“Snow by lake effect”: What is this phenomenon and which US states could be affected
much of The United States will suffer the entry of a significant mass of arctic cold in the following days, which will leave typical January temperatures but now in the middle of November.
It is estimated that this cold mass entry will lower the thermometer significantly and more than 100 million people in the country could feel it.
In addition, a large storm known as the phenomenon “lake effect snow” (lake effect snow) will dump several feet of snow across the Great Lakes region beginning this weekend.
Such a phenomenon is expected to disrupt or hinder travel in parts of New York State and the Buffalo metropolitan area.
This phenomenon could last several days, as reported by Weather.comand warned that this mass of snow could stop at a certain point and accumulate several feet of snow.
Due to lake effect snow, advisories have been issued east and southeast of Lakes Erie and Ontario, western New York, northwestern Pennsylvania, and far northwestern Ohio.
In addition, winter storm watches and winter weather watches have been issued for other nearby points, including parts of Michigan and northwestern Indiana.
What is the ‘lake effect snow’ phenomenon?
Although the country has experienced cooler temperatures, in some states had their first snowfall of the season this week: This is an even colder air mass that will remain over the north of the country, from the Great Lakes to Canada.
This cold air, carrying freezing temperatures, travels to different cities, rushes over the much warmer waters of the Great Lakes and absorbs that heat from the water, which is blown along the shorelines of the lakes, where the frigid temperatures they end up condensing what would otherwise be rain.
It is so that on areas near the lakes bands of snow fall associated precisely with that lake; that’s why this weather phenomenon is known as ‘lake effect snow’.
What parts of the US will be affected by lake effect snow?
The lake effect snow phenomenon is common in cities like Chicago or Cleveland, because they are located on the shores of Lakes Michigan and Erie, respectively.
However, it generally occurs in late fall and early winter in what are known as the ‘Great Lakes snow belts’.
This location extends from western and Upper Michigan to northern Indiana, northeastern Ohio, northwestern Pennsylvania, and western and upstate new york.
It is estimated that the record high temperatures that we have experienced this year could further intensify this phenomenonbecause the waters of the Great Lakes are warmer than in other years.
That is to say, the hotter the water, the more unstable that air will be when combined with the cold air that flows over it; that’s why even more snow than normal is expected, even accompanied by lightning.
It is expected that from Thursday night the winds will change and produce that band of snowprimarily affecting the Buffalo metropolitan area.
The impacts of this more solid band could last until Friday night and bring up to three inches of snow per hour.
Snowfall of several feet is expected in the Buffalo metropolitan area, as well as parts of the Interstate 81 corridor in upstate New York.
Also read:
Very cold in NYC and heavy snowfall in upstate New York: state of emergency declared in anticipation
· The weather predictions for Thanksgiving Day in this 2022
· Snow in Upstate New York: First flakes of the season today; announce rain and colder in NYC
