Photos: a foggy day along Cobourg beach on Thursday, May 30, 2019
Lake Erie – Lake Ontario – St. Lawrence River Daily Briefing* – 30 May 2019
*** Lake Ontario has now reached the record daily peak of 75.88 m (248.95 ft), which was first recorded May 25-28th, 2017. Levels continue to rise slowly and will likely exceed the record today or tomorrow.
*** Current forecasts suggest precipitation for this coming week will be somewhat lighter than in recent weeks, but with record inflows from Lake Erie continuing, Lake Ontario is expected to continue rising gradually over at least the next several days and reach its peak within 1 to 3 weeks time, depending on rainfall (see forecast on page 10-11).
*** Lake Erie water levels and outflows into Lake Ontario remain at record-highs, but relatively stable
*** St. Lawrence River levels around Montreal remain near record-highs for this time of year.
*** Ottawa River flows have continued declining slowly. Outflows from Lake Ontario remained stable yesterday but further increases are expected in the coming days.
*** Flooding continues in the lower St. Lawrence River, including some areas around Lake St. Louis and Montreal; flooding and other high water impacts continue around Lake Erie, Lake Ontario and the upper St. Lawrence River, especially during periods of active weather.
– Lake Erie’s level was 175.09 m (574.44 ft) yesterday. This is 76 cm (29.9 in.) above average, and 11 cm (4.3 in.) above the record-high for this time of year (the end-of-May/beginning-of-June, set in 1986).
– Lake Ontario’s levelwas 75.88 m (248.95 ft) yesterday and equivalent to the record DAILY peak level of 75.88 m (248.95 ft) recorded on May 25th, 2017. This is 82 cm (32.3 in.) above average.
– Lake Ontario’s outflow remained at 8600 m3/s (303,700 cfs) yesterday. Further increases will continue as rapidly as conditions allow and according to Plan 2014’s maximum “F-limit”, which balances high levels upstream on Lake Ontario and the upper St. Lawrence, with those downstream on Lake St. Louis and the lower St. Lawrence.
– Lake St. Lawrence’s level was 73.80 m (242.13 ft) yesterday, which is 15 cm (5.9 in) above average.
– Lake St. Louis’ level was at an average level of 22.53 m (73.92 ft) yesterday. It is expected to continue to be maintained near 22.48 m (73.75 ft) by adjusting outflows according to the Plan 2014 F-limit.
Lake Ontario Synopsis
Current forecasts suggest precipitation for this coming week will be somewhat lighter than in recent weeks, but with record inflows from Lake Erie continuing, Lake Ontario is expected to continue rising gradually over at least the next several days. Ottawa River flows are still high, but declining, and outflows from Lake Ontario continue to be increased as they do. Lake Ontario is expected to reach its seasonal peak within 1 to 3 weeks time, depending on rainfall, before it begins to slowly decline thereafter. Most scenarios suggest a peak of within about 5 cm (2 in.) of the current level and the 2017 high, but Lake Ontario levels are already at critical values in many areas, and there is still the potential for a greater rise under the wettest scenarios. Longer-term, with well above-average inflows from Lake Erie expected to continue, and given average inflows from the Lake Ontario basin, water levels will decline through the summer, but will remain near seasonal highs for at least the next several weeks.
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
