Gusty winds drop wind chills, also lower lake levels - WICU12/WSEE Erie, PA News, Sports, Weather and Events

Gusty breezes from the west and southwest have not only dropped wind chills into the single digits for much of the day, but they've also lowered the local end of Lake Erie's water level to unusual levels.  That wind from the west and southwest has displaced water from the Toledo end, pushing some of it to the east.  Buffalo, New York is seeing a water rise.  Because of this, the National Weather Service has issued a Low Water Advisory for the western end of Lake Erie.  It's choppy as well, with large waves in ice-free areas, so a Small Craft Advisory is also in effect.

Over the past 24 hours, ice has continued to rapidly expand across the western end of the lake.  Most of the area west of the Lake Erie Islands now has at least some ice cover.  This will continue to expand and thicken, in general, in the weeks ahead.  A temporary thaw around the middle of next week may hamper the ice shield's growth, but in the extended forecast, it looks like the final two weeks of January will bring another blast of arctic air.