despite forecasts that call for spotty showers.
Portions of Saginaw Bay, in Lake Huron, and the southwest shoreline of Lake Erie are seeing water temperatures that will make hopping in feel OK, but other Great Lakes will still feel too cold for comfort.
Several of Michigan’s most popular inland lakes are approaching 70 degrees this week and may feel refreshing if the weather cooperates.
Here’s how warm the Great Lakes and popular inland lakes are as of Thursday, June 18, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and seatemperatures.com.
What’s the temperature of Lake Erie?
Lake Erie, the shallowest of the Great Lakes, reached 71.4 degrees near Monroe, as of June 18.
Lake Erie reaches an average of 76.1 degrees Fahrenheit in August.
Current temperatures for Lake Erie near Michigan cities:
What’s the temperature of Lake Huron?
The warmest water temperature in Lake Huron on June 18 was 70 degrees in Port Crescent, Michigan.
Lake Huron reaches an average of 69.1 degrees Fahrenheit in August.
Current temperatures for Lake Huron near Michigan cities:
What’s the temperature of Lake Ontario?
The water temperature in Lake Ontario on June 18 was 66 degrees near Youngstown, Ohio.
Lake Ontario reaches an average of 72.9 degrees Fahrenheit in August.
Current temperatures for Lake Ontario:
What’s the temperature of Lake Michigan?
Lake Michigan’s average temperature was 57.4 degrees, according to Seatemperature.com as of June 18.
Lake Michigan reaches an average of 68 degrees Fahrenheit in August.
Recorded temperatures for Lake Michigan near Michigan cities:
What’s the temperature of Lake Superior?
The coldest lake is Lake Superior, with its warmest water temperature of 54.7 degrees near L’Anse, Michigan, on June 18.
Lake Superior reaches an average of 64.6 degrees Fahrenheit in August.
Current temperatures for Lake Superior near Michigan locations:
Are any popular inland lakes warm enough to swim?
Here’s a look at some of Michigan’s most popular inland lakes:
When will it be warm enough to swim in the Great Lakes?
Temperatures climb in the spring and summer months, reaching peak temperatures in the late summer and early fall, according to GLISA, a collaborative between Michigan State University, University of Michigan and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The National Weather Service warned in its Surf Zone Forecast that many locations in the Great Lakes are cold enough to quickly cause hypothermia.
What happens when you swim in lakes when it’s too cold?
The National Weather Service says your body can enter a cold shock if exposed to water between 50 and 60 degrees, spiking an elevation in heart rate, blood pressure and eventually panic, fear and stress.
Prolonged exposure could result in loss of muscle control in your arms, legs, hands and feet, triggering hypothermia among other things that can be fatal.
Jalen Williams is a trending reporter at the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at jawilliams1@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Feeling brave enough to swim? How warm Michigan’s Great Lakes are
Reporting by Jalen Williams, USA TODAY NETWORK / Detroit Free Press
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By Jalen Williams, USA TODAY NETWORK | USA TODAY Network
