Lake Michigan, 2016

Waterspout in Lake Michigan, September 1, 2016

September 1, 2016 · NWS MKX · 1 event in 1 county or zone

A surge of cool air over the relatively warmer waters of Lake Michigan contributed to scattered showers over the far near shore and open waters of Lake Michigan during the morning. One of these showers produced an isolated waterspout off of the Kenosha lakeshore.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS MKX wrote it up.

A surge of cool air over the relatively warmer waters of Lake Michigan contributed to scattered showers over the far near shore and open waters of Lake Michigan during the morning. One of these showers produced an isolated waterspout off of the Kenosha lakeshore.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Milwaukee, WI wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 31, 3:48 PM CST, 15 hours 28 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 31, 3:48 PM CST, 15 hours 28 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 31, 3:34 PM CST, 15 hours 42 minutes before
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The radar

The Milwaukee radar (KMKX), 82 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 13:11 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 waterspout. Local standard time, as filed.

Waterspout, Wind Point Wi to Winthrop Harbor Il 5nm Offshore to Mid Lake

When
September 1, 7:16 AM CST to 7:17 AM CST
Where
Wind Point Wi to Winthrop Harbor Il 5nm Offshore to Mid Lake forecast zone, 6 mi SE of Kenosha
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
42.519, -87.747

Multiple pictures and videos taken by the public of an isolated waterspout off the Kenosha lakeshore. Waterspout estimated to last for 1-2 minutes.

What these are

Waterspout
A tornado over water. One that moves ashore is filed as a tornado from the coastline on.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Lake Michigan in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather history

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 647586.