The Great Lakes are warmer than theyโve ever been in early November: Why thatโs a problem in several ways
Some parts of the Northern Great Lakes region were greeted by their first significant snowfall of the season earlier this week, but not even the arrival of the fluffy white stuff could mask these historic times for the Great Lakes themselves.
I took the high-speed ferry across Lake Michigan -- and it made for the coolest experience
Maybe youโre in Michigan, with family in Wisconsin (or vice versa). Or perhaps youโre planning some sort of trip across state lines, and you came across the idea of using a ferry to save some time around the Great Lakes.
Most of U.S. covered with snow after massive winter storms
ORLANDO, Fla. โ Rounds of significant winter weather have forced most of the US into a deep freeze. Following a historic snowstorm earlier in the week that brought heavy snow from Seattle to Texas and into the Great Lakes region, nearly 75 percent of the country has snow on the ground. AdThe snow made it all the way down to the Gulf Coast in Texas Monday. pic.twitter.com/Lj3eWUf2y0 โ Justin Stapleton (@KPRC2Justin) February 15, 2021More snow and ice will be likely across the Deep South and Mid Atlantic through the upcoming weekend. How many inches of snow fell in your area?
Tornado kills 3 in North Carolina; bitter cold sweeps Plains
AdNorth Carolina's Brunswick County had little notice of the dangerous weather, and a tornado warning was not issued until the storm was already on the ground. Texas officials said more than 400,000 doses due now will not arrive until at least Wednesday because of the storm. The tornado that hit North Carolina's Brunswick County was an EF3 with winds estimated at 160 mph (257 kph), the weather service said on Twitter. Several cities had record lows: In Minnesota, the Hibbing/Chisholm weather station registered minus 38 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 39 degrees Celsius). Sioux Falls, South Dakota, dropped to minus 26 Fahrenheit (minus 26 degrees Celsius).
Michigan approves Great Lakes oil pipeline tunnel permits
(AP Photo/Carlos Osorio, File)TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. โ Michigan's environmental agency said Friday it has approved construction of an underground tunnel to house a replacement for a controversial oil pipeline in a channel linking two of the Great Lakes. AdThe project requires permits from the state Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. โWe have issued permits designed to ensure that if a tunnel is constructed, it will be in strict compliance with relevant statutes and adhere to stringent protections against impacts to the Great Lakes,โ Clark said. State officials emphasized the tunnel project was a separate legal matter from the dispute over the existing pipeline, which was laid in 1953. It has taken steps to prevent future anchor strikes and says the tunnel project would eliminate that danger.
Deal reached on project to protect lakes from invasive fish
The two states and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will share pre-engineering and design costs for the $858 million project at Brandon Road Lock and Dam near Joliet, Illinois. The structure on the Des Plaines River is a choke point between the Illinois River, which is infested with the invasive carp, and Lake Michigan. The next step is developing design and engineering specifications, expected to take three to four years and cost about $28.8 million. Under the new agreement, the Corps will pay $18 million and Michigan $8 million. Government agencies, advocacy groups and others have long debated how to prevent them from reaching the Great Lakes, where scientists say they could out-compete native species for food and habitat.
New Yearโs Eve storms, possible tornados expected in South
(Image: NWS)NEW ORLEANS โ Severe storms capable of spinning up tornados are expected across the Deep South. Forecasters say the storms are expected to strike the region on Thursday โ New Yearโs Eve. The national Storm Prediction Center says the area most at risk of severe weather on Thursday includes parts of Louisiana, Mississippi and southeast Texas. โTornadoes along with damaging wind gusts and large hail are all potential threats," according to the National Weather Service office in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Forecasters say the risk of severe weather will later spread into Alabama and parts of the Florida Panhandle.
Trump officials end gray wolf protections across most of US
Both feared and revered by people, gray wolves have recovered from near extinction in parts of the country but remain absent from much of their historical range. Federal wildlife officials contend thriving populations in the western Great Lakes region, Rocky Mountains and Pacific Northwest ensure the species' long-term survival. โIn the early part of the 20th century the gray wolf had essentially become a ghost throughout the United States," Bernhardt said. The decision keeps protections for a small population of Mexican gray wolves in the Southwest. Fish and Wildlife Service would have no say about moving ahead with the plan, if voters approve it.
Regulators deny quick approval of new Great Lakes pipeline
A Michigan regulatory panel refused Tuesday, June 30, 2020, to grant quick permission to run a new oil pipeline beneath a channel that connects two of the Great Lakes, deciding instead to conduct a full review. Enbridge filed an application in April with the Michigan Public Service Commission to relocate a segment of its Line 5 that extends beneath the Straits of Mackinac, which links Lakes Huron and Michigan. (Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy via AP)TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. A Michigan regulatory panel on Tuesday refused to grant quick permission to run a new oil pipeline beneath a channel that connects two of the Great Lakes, deciding instead to conduct a full review. The state Public Service Commission's decision involved a proposed replacement for a segment of Enbridge's Line 5 that extends beneath the Straits of Mackinac, which links Lakes Huron and Michigan. Enbridge filed an application in April with the Public Service Commission to relocate the underwater section of Line 5 into the proposed tunnel.