Relief at the lakeshore: Lake Michigan keeps dropping

Posted: Jan 29, 2021 / 01:35 PM EST

Updated: Jan 29, 2021 / 01:39 PM EST

DETROIT (WOOD) — The lack of snow this winter is helping Lake Michigan plummet from the record-high water levels of 2020.

According to new data released by the Army Corps of Engineers Friday, Lake Michigan is down 4 inches in the past month and 10 inches from one year ago.

It’s a dramatic shift from 2020, when Lake Michigan spent the first eight months of the year in record territory, forcing homeowners to take drastic actions to keep homes from falling into the lake.

Water levels on the Great Lakes typically fall during the winter months. The Army Corps expects that trend to continue, forecasting Lake Michigan will drop another inch over the next month.

Don’t expect Lake Michigan beaches to suddenly return to the vast swathes of sand we saw a decade ago. Lake Michigan remains more than 2 feet above the long-term average for January, and is nearly 5 feet above record lows set in 2013. The six-month forecast predicts Lake Michigan will remain near record levels into the summer.

Here’s a look at the other Great Lakes:

Lake Superior