Furious Wind to Cut Power, Disrupt Travel From Detroit to Buffalo

By Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist

November 12,2015; 11:44PM,EST

 

High winds will continue to blast the Midwest and will bring the potential for property damage, sporadic power outages and travel disruptions into Friday.
The same storm responsible for recent heavy snow in the Rockies and severe weather in the Central states will be the culprit behind the damaging winds in the Midwest. Gusts between 40 and 60 mph are expected around the Great Lakes region to end the week.

Wind Could Hinder Travel Plans

The strongest gusts will occur from northern Illinois to western New York and northwestern Pennsylvania into Thursday night.
A gust to 66 mph occurred at Dunkirk Lighthouse on Lake Erie, during Thursday. Gusts topped 50 mph in Chicago and Detroit.
According to AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Elliot Abrams, the high wind event will affect more people than the severe thunderstorms that occurred on Wednesday.
"The strong winds will last for many hours and in some cases a couple of days, compared to minutes from Wednesday's severe thunderstorms," Abrams said.
Gusty winds will continue to blast areas around the central and lower Great Lakes during Thursday night and into Friday.

The strength of the wind can knock down tree limbs and cause sporadic power outages. Lightweight unsecured objects can be sent airborne. There were multiple reports of downed trees in the Buffalo, New York, area during Thursday afternoon.
Gusty winds will lead to airline delays and dangerous conditions for trucks and lightweight automobiles.
Cities in which airports could be affected by the wind include Chicago; Detroit; Cleveland, Ohio; Pittsburgh; and Buffalo, New York.
Motorists should keep a firm grip on the wheel. Strong crosswinds could especially be a problem on highways, such as portions of interstates 35, 57, 65, 69, 75, 77, 79, 90 and 94.
Strong winds will generate large waves on the Great Lakes. Waves on the lower part of Lake Michigan will range between 15 and 25 feet, while waves on Lake Erie will average 10-16 feet.
The strength of the wind will also cause the lakes to rock back and forth with the potential for lakeshore flooding through Thursday. This phenomenon is called a seiche.
People along the shores lakes Michigan, Erie and Ontario should be alert for large fluctuations in water levels into Friday.
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Lakeshore flooding forced road closures in Hamburg, New York, during Thursday afternoon.
According to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski, the powerful gusts will hit some areas following severe thunderstorms and also many areas where severe thunderstorms will miss.
"Where severe weather caused damage during Wednesday, the strong winds that follow could lead to more damage and problems for cleanup crews," Pydynowski said.
The extent and magnitude of this wind event will likely stop short of the windstorms that have sunk scores of vessels and drowned hundreds of sailors during November.
"The middle of November is notorious for Great Lakes windstorms," Abrams said.
A Great Lakes windstorm has been referred to as a freshwater fury in literature, songs and the meteorological community for decades.
One of the most famous shipwrecks was the Edmund Fitzgerald, which sank with all crew during a windstorm on Nov. 10, 1975.