A changing climate along southeastern Lake Michigan

The Great Lakes are a vital source for shipping, recreation, travel, and tourism within the United States and Canada. Due to climate change, the future is uncertain for tourists and residents who live along southeastern Lake Michigan. A changing climate, including rising temperatures and increasing precipitation, could detrimentally impact communities along the lakeshore. Utilizing climate data from the past 110 years, I calculate and analyze 30-year climate normals for Benton Harbor, Holland, and Muskegon, three Michigan cities along the southeastern Lake Michigan lakeshore. Then, I take an in-depth look into how the climate is changing and create graphs to show trends in the data. I also discuss what some of the impacts to southeastern Lake Michigan could be as a result of a changing climate.