United States

By Brian Edwards, Meteorologist

August 19, 2012; 5:14 AM

Share |

Two water spouts can be seen about a mile offshore south of downtown Honolulu Monday, May 2, 2011. Unstable weather conditions over the island of Oahu lead to the formation of thunderstorms over Oahu. (AP Photo/Eugene Tanner)

Boaters and photographers should be on the alert for potentially another round of Great Lakes waterspouts Sunday. Though, the threat this time doesn't appear nearly as favorable as it was last weekend.

The potential for seeing a waterspout primarily exists over lakes Erie and Ontario today into Monday.

Unlike last weekend, where there were over 20 reports of waterspouts, this weekend's threat doesn't appear to be nearly as great.

The overall setup is similar to last weekend with an upper-level area of low pressure influencing the weather over the Great Lakes. However, it's a bit farther north which means less overall instability over the lakes.

Despite lesser amounts of instability, cooler air aloft will still move in over the warm waters of the Great Lakes. The flow of cool air into the zone of warm, moist, rising air over the lake can cause small areas of rotation. As these swirls rise and tighten, a waterspout can form.

Lake water temperatures are in the lower to middle 70s and the air passing over the Great Lakes, dipping to the middle to upper 40s during the morning, will be cool enough to allow moisture to gather just above the surface.

According to Severe Weather Expert Henry Margusity, "Waterspouts are essentially weak, short-lived tornadoes over water. However, they do not need an intense thunderstorm to form. In fact, most form in an entirely different manner, compared to tornadoes."

While mostly a threat to small craft, occasionally they can wander onshore before dissipating, causing minor property damage. They often have the strength equivalent of an EF0 tornado.

Expert Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski states, "The visible funnel is mostly caused by the condensation of the moisture due to the low pressure within the storm and not so much by surface water being drawn upward."

The best chance for waterspouts appears to be greatest over the easter Great Lakes on Today as a disturbances helps to perturb the atmosphere.

Residents and visitors taking a trip to the Great Lakes this weekend should keep an eye to the sky as showers and waterspouts can form quickly and without warning.

Stay tuned to AccuWeather.com and the AccuWeather.com Severe Weather Center for more information on this impending situation.