Lake-effect snow to quickly return to Great Lakes, interior Northeast
By
Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Nov 15, 2021 2:56 PM EDT
|
Updated Nov 16, 2021 3:09 PM EDT
Temperatures crashed to wintry levels across the northeastern quadrant of the nation, and as colder air poured over the unusually warm waters of the Great Lakes, lake-effect snow piled up downwind of the lakes and across interior parts of the Northeast at the start of this week. AccuWeather forecasters say weather conditions are predicted to resemble a roller-coaster ride across the region for the balance of this week, and yet another cold wave could unleash the next round of lake-effect snowfall and the potential for slippery travel Thursday and Friday.
A storm that soaked the Northwest with flooding rain, mountain snow and strong winds on Monday will shift eastward this week, and it will be this system that will drive the colder air southward across the eastern United States. After triggering strong, cold winds across the northern Plains at midweek, the weather maker will press northward across eastern Canada. Temperatures will drop a bit lower than they were early in the week, setting the stage for more disruptive wintry weather around the Great Lakes and interior Northeast.
"The overall amount of lake-effect snow upcoming for the Upper Midwest and interior Northeast appears to be on par with the event from Sunday to Monday," AccuWeather Senior Storm Warning Meteorologist Brian Wimer said.
Snow accumulations of up to 11 inches were reported in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan on Monday morning, according to the National Weather Service. Accumulations of 3-6 inches were measured downwind of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, with one location in far northwestern Pennsylvania, Colt Station, picking up 8 inches of snow into Monday morning.
"The air looks to be a couple of degrees colder with this late-week event compared to the shot from the start of the week," Wimer explained, adding that it will a brief episode and the bands of snow will shift around rather swiftly, rather than sitting over one area.
In general, colder air can cause more vigorous lake-effect snow bands to develop, and when bands of lake-effect snow persist for hours at a time, snow can pile up to a depth of several feet in narrow zones. However, when bands of lake-effect snow pivot through an area, it may only snow for an hour or less within any band and result in much lower accumulations, regardless of how cold the air is.
"Even though the air coming in looks slightly colder than the air from the start of the week, it is not so cold as to unleash very heavy lake-effect snow or persistent snow squalls this time," Wimer said.
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High temperatures are forecast to be in the mid-30s F over the northern tier and in the higher elevations of the Appalachians on Thursday and Friday compared to highs in the middle to upper 30s from Sunday and Monday. The next cold wave will follow a surge in temperatures with highs expected to climb into the 40s, 50s and 60s at midweek.
Since pavement is still warm this time of year, snow must come down at a fast and furious rate or persist for many hours in order for snow to accumulate on the roads.
"Factoring in that the lakes are still quite warm and the ground is not yet frozen, accumulation on the roads may be generally limited to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, the northern part of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan and parts of northern New York state, known as the Tughill Plateau," Wimer explained. These colder areas can pick up several inches with widespread slippery travel from Thursday to Friday, especially where more persistent bands of lake-effect snow set up.
Despite the warm Great Lakes water and road surface temperatures, it is still possible for a brief, slushy accumulation to occur on some road surfaces in brief snow showers in portions of southwestern lower Michigan, northeastern Ohio, western and northern Pennsylvania, the higher elevations in the southern tier of New York state and the high ground in western Maryland and West Virginia. These areas can pick up a coating to an inch or two of snow on non-paved surfaces late this week.
"Typically, during the early winter season, the transitional period from the afternoon to the evening hours can be most troublesome for motorists during a snow situation," Wimer said. This is the period when road surface temperatures drop as the sun goes down. Any snow showers or heavier snow squalls during this time can accelerate that temperature drop and lead to a quick slippery coating of snow that can be very dangerous for those traveling at highway speeds.
AccuWeather meteorologists recommend that motorists allow extra time for their commutes and reduce speed as weather conditions can change drastically on the highway, especially in the snow belt regions of the Great Lakes and over the higher elevations in general during early-season lake-effect events.
For the latest weather news check back on AccuWeather.com. Watch the AccuWeather Network on DIRECTV, Frontier, Spectrum, fuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios. AccuWeather Now is now available on your preferred streaming platform.
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News / Winter Weather
Lake-effect snow to quickly return to Great Lakes, interior Northeast
By Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Nov 15, 2021 2:56 PM EDT | Updated Nov 16, 2021 3:09 PM EDT
Temperatures crashed to wintry levels across the northeastern quadrant of the nation, and as colder air poured over the unusually warm waters of the Great Lakes, lake-effect snow piled up downwind of the lakes and across interior parts of the Northeast at the start of this week. AccuWeather forecasters say weather conditions are predicted to resemble a roller-coaster ride across the region for the balance of this week, and yet another cold wave could unleash the next round of lake-effect snowfall and the potential for slippery travel Thursday and Friday.
A storm that soaked the Northwest with flooding rain, mountain snow and strong winds on Monday will shift eastward this week, and it will be this system that will drive the colder air southward across the eastern United States. After triggering strong, cold winds across the northern Plains at midweek, the weather maker will press northward across eastern Canada. Temperatures will drop a bit lower than they were early in the week, setting the stage for more disruptive wintry weather around the Great Lakes and interior Northeast.
"The overall amount of lake-effect snow upcoming for the Upper Midwest and interior Northeast appears to be on par with the event from Sunday to Monday," AccuWeather Senior Storm Warning Meteorologist Brian Wimer said.
Snow accumulations of up to 11 inches were reported in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan on Monday morning, according to the National Weather Service. Accumulations of 3-6 inches were measured downwind of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, with one location in far northwestern Pennsylvania, Colt Station, picking up 8 inches of snow into Monday morning.
"The air looks to be a couple of degrees colder with this late-week event compared to the shot from the start of the week," Wimer explained, adding that it will a brief episode and the bands of snow will shift around rather swiftly, rather than sitting over one area.
In general, colder air can cause more vigorous lake-effect snow bands to develop, and when bands of lake-effect snow persist for hours at a time, snow can pile up to a depth of several feet in narrow zones. However, when bands of lake-effect snow pivot through an area, it may only snow for an hour or less within any band and result in much lower accumulations, regardless of how cold the air is.
"Even though the air coming in looks slightly colder than the air from the start of the week, it is not so cold as to unleash very heavy lake-effect snow or persistent snow squalls this time," Wimer said.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
High temperatures are forecast to be in the mid-30s F over the northern tier and in the higher elevations of the Appalachians on Thursday and Friday compared to highs in the middle to upper 30s from Sunday and Monday. The next cold wave will follow a surge in temperatures with highs expected to climb into the 40s, 50s and 60s at midweek.
Since pavement is still warm this time of year, snow must come down at a fast and furious rate or persist for many hours in order for snow to accumulate on the roads.
"Factoring in that the lakes are still quite warm and the ground is not yet frozen, accumulation on the roads may be generally limited to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, the northern part of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan and parts of northern New York state, known as the Tughill Plateau," Wimer explained. These colder areas can pick up several inches with widespread slippery travel from Thursday to Friday, especially where more persistent bands of lake-effect snow set up.
Despite the warm Great Lakes water and road surface temperatures, it is still possible for a brief, slushy accumulation to occur on some road surfaces in brief snow showers in portions of southwestern lower Michigan, northeastern Ohio, western and northern Pennsylvania, the higher elevations in the southern tier of New York state and the high ground in western Maryland and West Virginia. These areas can pick up a coating to an inch or two of snow on non-paved surfaces late this week.
"Typically, during the early winter season, the transitional period from the afternoon to the evening hours can be most troublesome for motorists during a snow situation," Wimer said. This is the period when road surface temperatures drop as the sun goes down. Any snow showers or heavier snow squalls during this time can accelerate that temperature drop and lead to a quick slippery coating of snow that can be very dangerous for those traveling at highway speeds.
AccuWeather meteorologists recommend that motorists allow extra time for their commutes and reduce speed as weather conditions can change drastically on the highway, especially in the snow belt regions of the Great Lakes and over the higher elevations in general during early-season lake-effect events.
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For the latest weather news check back on AccuWeather.com. Watch the AccuWeather Network on DIRECTV, Frontier, Spectrum, fuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios. AccuWeather Now is now available on your preferred streaming platform.
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