Great Lakes bracing for more feet of snow as dangerous squall risk returns
The lake-effect snow machine will again kick into high gear this week with the likelihood of road closures and dangerous travel conditions near the Great Lakes.
You’ve heard of the term "lake-effect snow." What does that mean? Let’s find out.
A new outbreak of cold air will trigger bands of heavy, disruptive lake-effect snow during the first half of the new week, AccuWeather meteorologists warn.
"Typically, lake-effect snow events become less severe as the winter season progresses as the lakes cool off and ice over into the winter season, but with the lakes still relatively ice-free and warmer than the historical average, another impressive lake-effect snow event is expected to occur," AccuWeather Meteorologist Brandon Buckingham said.
Arctic cold front may trigger dangerous snow squalls
As the storm that brought snow to portions of the Upper Midwest Saturday moves east it will swing northward into Ontario and not progress across the northeastern United States, as a result snow associated with it will dwindle farther to the east.
However, along the leading edge of Arctic air, or cold front, there will be flurries and locally heavier snow squalls that can bring a quick coating of snow and a sudden drop in visibility as far to the south as the southern Appalachians on Monday and as far to the east as the mid-Atlantic and New England coasts by Tuesday.
A snow squall is an intense, short-lived burst of heavy snowfall that leads to a quick reduction in visibility and is often accompanied by extremely gusty winds.
Similar situations in the past have contributed to deadly multiple-vehicle pileups on interstate highways in the Midwest and the Northeast. Motorists should be prepared for rapidly changing conditions, where visibility can drop to near zero and roads can transition from dry to snow-covered in a matter of a minute or two.
Feet of lake-effect snow likely
As this system pivots through and winds pick up from the west and northwest in its wake, lake-effect snow will begin first off Lake Superior and Lake Michigan.
"Snowfall that could approach or exceed a foot is expected across Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula, especially the Porcupine Mountains and between Munising and Whitefish Point along the shores of Lake Superior," Buckingham said.
Local amounts to a foot of snow can occur on the eastern shores of Lake Michigan through the start of the week.
Patrick Sahr is out just after sunrise shoveling snow from his car and driveway after at least 18 inches of new snow fell - on top of the three feet that buried Buffalo, New York, Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Carolyn Thompson)
"There is the likelihood for several feet of snow downwind of lakes Huron, Erie and Ontario from Monday to Wednesday night as the flow of cold air throttles up," AccuWeather Meteorologist Brandon Buckingham said.
Areas most prone to picking up feet of snow will extend from northeastern Ohio to northwestern Pennsylvania and western, central and northern New York. The AccuWeather local StormMax™ for the upcoming lake event is 48 inches.
As the lake-effect snowfall rate reaches 1-3 inches per hour with blizzard conditions, some roads in the region may shut down, including stretches of interstates 81 and 90. Cross-country trucking interests may want to consider a more southern route.
Additional rounds of Arctic air are forecast to roll southward into the U.S. into the last week of January. Each round will trigger heavy lake-effect snow.
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