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What causes lake effect snow?
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| Lake effect snow is caused when very cold air flows over the relatively warmer
water of a large lake. Intense evaporation from the lake surface under these conditions forms
convective clouds that can not contain all of this water, and some of it falls back to the
surface as snow. Lake effect snow showers often form into bands or lines, with abrupt edges
to the falling snow. One location can receive a foot of snow, while another location just a
few miles away receives only flurries. Buffalo, New York is probably the most famous location
for receiving large amounts of lake effect snow. The convective clouds of lake effect snow
showers do not reach the heights attained by thunderstorms,
with tops seldom exceeding 12,000
feet in altitude compared to 40,000 to 60,000 feet for thunderstorms. Once the lake surface cools
to near 32 degrees F in the late winter, the
lake effect snow mechanism weakens considerably, and if the lake freezes, it stops altogether.
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| Interesting facts:
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| BUFFALO RECORD SNOWFALL A lake effect snow band
coming off of Lake Erie during December 9-10, 1995, dropped 38 in. of snow in only
24 hours, paralyzing the city.
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