The National Weather Service is warning people to stay out of Lake Michigan this weekend to avoid potentially fatal rip currents.
A beach hazards statement is in effect for all Lake Michigan beaches in Illinois starting at midnight Thursday through 10 a.m. Friday, according to the National Weather Service’s website.
While the initial hazard statement lasts only through Friday morning, tumultuous waves are expected across the lake all weekend, with waves between 4-7 feet Friday, 5-8 feet Saturday and 3-5 feet Sunday, according to the weather service.
The rough waves will create conditions that could lead to rip currents and structural currents, powerful channels of water that can pull a person away from shore into deeper waters.
Earlier this month, a 13-year-old girl died while swimming near Loyola Beach when she was pulled away from the shore by a rip current.
Rip currents often occur near low spots or breaks in sandbars, while structural currents can happen near piers or breakwaters, according to the National Weather Service. The dangerous swimming conditions are created when a weather front moves through, said Charles Mott, a weather service meteorologist.
It’s hard to predict which times of the day will see the most dangerous conditions because the lake changes, but people’s best bet is to avoid the water, Mott said. But if a person gets caught in a rip current, there are a few things he or she can do.
“If you’re out there swimming, swim parallel to the shore and hopefully you can swim out,” Mott said. “If people are going to the lake, this is our way of saying be careful, because there’s also the possibility of showers and thunderstorms.”
A couple of inches of rain will come with the cooler weather, Mott said.
Friday will most likely see the most precipitation, with a chance of thunderstorms throughout the weekend. The rain is expected to subside Sunday morning when there’s a 30 percent chance of showers.
Check the Tribune’s weather page for updated forecasts and weather hazards.
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