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Sandy Kicking Up 20-Foot Waves On Lake Michigan

CHICAGO (WWJ/AP) - Superstorm Sandy is so vast it's kicking up near record-high waves of 20 feet out on Lake Michigan, several hundred miles from the center of the storm that's pounding the East Coast.

National Weather Service meteorologist Andrew Krein said the record wave height on the lake is 23 feet, set around the same time last year during a strong winter storm.

Krein said 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.

Krein said wind speeds were at 54 mph Tuesday morning.

Officials in Chicago are warning residents to stay away from the lakefront. Portions of the bicycle path along Lake Shore Drive are closed.

Weather effects from Sandy, which pummeled the eastern U.S. coast Monday night, are responsible for causing thousands of power outages in the metro Detroit area. A high wind advisory expired at 1 p.m. Tuesday.

The National Weather Service says winds this strong can make driving difficult, especially for high profile vehicles. Use extra caution.

Keep it tuned to WWJ Newsradio 950 for the latest weather information, along with traffic, every 10 minutes on the 8s. Check the extended forecast and live radar anytime on our weather page.

(TM and © Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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