By Jenna Lake of KBJR-TV - May 25, 2019

Observing the conditions on Lake Superior are about to get a little bit easier for the public to see.

The Large Lakes Observatory at UMD has two buoys in the lake that are operational during the warm months of the year.

One is a mile off shore, and one is ten miles off shore, in the western arm of Lake Superior.

These buoys gather crucial information for shipping vessels, fishermen, and meteorologists, such as surface air temperatures, water temperatures, wind speed, wind direction, wave height, and solar radiation.

In total, this information is critical when it comes to forecasting.

This year, the buoys are equipped with a new camera that gives us a firsthand look at conditions a mile offshore.

While this camera is still getting the kinks worked out, here’s a peek at Wednesday’s waves courtesy of Dr. Jay Austin, a professor at the Large Lakes Observatory.

Soon you’ll be able to experience our great lakes storms up close and personally via UMD’s Buoys