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Meteorological phenomena ontario11/9/2023 Interestingly, two or more Great Lakes can sometime contribute to a fetch. Lake Superior: Northwest, north or northeast.Lake Michigan: North to north-northeast.Here are wind directions providing the greatest fetch over each lake: The more optimal the fetch, the stronger the lake-effect snow band will become because the air travels over the lake for a longer duration, picking up the most heat and moisture. In general, the heaviest single snowbands occur when winds align roughly with the longest axis of a lake.įor example, the winds should be well-aligned out of the west, west-northwest or northwest from the surface up through about 5,000 feet for organized lake-effect snow bands downwind of Lake Ontario.Ī west or southwest wind would bring the heaviest single lake bands downwind of Lake Erie.Įach Great Lake has an optimal fetch direction, since they are orientated differently. One other ingredient necessary for the formation of lake-effect snow is winds blowing in nearly the same direction throughout the lower atmosphere. For heavier snow, the cloud deck needs to be located at more than 7,500 feet (about 1.5 miles). At best, you'll just get some lake-effect clouds and maybe a few flurries because the air mass won't be unstable enough for significant precipitation.Īdditionally, the cloud deck should be at least 5,000 feet (about a mile) above the ground to get anything more than flurries. If the air mass does not meet the 23-degree Fahrenheit (13-degree Celsius) threshold, the clouds will not be able to absorb enough heat and moisture from the lake for sufficient lake-effect snow to fall. That means an incoming cold air mass would need to be at least 32 degrees Fahrenheit (0 degrees Celsius) or colder at 5,000 feet as it passes over Lake Ontario in order for lake-effect snow to form downwind of the lake. 11, 2016, was 55 degrees Fahrenheit (13 degrees Celsius) off the coast of Rochester, New York. A general rule of thumb is that temperatures around 5,000 feet above ground must be at least 23 degrees Fahrenheit (13 degrees Celsius) colder than the lake temperature for lake-effect snow to develop.įor example, the temperature of Lake Ontario on Nov. Speaking of arctic air masses, they are another key ingredient. (MORE: Up to 88 Inches of Snow Buries Parts of Western New York, Including the Buffalo Southtowns) Upwind of the Great Lakes, northeast Canada's Hudson Bay will sometimes fuel the incoming arctic air mass with ample moisture, helping produce stronger lake-effect snowstorms. When winds are too strong, they don't have enough time to pick up the lake's moisture for organized snow bands to form. While the lake, or any other sufficiently large body of water, for that matter, provides moisture to aid in the development of lake-effect snow, additional moisture is sometimes required if the wind speeds are strong. This was due to the very unstable environment in place with relatively mild lake waters at 61 degrees, and an air mass that was just cold enough aloft to produce the heavy snow. Lightning and thunder were constant during the height of the storm, according to the NWS. In fact, there was already plenty of damage reported with just the first few inches of snow that fell, the National Weather Service (NWS) in Buffalo said. Many trees still had their leaves, worsening the impacts of the snow. 12-13, 2006, downing trees and power lines, and knocking out power to about a million customers in the area. (MORE: October Snowstorms Have Destructive Reputation)Ī band of heavy lake-effect snow pummeled the Buffalo area Oct. Prior to this, the all-time October monthly snowfall record was only 6 inches, set in 1909. One of the most memorable lake-effect snowstorms in Buffalo, New York, took place in October 2006, when 22.6 inches of snow fell in the city. Lake-effect snow can happen in October and March, as well, though the latter is less common since lakes are at their coldest – if not frozen – and air masses are a bit warmer than earlier in winter. Lake-effect snow bands blanket the Great Lakes region on January 5, 2015, in this high-resolution image from NASA's Aqua satellite.
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