Locals Spot Rare Weather Phenomenon Along Shores of Lake Michigan

Conditions must be right!

While it is not unheard of to see these bizarre formations fill the shores of the Great Lakes, it's not something we see here every day. However, recent weather conditions have brought this phenomenon to Lake Michigan. Check this out:

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You'll want to be sure to add this to your Pure Michigan bucket list! In all my years growing up and living in West Michigan I have never seen these peculiar sand formations in-person. While I hope to be able to cross this item off my list in the near future it can be difficult as they are often here today, gone the next.

How Are These Sand Sculptures Formed?

It all has to do with wind, water, and sand. As WOOD-TV8's Chief Meteorologist Ellen Bacca explains,

For these to form the ground must be frozen with the permafrost extending at least a foot into the ground. Steady wind will then act to begin eating away at the sand as it blows. The sand isn’t swept away in a single sheet, rather due to inconsistencies in the sand, the extent of the freeze, the sand will erode differently. Wind eddies also act to carve out the sculptures in unique ways as every micro current of wind swoops in a little differently onshore.

Naturally, it doesn't take very long for these delicate sand sculptures to be destroyed so it's best to simply admire their eerie beauty, take a few photos, and appreciate the wild wonder of our planet.

With the strong winds of winter about to sweep over the Great Lakes, I'm sure this won't be our last opportunity to see these sand sculptures in West Michigan. That's why I love a trip to the lakeshore no matter the time of year!