Lake Superior water level rises, lake stays cold

It might be 100F in the Twin Cities, but you might still have to wear a warm sweatshirt or light jacket while walking along the shore of Lake Superior.

According to the Army Corps of Engineers Lake Superior rose one-inch last month and currently sits two inches above its 2021 level. The water level for Superior at the end of July was 602.46 feet.

According to recent MPR weather report, Lake Superior water temperature is still a frigid 39 degrees, the coldest it’s been for 42 years and five degrees colder than last year at the same time. The reasons given for this frigid water include acknowledgment that last winter was a heavy ice year, and the lake had an unusual small amount of heat stored in it. Also, westerly winds push the warmer surface water away from shore causing the water to stay cold. This phenomenon causes frigid water from the depths of the lake to rise along the North shore in a process called upwelling.