Table of Contents
What areas are affected by lake effect snow?
Science – Lake Effect Snow
| WIND DIRECTION | COMMUNITIES GENERALLY IMPACTED |
|---|---|
| North-northwest | Whitefish Point, Traverse City, Leland, Kalkaska |
| Northwest | Whitefish Point, East Jordan, Mancelona, Waters |
| West-northwest | Sault Ste Marie, Boyne Falls, Gaylord |
| West | Boyne City, Indian River, Petoskey |
What is happening to form lake effect snow?
Lake Effect snow occurs when cold air, often originating from Canada, moves across the open waters of the Great Lakes. As the cold air passes over the unfrozen and relatively warm waters of the Great Lakes, warmth and moisture are transferred into the lowest portion of the atmosphere.
Which cities are most affected by lake effect snow?
Lake-effect snow, which can last for only a few minutes to several days, falls from narrow bands of clouds. These snows typically occur only in the fall or early winter, before the lakes freeze over. The cities of Buffalo, Syracuse and Rochester annually top the nation’s list of snowiest big cities.
Why does lake effect snow occur mostly on the east and south sides of the Great Lakes?
Cold winds in the winter typically prevail from the northwest in the Great Lakes region, producing the most dramatic lake-effect snowfalls on the southern and eastern shores of the Great Lakes.
Does lake effect snow show up on radar?
The low nature of lake effect snow means the weather radar beam can shoot right over the top of the lake effect snow and not “see it.” That is why you will often look out the window in the U.P. of Michigan and it is snowing hard.
What cities in Michigan are affected by lake effect snow?
Western Michigan, western Northern Lower Michigan, and Northern Indiana can get heavy lake-effect snows as winds pass over Lake Michigan and deposit snows over Muskegon, Traverse City, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, New Carlisle, South Bend, and Elkhart, but these snows abate significantly before Lansing or Fort Wayne.
What states get the most lake effect snow?
The most affected areas include the Upper Peninsula of Michigan; Central New York; Western New York; Northwestern Pennsylvania; Northeastern Ohio; southwestern Ontario and central Ontario; Northeastern Illinois (along the shoreline of Lake Michigan); northwestern and north central Indiana (mostly between Gary and …
What cities in Michigan are affected by lake-effect snow?
How far inland does lake-effect snow typically extend?
All that water picked up from the lake normally travels no further than about 25 miles away before falling, but it can sometimes travel as far as 100 miles away! That moisture can make for a whole lot of snow. Luckily for people living near large lakes, lake effect snow generally slows down around February.
What is the largest single snowfall ever recorded in United States?
The heaviest snowfall ever recorded in a 24-hour period in the U.S. occurred on April 14 and 15, 1921 in Silver Lake, Colorado. During this single day, 6.3 feet of snow fell onto the ground according to Weather.com.
What is lake effect snow?
Lake Effect snow occurs when cold air, often originating from Canada, moves across the open waters of the Great Lakes. As the cold air passes over the unfrozen and relatively warm waters of the Great Lakes, warmth and moisture are transferred into the lowest portion of the atmosphere.
Why does it snow in the Great Lakes?
As the cold air passes over the unfrozen and relatively warm waters of the Great Lakes, warmth and moisture are transferred into the lowest portion of the atmosphere. The air rises, clouds form and grow into narrow band that produces 2 to 3 inches of snow per hour or more.
How much snow is falling downwind of Lake Ontario?
According to NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center (WPC), more than two feet of snow is falling downwind of Lake Ontario within the next 24 hours, and blizzard warnings are in effect for parts of Western New York State that are downwind from Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.