Great Lakes temperatures are intensifying as region enters new reality, new study suggests

(FOX 2) - The Great Lakes have entered a new age of extremes as heat waves and cold snaps push temperatures to new highs and lows, adding stress to the ecosystems it supports and making the region harder to predict.

Adapting to the new reality won't be easy. 

Big picture view:

Climate change is driving an increase in heat waves and cold spells on the Great Lakes, with almost every recorded increase in both extremes coming after the mid-1990s. 

All five Great Lakes have seen their temperature intensities surge over 100%, with the tipping point coming after an El-Niño in 1997-1998, according to a new study.

While fish populations can respond to changes in water temperatures by migrating to other parts of the lake, rapid shifts in cold or heat can happen too quickly for them to react, leading to large-scale die-offs.

Nuclear power plants become harder to keep cool while ice coverage falls. The temperature extremes also generates conditions for larger algal blooms, while lake stratification - a process that mixes nutrients and increase oxygen levels throughout the water body - also falters. 

"We're entering a new era," said Dr. Hazem Abdelhady, the lead author of the study, which was published in Communications Earth and Environment.

Dig deeper:

The authors looked at 80 years of extreme temperatures on the Great Lakes for the study. The vast majority of the hottest and coldest days were recorded after 1998,

Not every lake has seen the same extremes, however, with Lake Superior experiencing the largest increase in cold and warm days. The dynamic is tied to a loss of historic ice coverage. 

With less ice, the lake is absorbing more radiation from the sun, which causes less ice to form. The feedback loop has been intensifying over the years.

"Lake Superior is stuck in a dangerous cycle," said Abdelhady.

The shift toward more heatwaves was most notable from December to May, which is when ice cover historically played a larger role. However, during that same time period, there was also an increase in extreme cold days. 

Why you should care:

The Great Lakes regulate the region's weather and some have suggested it could become a haven for people fleeing other extreme conditions around the country. 

But the region is not immune from its own dangerous storms. It recorded some of its rainiest years ever recently, while Michigan is in the midst of its most active tornado season ever. 

And Abdelhady's study suggests the Great Lakes is experiencing its own temperature extremes as well.

The highest number of heatwaves was in 2012-2013, which followed the most severe round of cold spells on record in 2014-2015. The whiplash makes predicting weather patterns harder. It also means preparing for significant weather events like heavy rainstorms and snowfall. 

"These findings reinforce the critical necessity of accounting for changes in temperature extremes, in addition to long-term warming," the study reads.