Witch of November (strong winds)
The "Witch of November" refers to a meteorological phenomenon that occurs over the Great Lakes, characterized by intense storms that can produce hurricane-strength winds and significant precipitation. Typically occurring in late fall, this phenomenon arises when cold, dry air from Canada collides with warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico over the relatively warm waters of the lakes. This interaction can lead to powerful low-pressure systems that spawn severe weather, including winds that can reach 80 to 100 miles per hour and waves as high as 30 feet.
Historically, the Witch of November has been responsible for numerous maritime disasters, with hundreds of ships sunk and thousands of sailors perishing, notably during the Great Lakes Storm of 1913 and the sinking of the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald in 1975. The phenomenon continues to be a subject of study, as climatologists examine its patterns to better understand extreme weather, its environmental impacts, and the implications of climate change. Awareness of the Witch of November is vital for the safety of those navigating the Great Lakes during this tumultuous time of year.
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Witch of November (strong winds)
The Witch of November is a potentially deadly meteorological phenomenon that occurs over the waters of the Great Lakes. In late fall, cold, dry air begins moving southward from Canada. At the same time, warm, moist air is still moving northward from the Gulf of Mexico. When these air masses collide over the still-warm waters of the Great Lakes, they can produce powerful storms with driving rain or snow and winds often reaching hurricane strength. Since the eighteenth century, hundreds of ships have been sunk and thousands of sailors killed by the brutal November weather on the Great Lakes.
Overview
As the seasons shift from summer to fall, the tilt of Earth’s axis begins to angle the Northern Hemisphere away from the sun. This causes the jet stream—a fast-moving band of air in the atmosphere—to dip southward, allowing colder Arctic air to gradually make its way farther south. By late October and November, this colder air can come into contact with the warm, moist air from the Gulf that has been influencing weather in the Northern Hemisphere since summer.
When the cold dry air from Canada meets the warm Gulf air, the colliding air masses can cause an intense low-pressure system. If this low pressure is swept along by the jet stream over the Great Lakes, the low pressure can increase in intensity into a powerful storm. The Great Lakes are large enough that their water temperatures can affect the air masses above them. In November, the waters of the lakes are still relatively warm, adding fuel to the intensifying low. These storms, which have been referred to as the Witch of November, or a November gale, or a Great Lakes hurricane, can pack winds reaching 80 to 100 miles per hour (129 to 160 kilometers per hour). They can also produce 20- to 30-foot (six- to nine-meter) waves and damaging amounts of rain, snow, or ice.
One of the earliest reported shipwrecks caused by the phenomenon occurred during the Revolutionary War (1775–1783) when the British warship Ontario sank on Lake Ontario with a crew of 180 on board. The deadliest single weather event on the Great Lakes was the “White Hurricane” that buffeted the entire lake region for four days in 1913. Waves reached 35 feet (10.7 meters) and were accompanied by driving snow, hail, and sleet fueled by winds estimated at more than 90 mph (145 km/h). Thirteen ships were lost in the storm, and more than 240 sailors were killed. 1905 and 1913 also saw notable, catastrophic November storms that brought death and destruction to the Great Lakes.
The most famous vessel lost to the Witch of November was the iron-ore freighter Edmund Fitzgerald. At the time of its 1958 construction, the Edmund Fitzgerald was the largest ship operating on the Great Lakes. On November 10, 1975, the ship and all twenty-nine crew members were lost on Lake Superior. The ship was fighting 86 mile-per-hour (138 kilometer-per-hour) winds and 30-foot (nine-meter) waves while trying to make port in Detroit, Michigan. The freighter suddenly disappeared off radar, suggesting that it suffered a catastrophic hull breach and sank quickly. In 1976, the ship was immortalized in the song The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald by folksinger Gordon Lightfoot.
The Witch of November continues into the twenty-first century. In 2010, a complex of November storms across North America brought dropping pressures and record snow accumulation to the Great Lakes. Study of the November gales informs climatologists about the relationship between weather events, the environment, and climate change. In studying the previous notable Witch of November events, scientists can better understand extreme weather events, predict and create climate models, better understand lakes and oceans, analyze historical weather data, analyze the impact of extreme weather events on ecosystems, record the socioeconomic effects of weather events, and raise public awareness about the seriousness of weather events and their relation to climate change.
Bibliography
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Eighteenth century, www.shipwreckmuseum.com/edmund-fitzgerald/. Accessed 3 May 2021.
Erdman, Jon. “‘November Witch’ Storm Brings High Winds to Great Lakes, Plains, Midwest.” Weather Channel, 13 Nov. 2015, weather.com/forecast/regional/news/november-witch-wind-storm-great-lakes-midwest-nov2015. Accessed 18 May 2024.
“Gales of November.” Michigan Weather Center, 9 Nov. 2019, michigan-weather-center.org/gales-of-november-2. Accessed 3 May 2021.
McLeod, Jaime. “Beware Of The ‘November Witch!’.” Farmers’ Almanac, 5 Dec. 2020, www.farmersalmanac.com/beware-of-the-november-witch-11581. Accessed 3 May 2021.
“The November Witches Of The Great Lakes.” Weather Bug, 1 Nov. 2019, www.weatherbug.com/news/The-November-Witches-Of-The-Great-Lakes. Accessed 18 May 2024.
Schumacher, Michael. November’s Fury: The Deadly Great Lakes Hurricane of 1913. U of Minnesota P, 2013.
"The Storm that Sunk the Edmund Fitzgerald - Teaching Great Lakes Science." Michigan Sea Grant, www.michiganseagrant.org/lessons/lessons/by-broad-concept/earth-science/data-sets/the-storm-that-sunk-the-edmund-fitzgerald. Accessed 18 May 2024.
Williams, Tom. “The Witch of November.” Coastal Breeze News, 23 Nov. 2020, www.coastalbreezenews.com/articles/the-witch-of-november. Accessed 3 May 2021.