What in the world is causing the relentless fog near the lakefront -- and when will it lift?



MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- If you've been in Milwaukee this past week -- particularly near the lakefront, the fog has not only been annoying, it's also complicating things. This past weekend, the fog cancelled the "air" portion of the Air & Water Show two days in a row, and now, the fog has postponed Summerfest's "Big Bang" Fireworks Show.

The fog showed up days ago -- and it hasn't dissipated.

FOX6 Meteorologist Justin Zollitsch says the fog is largely the fault of cool Lake Michigan water.

Zollitsch says recent days have given us a light wind off the lake. When the cool lake air mixes with humid air on land (dewpoints in the 60s thanks to damp ground from recent rain) the temperature on land drops.

When it drops to the same level as the dewpoint, fog develops. This is why the fog has been much more consistent near the lake vs. inland areas.

Zollitsch says we'll continue to see foggy conditions lakeside until the airmass dries out -- or winds turn towards the west -- pushing the fog out over the lake.

Walter Chossek has been chomping at the bit to get his sailboat out on the water -- but the fog hasn't allowed that.

"I have a small fifteen foot sailboat that I have been trying to launch for about a week-and-a-half and it's just no weather to do it," Chossek said.

Sailors at McKinley Marina are in the same boat.

The Community Sailing Center is advising boaters to stay off the lake.

"We are very weary of of the situation because (the fog) does roll back in so quickly that it can put you in a very precarious position," Peter Rieck with the Community Sailing Center said.

This week of fog has actually been helping Chossek to build his strength. Because sailing is out of the question, he has more time to rehabilitate his leg.

"I've been nursing a hamstring so I've been walking up the stairs. I'll do three sets of these stairs today," Chossek said.

Chossek is preparing to climb Mount Kilimanjaro this fall.

"Trying to raising some money for a hospital in northern Tanzania," Chossek said.

At this rate, his training is ahead of schedule -- which is good, but he says he'd still like to get back out on the water as soon as possible.

"I'd love to do it this afternoon but I don't think it's going to happen," Chossek said.

He and everyone else will just have to wait for the fog to lift.

Since summer officially started, sailing conditions have not been great.

The Community Sailing Center in Milwaukee is constantly updating conditions -- accounting for wind, waves and fog.

CLICK HERE for more information on Milwaukee's Community Sailing Center.