Why does lake-effect snow usually occur on the downwind shores of the Great Lakes in early winter?
Why does lake-effect snow usually occur on the downwind shores of the Great Lakes in early winter? The lower layer of air, heated by the lake water, picks up water vapor from the lake and rises through colder air. The vapor then freezes and is deposited on the leeward (downwind) shores.
Does lake effect snow happen downwind?
The water molecules in these clouds freeze and are eventually deposited downwind, on the leeward side of these lakes as snow and other types of winter precipitation. Lake effect snow occurrence and location is mainly dependent on wind (speed and direction) and topography.
Does lake effect snow occur around other areas besides the Great Lakes?
Worldwide some locations that get substantial lake-effect snows include Japan, the Korean Peninsula, Scandinavia off the Gulf of Bothnia and the Gulf of Finland, and Canada when cold air passes across Hudson Bay, the Gulf of St.
At what point does Lake effect snow stop occurring?
Luckily for people living near large lakes, lake effect snow generally slows down around February. That's when the lakes freeze over, making it impossible for the air to steal moisture away from the lake.
Can lake-effect snow happen on small lakes?
Lake-effect snow can form on small lakes just as it does in the Great Lakes. Salt Lake City, Fort Worth and Carson City, Nevada have all had bouts of snow from lakes. Inland lake-effect and ocean-effect doesn't just occur in the United States.
How do hills enhance lake effect snow on the downwind lakeshore?
speed, amount of ice cover on the lake, and topography downwind of lake. increased convergence and lifting on downwind side of lake; hills also a physical barrier to flow, forcing it to rise. Both effects contribute to upward air motion necessary to produce clouds and snow.
Why does lake effect snow occur mostly on the east and south sides of the Great Lakes?
During the late fall and winter seasons in the Great Lakes region, the flow of cold air masses across the relatively warm waters of the Great Lakes waters results in the production of dramatic lake-effect snowfall downwind of the lakes, particularly on the southern and eastern shores.
Why are the Great Lakes so cold?
Lake temperatures are largely driven by interactions with the atmosphere, so colder air temperatures lead to colder lake temperatures, according to the NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL).
How does wind direction affect lake effect snow?
The fetch is important in that a longer fetch will provide more fuel, or water vapor, for the development of heavier lake effect snow. For example, a north wind will produce a narrow band of very heavy snow to the south of Lake Michigan, while a (cold) west wind will produce multiple weaker bands to the east.