SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News)- With the lake effect snow season in full swing here’s a break for how lake effect snow actually happens.
The basic conditions for lake effect snow to form is that the lake water, Lake Ontario, needs to be warm while the air on land needs to be cold. The reason Lake Ontario’s water can be so warm is that water has a higher specific heat which means it takes longer for water to warm up and cool down compared to air surfaces.
So, when cold air, usually out of Canada, blows across Lake Ontario and that moisture starts to rise forming water columns known as thermals. Those thermals rise and condense to create a cloud formation which then creates precipitation. The lake effect snow bands that form last for days which produces snow that can pile up in inches or feet.