CHICAGO (AP) — Avid surfers in Chicago are taking advantage of near-record waves in the cold, churning waters of Lake Michigan.
Hundreds of miles from its turbulent center, superstorm Sandy's outer bands were violent enough to rip up the waves of 20 feet. National Weather Service meteorologist Andrew Krein (kryn) says the record wave height on the lake is 23 feet, set around the same time last year during a strong winter storm.
Officials in Chicago are warning residents to stay away from the lakefront. Portions of the bicycle path along Lake Shore Drive are closed.
Krein says what's unusual is that this time, it isn't a winter storm, but the outskirts of a former tropical system that is so large it's producing storm conditions on Lake Michigan.
