A gale warning is now in effect for eastern Lake Erie as Fort Erie faces hazardous wind and wave conditions that threaten shoreline safety and visibility.
Environment Canada is forecasting gale force winds that will escalate through Wednesday and create 6-metre waves off Fort Erie, with occasional heights up to 6.7 metres. The agency issued the alert at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday and is warning of sustained hazards through Friday.
Southwest winds are expected to build from 20 to 25 km/h early Wednesday morning and rise to roughly 65 km/h near noon before reaching about 74 km/h Wednesday evening. The agency says waves will climb from 2 metres Wednesday morning to 3 metres Wednesday afternoon and reach 4 metres Wednesday evening.
Gale force winds of 34 to 47 knots, or about 63 to 87 km/h, are expected on eastern Lake Erie by Thursday morning.
The National Weather Service (NWS) released an update for Buffalo Tuesday saying, “strong winds will cause hazardous waves which could capsize or damage vessels and reduce visibility.”
Christopher Scanlon, Buffalo’s acting mayor, issued a press release Tuesday afternoon advising residents of the city to plan ahead for potentially hazardous weather conditions that may adversely affect traffic into the weekend, where the U.S. holidays of Thanksgiving and Black Friday are being observed.
A rare seiche is forecasted to develop Wednesday as southwest to west winds drop water levels in western Lake Erie and raise them in the east at heights not recorded since 2023.
The NWS is predicting average water levels may drop about 1.8 metres near Toledo and rise roughly 1.7 metres near Buffalo, creating an estimated 3.5-metre difference across Lake Erie by Wednesday night.
Environment Canada is advising mariners to monitor Canadian Coast Guard radio and Weatheradio for updates.
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About the Author
Andrew Hawlitzky
Andrew is a Niagara community journalist who’s covered everything from politics with a local twist to annual festivals and breaking news. He works to make local news a platform where community voices lead the conversation.
