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by Vince_Condella from FOX 6 Milwaukee

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Wicked Lows Make For Historic Weather
Nov 10, 2008 | 10:01 PM
Category: Weather
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This is the time of year when surface low-pressure systems can crank up the wind.  It's no surprise that November is known for strong winds.  The breeze is a result of the pressure gradient force.  Pressure gradient is simply the difference in atmospheric pressure over a certain distance.  When a low-pressure center is strong, meaning that is has a low central pressure, the surrounding pressure gradient force creates powerful winds.

 

That was the case on this date (November 10) in 1975 when the ore carrier Edmund Fitzgerald sank in Lake Superior.  It went down in 530 feet of water and sent 29 crew to their death.  (Note: one of loyal bloggers, Basher51, is a fan of Great Lakes ships.  No doubt he knows this date in history quite well and has been on board some of the freighters that sail those mighty waters.)

The Edmund Fitzgerald

The "Fitz" was tossed around by huge waves that were created by a massive low-pressure center that intensified over a short amount of time, literally catching everyone by surprise.  The ship was on its way from Superior to Detroit filled with taconite (low grade iron ore).  Sustained winds over 50 miles per hour caused the Soo Locks to close.  Waves as high as 35 feet battered the Fitzgerald and another ship.  They both attempted to hug the Canadian shore of Lake Superior to seek some shelter, then cut southeast toward Whitefish Bay on the far southeast corner of the lake.  The Fitz went down before reaching the bay.

 

Another low-pressure center on this date in 1998 created massive wind here in southeast Wisconsin.  Peak wind gust in Milwaukee reached 68 miles per hour causing tree damage.  Heavy rainfall produced minor flooding, with 2.22" of rain measured at Mitchell International Airport.  The same powerful low-pressure peaked the wind at 95 miles per hour at La Crosse.

 

Some meteorologists refer to these monster low-pressure systems as inland hurricanes.  The pressure gradient force is a common event when the gales of November come blowing.

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johnnythefox read my blog
Nov 10, 2008 | 10:55 PM

Thank you Vince once again!

I remember 33 years ago this night tuning around on the HF bands(shortwave radio)when I heard radio traffic about a search & rescue attempt looking for a missing ship. sure enough I saw the news the next day on what they were looking for. It was interesting!

There is a lot of talk that the Edmund Fitzgerald was a 'hoodoo' ship means it was cursed. When it was launched, it appeared it didn't want to leave and a man nearby suffered a heart attack and other problems.

Anyway, Lake Superior this time of year is nasty!

John
rasguy24 read my blog
Nov 11, 2008 | 2:35 PM

now a question back at you, any truth to a grand magnetic pole shift and weather change in 2012?
Vince_Condella read my blog view my photos
Nov 11, 2008 | 8:06 PM

Never heard of that one. There are so many theories about wild weather changes, it's difficult to keep track of all of them. I don't believe any of it. Doomsday theories have been around for decades and we're still here.
rasguy24 read my blog
Nov 12, 2008 | 12:42 AM

i saw it on discovery or history channel, basically the Milky Way Black hole and the Sun will have equal gravitational pull on the earth, causing the magnetic poles to shift. They said it happens every 50,000 years.
rasguy24 read my blog
Nov 12, 2008 | 12:46 AM

Personally I think weathers been moving north east all of my life. When I was a child we had enormous snow storms all winter.
DiamondBuyer read my blog
Nov 12, 2008 | 5:23 PM

Take it or leave it for what it is worth to you.
You can believe the prophecies & scientists or think that you have all the answers.
Go to this Google page listing "12/21/2008" and see how much is there.

2012 enigma focuses on the ancient Mayan Long Count Calendar which was a
Mesoamerican calendrical system that mysteriously ends on December 21, 2012 10 A.M. GMT.
Interestingly enough, that date also coincides with the winter solstice.
This date further corresponds with a predicted "galactic alignment" which
is believed to occur when our solar system passes directly through the Galactic Equator.

"The Hopi and Mayan elders do not prophesy that everything will come to an end.
Rather, this is a time of transition from one World Age into another.
The message they give concerns our making a choice of how we enter the future ahead.
Our moving through with either resistance or acceptance will determine
whether the transition will happen with cataclysmic changes or gradual peace and tranquillity.
The same theme can be found reflected in the prophecies of many other Native American visionaries
from Black Elk to Sun Bear." - Joseph Robert Jochmans
aaro-nf read my blog view my photos
Nov 12, 2008 | 5:29 PM

thanks for the post from the #1 weather blogger. you are so right, vince, bahser sure knows his stuff, and so do you. thanks for the post and as always, great job on the posting of this blog.
rasguy24 read my blog
Nov 12, 2008 | 6:01 PM

Dia,
thanks but what i was wondering is there some sort of weather change or magnetic pole shift or even the positions of the poles
Basher51 read my blog view my photos
Nov 12, 2008 | 6:10 PM

Vince,
Thanks for the plug! I was a radio reporter working in Oshkosh when the Fitz sank. Oddly, I don't recall much about the event. I know that I read news stories about it. But I recall little of them.

Those who want to know a lot more about the sinking of the Big Fitz should try to get their hands on these books: "Gales of November" by Robert Hemming, and also "Mighty Fitz" by Michael Schumacher. You can find both on the internet.
Basher51 read my blog view my photos
Nov 12, 2008 | 6:14 PM

For those who can't get enough stories about Great Lakes shipwrecks, I can highly, highly recommend "Sole Survivor" by Dennis Hale. Hale was the only survivor of the sinking of the ore carrier Daniel J. Morrell on November 29, 1966. That night the Morrell broke in two and sank during a violent storm. The ship sent no distress signal and for more than a day no one knew that the ship had sunk. Hale survived nearly frozen to death in a life raft with several of his shipmates who died within hours of the sinking. For many years Hales didn't talk about that night. This book has been a catharsis for him.
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Vince_Condella

FOX 6 Chief Meteorologist

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