Lake Effect Snow bands

[arcticgeorge]

Hi John, I was wondering what determines when the lake effect snow will nail some spots (Marquette a couple of days ago) but not other areas along the Western side of the UP?, even though the same required Northwest to Southeast wind was blowing... Thanks for answering i know your busy...

 

[jd]

Wind direction from the surface up to around 6000-10,000 feet determines the type of banding you will see to the LES as well as the direction it travels.

The different areas of the UP typically see heavier snows occur with different wind directions. For the areas around Marquette, especially the higher terrain just to the west, the optimal wind direction is a NNE wind. For Munising to Paradise it is a NW wind. For Ironwood it is a NE wind, but also sometimes a N wind can get them good. For the Keweenaw it is a W-WSW wind that hammers us. The Rockland/Mass City/Twin Lakes areas get it good with a WNW wind.

The main goal to produce the heaviest LES is to allow the air to travel the longest distance over the lake to pick up as much moisture and heat as it can.

-John

 

[meathead]

A\g& jd

wind direction from the surface up to around 6000-10,000 feet determines the type of banding you will see to the les as well as the direction it travels.

The different areas of the up typically see heavier snows occur with different wind directions. For the areas around marquette, especially the higher terrain just to the west, the optimal wind direction is a nne wind. For munising to paradise it is a nw wind. For ironwood it is a ne wind, but also sometimes a n wind can get them good. For the keweenaw it is a w-wsw wind that hammers us. The rockland/mass city/twin lakes areas get it good with a wnw wind.

The main goal to produce the heaviest les is to allow the air to travel the longest distance over the lake to pick up as much moisture and heat as it can.

-john

jd """"we all know you control the weather up there so make it happen cause us flatldners know you are da man....meathead