New York State Thruway/ I-90
Take a look at this. http://www.fingerlakes1.com/addedstories/20141118163551.php
Forum Discussion
BurbMan wrote:
Lake effect is an early season phenomenon because the water is warmer than the land...once winter progresses and the water cools down or freezes, lake effect is no longer a factor in storms. The earlier the storm the worse the lake effect is, as we are seeing now with 5+ feet of snow....
That's close, but certainly not quite correct.
When the cold dry air sweeps across the relatively warm water, the surface temperature of eastern Lake Erie is currently around 50-52 deg., the wind picks up a LOT of that moisture. This warmth causes the now moisture-laden clouds to rise as they do so the moisture cools, condenses and freezes into snow which then falls to earth.
It snows over the lake too, it makes no difference whether there's land or water underneath it. It snows on (in this case) Buffalo only because it's downwind of a long lake.
Yes, the Great Lakes certainly do freeze over, just not regularly as smaller lakes do.
