What is Lake-Effect Snow?

Why in News ?
The season’s first major snowfall hit parts of New York, Pennsylvania, and Michigan during the busy holiday travel and shopping weekend. Cold temperatures and heavy snow are expected to continue into the week, creating hazards in the Great Lakes, Plains, and Midwest regions.

Lake-effect snow is characterized by its low water content, making it light, fluffy, and capable of piling up quickly.

• The snow-to-water ratio in lake-effect snow can reach 40:1, compared to the typical 10:1 ratio in standard snowfalls.

2. Formation of Lake-Effect Snow: Key Ingredients

• Forms when cold, dry arctic air passes over the warmer, unfrozen waters of large lakes like the Great Lakes.
• Warmth and moisture from the lake rise, creating narrow bands of snow-producing clouds.
• Wind direction plays a crucial role in determining which areas experience snowfall.

3. Snow Belts: Where the Snow Hits Hardest

• Regions 20+ miles inland, often with hilly terrain, experience the heaviest snowfall due to additional lift.
• Snowfall is highly localized, with heavy snow in one area and clear skies just a few miles away.

4. Seasonal Timing of Lake-Effect Snow

• Occurs mainly in fall and early winter before lakes freeze.
• Can continue into spring if the lakes remain unfrozen.

5. Record-Breaking Snowfalls

• Western New York cities like Buffalo, Syracuse, and Rochester receive over 8 feet of snow annually.
• Montague, NY, holds an unofficial record for 6.5 feet of snow in 24 hours (January 1997).
• Extreme events like 5 inches of snow in 20 minutes and thundersnow are notable phenomena.

6. Beyond the Great Lakes: Other Locations

• Lake-effect snow is not exclusive to the Great Lakes; it occurs near other large bodies of water, such as Utah’s Great Salt Lake.

7. Local Attitudes Towards Lake-Effect Snow

• Residents in snow-prone areas like Syracuse embrace the heavy snowfalls, considering them preferable to other natural disasters like hurricanes or floods.

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