A review of cyclone track shifts over the Great Lakes of North America: implications for storm surges

Cyclone tracks over the Great Lakes of North America shift, both East–West as well as North–South. The reasons for the shifts are various small-scale as well as large-scale processes associated with the general circulation of the atmosphere. The East–West shift has an approximate periodicity of 10 years, while the North–South shift occurs roughly with a periodicity of 20 years. The East–West shift is more important than the North–South shift. The amount of shift could be as much as a few hundred kilometers. The implication of these shifts for storm surges in the Great Lakes is considered.