Exactly 89 waterspouts were recorded across the Great Lakes between Oct. 21-26, with a majority coming from Lakes Erie and Ontario, according to the National Weather Service.
A waterspout is essentially a water tornado, building up when the cooling air builds up against warm surface water. While they generally break apart if they touch land, but they have the potential to become a tornado.
"You can get little areas of rotation that develop, these little what we call vortices, and if one of these vortices can become co-located with one of these updrafts, the vortex can get stretched upward, which makes it spin quicker," said John Boris of the National Weather Service's Gaylord office. "And from there, you can get a water spout to develop."
Autumn is the most common time of the year to spot this phenomenon, however they can appear at other times as well, Boris said.
Being able to see a waterspout is dependent on the conditions being just right. The Michigan Storm Chasers Facebook page will occasionally post updates on if there is the potential for waterspout activity.
However, people should avoid coming into contact with a spout due to their dangerous qualities, Boris said.
"Even if you're on a boat, for boaters that are out there, you just need to make sure that you stay away from them," said Boris. "There's always still some danger with them."
