Does lake effect make it warmer or colder?
Does lake effect make it warmer or colder? Lake-effect snow forms when dry, freezing air picks up moisture and heat as it moves along warmer lake water. This causes some of the lake water to evaporate into the air, causing the air to be warmer and wetter.
When the lake is warmer than the air?
A lake's unstable season is when the water temperatures are higher than the average air temperature. This means you can get rising motion and convection to occur over the lakes in the form of cloud cover and precipitation. Cold air over warm air is an unstable air mass.
What is the paradox of lake effect snow?
The climate around Lake Superior is colder than that around other Great Lakes, which makes it more able to support snowfall for a longer period of time, even when temperatures warm. Eventually, though, as temperatures continue to rise, lake effect snows turn into rain.
Can lake effect snow happen anywhere?
Anywhere! Lake effect snow can occur over any unfrozen body of water where the fetch is long enough to gather enough moisture to create snow. Lake effect snow can occur over Lake Tahoe, the Great Salt Lake, the finger lakes, and even has been reported over rivers in the Midwest!
Does Chicago get lake effect snow?
Lake-effect snow is a frequent contributor to our seasonal snowfall in Chicago and with Lake Michigan almost ice free, the lake-effect snow machine is open for business provided a cold wind is blowing in our favor in the right direction. Nearly 93% of the Great Lakes does not have significant ice cover.