How lake effect snow happens
The Northeast has seen a substantial amount of snow the past week leading to travel issues across states bordering Lake Eerie. This impressive snowfall is a result of lake effect snow which can cause multiple feet of snow in just a few short days.
Some areas across New York state have seen over two feet of snowfall in the last several days expanding from Dunkirk and southwest.
Lake effect snow occurs due to the shift in temperatures and moisture content around major bodies of water such as the Great Lakes. The air surrounding the Great Lakes is typically cooler than the warmer body of water.
Winds push from onshore overhead of the lake drifting the cooler Canadian airmass over the moist and warmer air from the lake.
When this cooler air meets the warm and moist air over the lake, the warmer air rises and starts to condense forming clouds which eventually move over the land dropping heavy bands of snow in a short period of time.
Most of the lake effect snow seen in the United States occurs over the southeastern shores of the Great Lakes as winds out of the north and northwest push overhead during the winter months following cold fronts.
