Lake Effect Snow in Western New York

1
Lake Effect Snow in Western New York

• Adam Czekanski
• 26 April 2007

Photo Courtesy of NOAA
2
Agenda

• Objective
• Critical Variables
• Study Area
• Historic Trends
• Event Analysis
• Conclusion
• Acknowledgements
• Questions

Photo Courtesy of V.L.TROY
3
Objective

• To illustrate the relationship between
  meteorological factors, geographical factors and
  lake effect snow as they pertain to Lake Erie and
  western New York.

Imagery Courtesy NOAA CoastWatch - Great Lakes
Region
4
Lake Effect Snow

• Intense snowfall that occurs as a result of cold
  dry air moving across the surface of a warmer
  body of water.

Imagery Courtesy Sea WiFS Project, NASA
5
Lake Effect Snow
Slides Courtesy of Dept of Atmospheric Sciences,
University of Illinois
6
Variables

• Temperature Differential
• Produces convective instability
• Ideally 15-25oC
• Relative Humidity
• Amount of moisture in the air
• Determines time air needs over water to become
  saturated
• Latent Heat
• Heat released from condensation of moisture
• Additional energy source for convective
  instability

7
Variables

• Wind Speed
• Ideally at least 11 MPH (5 m/s)
• Affects spray/evaporation, residence time
• Wind Direction / Fetch
• Determines where storm comes ashore
• Length of fetch (trajectory) affects moisture
  contact time
• Ice Cover
• Directly affects amount of moisture available
• Water gt0oC needed
• Shoreline
• Convergence and vertical lift due to surface
  friction
• Elevation change causes moist air to rise,
  condense

8
Lake Effect Storm in Action(Buffalo, NY, January
2007)
9
Study Area
Map Courtesy of GoCanada.com
10
Study Area
11
Historic Trends (NCDC Snow Gage Locations)
12
Historic Trends(Lake Ice Cover)
13
Historic Trends(Temperature and Ice Cover)
14
Historic Trends(Lake Ice Cover and Snowfall)
15
Historic Trends(Elevation and Distance from the
Lake)
16
Event Analysis (NOHRSC Snow Gage Locations)
17
Event Analysis(29 January 2007)
18
Event Analysis(14 February 2007)
19
Event Analysis(26 February 2007)
20
Event Analysis(7 March 2007)
21
Conclusion

• Occurrence, strength, and location of lake
  effect snows in western New York rely on a number
  of variables, but are most strongly correlated
  with the ice cover on Lake Erie

22
Acknowledgements

• Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory
  (GLERL)
• Greg Lang
• Ray Assel
• Tim Hunter
• Nathan Hawley
• National Operational Hydrologic Sensing Center
  Kelley Eicher
• University of Wisconsin (Space Science and
  Engineering Center) Liam Gumley
• Brad Eck, Tyler Jantzen, Stephanie Johnson, Clark
  Siler, and Ernest To for their technical
  expertise
• Eric Hersh for being my nemesis for the last two
  years!!

23
Questions