CLEVELAND — Were you planning on taking a swim at one of Lake Erie’s beaches this weekend? The National Weather Service in Cleveland has a warning you need to know.
“Swim risk at Lake Erie beaches will reach high by tonight [Friday] due to high wind speeds and wave heights,” the National Weather Service wrote on Facebook. “High swim risk means life-threatening wave heights and rip currents are expected.”
Their advice?
“Do not enter the water!”
"We're looking at (waves) at close to four to seven feet and those conditions can change really rapidly, says George Degener of the U.S. Coast Guard. "It's a very quick onset: What starts as a flat, calm day with ideal conditions can turn dangerous really quickly."
Here’s a closer look at the weekend beach forecast for locations in Cuyahoga County…
FRIDAY
- Waves: 1-3 feet, building to 2-4 feet
- Swim risk: Moderate, which means swimming is discouraged
FRIDAY NIGHT
- Waves: 3-6 feet, building to 3-7 feet
- Swim risk: High, which means do not enter the water
SATURDAY
- Waves: 5-7 feet, subsiding to 3-5 feet
- Swim risk: High, which means do not enter the water
Here's more details discussing the dangerous water conditions from the National Weather Service:
Although the water will be dangerous, the air temperature won’t be ideal for swimming either as much cooler conditions return throughout the weekend. Highs for Friday are expected in the low 80s, but Saturday will only reach approximately 70 degrees.
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Editor's note: Video in the player above was originally published in a previous story on June 15, 2022.