Earth 365: Climate change taking toll on Lake Erie

ERIE, Pa. (KDKA) -- As the world prepares to mark Earth Day on Saturday, all week the KDKA First Alert weather team has been highlighting KDKA-TV's commitment to covering the earth 365 days a year.

In the final part of our "Earth 365" series, we head north to Lake Erie.

It's the 12th-largest freshwater lake in the world. But over time, the changing climate has taken a toll on it.

Although it's the shallowest of the Great Lakes, Lake Erie has one of the biggest impacts on western Pennsylvania's weather and climate every day.

With nothing but water for 26 miles between Canada and the U.S. shoreline, the weather can quickly change.

"In Erie, they say 'Don't like the weather? Wait five minutes,' because the weather coming over the water changes in dramatic fashion," said Paul Vojtek, the CEO and CFO of Erie Water Works.

"With Lake Erie being the shallowest lake, it can actually have some the fastest changes," agreed Bryan Mroczka, a physical scientist at Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory.

Mroczka says these harsh weather events are getting more intense.

"The heat events are getting more frequent, and they're getting longer. The arctic events are getting less frequent, and they're getting shorter," said Mroczka.

He says that includes lake effect snow.

Mroczka adds, "The biggest change is that the lake effect events are becoming less frequent but when they occur, they're more severe."

And local fishermen are noticing these changes firsthand.

"Even though we don't have to shovel as much, the fishing industry seems to be more viable with long periods of ice cover on the lake," said Jerry Skrypzak, the president of the S.O.N.S. of Lake Erie Fishing Club.

Since 1998, Lake Erie has been noticing a steadier decline in ice cover or at least longer periods of time without any ice, which will continue to cause issues with beach erosion and coastal flooding.

"We get a little bit of ice cover along the shore, but nothing where you go where it would be thick enough to walk 26 miles over to the other country," said Vojtek.

Mroczka added, "Lake Erie is one of the easiest lakes to get ice on because it's so shallow. And to have extended periods, especially at the end of winter, without any ice, that doesn't happen very often."

And with the lake's warming temperatures, more algae blooms have been occurring, which also hurts the fishing industry.

"The algae will eventually die and choke off the oxygen for the fish. So that's something we have to monitor," said Skrypzak.

"Climate change is going to cause more frequent extreme precipitation events. That means more runoff, which means better conditions for the algae blooms in the summer months," said Mroczka.

And given everything that's happening, our area is preparing for what's to come.

Vojtek said, "Basically what we try to do is prepare for the unexpected."

If you missed any of our "Earth 365" stories this week, we're putting them all together for you in a half-hour streaming special Saturday morning at eight o'clock on CBS News Pittsburgh.

That's followed by a half-hour "On The Dot" streaming special as host David Schechter searches across the country for the latest signs of climate change and how communities across the country are responding. So join us Saturday as we celebrate Earth Day.