Waterspout, Wilmette Harbor to Northerly Island Il
- When
- September 28, 7:30 AM CST to 7:40 AM CST
- Where
- Wilmette Harbor to Northerly Island Il forecast zone, 2.48 mi NE of Belmont Harbor
- Reported by
- Public
- Coordinates
- 42.000, -87.590
Waterspouts in Lake Michigan, September 28, 2016
There were over a dozen sightings of waterspouts on southern Lake Michigan on Wednesday, September 28. Many of these were observed from the Illinois and Indiana shores.
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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 9
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 LOT wrote it up.
There were over a dozen sightings of waterspouts on southern Lake Michigan on Wednesday, September 28. Many of these were observed from the Illinois and Indiana shores.
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 Chicago, IL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Sep 28, 5:43 AM CST, 1 hour 47 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Sep 28, 5:43 AM CST, 1 hour 47 minutes before
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The Chicago radar (KLOT), 60 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 13:28 UTC.
Event by event
9 waterspout. Local standard time, as filed.
Waterspout, Wilmette Harbor to Michigan City in 5nm Offshore to Mid Lake
- When
- September 28, 7:40 AM CST to 7:50 AM CST
- Where
- Wilmette Harbor to Michigan City in 5nm Offshore to Mid Lake forecast zone, 9.8 mi N of Burns Harbor
- Reported by
- Public
- Coordinates
- 41.790, -87.180
Waterspout, Wilmette Harbor to Michigan City in 5nm Offshore to Mid Lake
- When
- September 28, 7:45 AM CST to 7:55 AM CST
- Where
- Wilmette Harbor to Michigan City in 5nm Offshore to Mid Lake forecast zone, 8.98 mi ENE of Harrison-Dever Crib
- Reported by
- Public
- Coordinates
- 41.950, -87.400
Waterspout, Wilmette Harbor to Michigan City in 5nm Offshore to Mid Lake
- When
- September 28, 8:12 AM CST to 8:22 AM CST
- Where
- Wilmette Harbor to Michigan City in 5nm Offshore to Mid Lake forecast zone, 6.21 mi E of Burnham Harbor
- Reported by
- Storm Chaser
- Coordinates
- 41.860, -87.460
Waterspout, Calumet Harbor Il to Gary in
- When
- September 28, 8:20 AM CST to 8:25 AM CST
- Where
- Calumet Harbor Il to Gary in forecast zone, 4.55 mi NE of Buffington Harbor
- Reported by
- Public
- Coordinates
- 41.710, -87.330
Waterspout, Wilmette Harbor to Northerly Island Il
- When
- September 28, 8:22 AM CST to 8:27 AM CST
- Where
- Wilmette Harbor to Northerly Island Il forecast zone, 0.69 mi N of Burnham Harbor
- Reported by
- Public
- Coordinates
- 41.880, -87.580
Waterspout, Wilmette Harbor to Michigan City in 5nm Offshore to Mid Lake
- When
- September 28, 11:29 AM CST to 11:34 AM CST
- Where
- Wilmette Harbor to Michigan City in 5nm Offshore to Mid Lake forecast zone, 13.49 mi NNW of Burns Harbor
- Reported by
- Public
- Coordinates
- 41.840, -87.210
Waterspout, Winthrop Harbor to Wilmette Harbor Il
- When
- September 28, 2:35 PM CST to 2:40 PM CST
- Where
- Winthrop Harbor to Wilmette Harbor Il forecast zone, 2.95 mi NNE of Wilmette Harbor
- Reported by
- Storm Chaser
- Coordinates
- 42.110, -87.660
Waterspout, Winthrop Harbor to Wilmette Harbor Il
- When
- September 28, 5:00 PM CST to 5:20 PM CST
- Where
- Winthrop Harbor to Wilmette Harbor Il forecast zone, 2.95 mi NNW of Wilmette Harbor
- Reported by
- Storm Chaser
- Coordinates
- 42.110, -87.700
Four separate waterspouts.
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
- Flash Flooding and Hail in North Carolina, September 28 to 30, 2016
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Maryland, September 28 to 29, 2016
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Virginia, September 28, 2016
- Flash Flood and Hail in South Carolina, September 28, 2016
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Virginia, September 28, 2016
- Heavy Rain in Virginia, September 28 to 30, 2016
- Hail in North Carolina, September 28, 2016
- Heavy Rain in Virginia, September 28 to 30, 2016
- Marine Thunderstorm Winds in North Atlantic Coastal Waters, September 28, 2016
- Heavy Rain in Maryland, September 28 to 30, 2016
- Marine Thunderstorm Winds in South Atlantic Coastal Waters, September 28, 2016
- Hail and Damaging Wind in North Carolina, September 28, 2016
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: 659571, 659572, 659573, 659574, 659575, 659576, 659577, 659578, 659579.