Lake Effect

D

Dom36

New member
Hello John,

Something that I've always been curious about . . .

Ref Lake Michigan Lake Effect, why is it that NW and SW always get more Lake Effect Snow than the middle portion of the lower?

Ref Lake Superior Lake Effect, why is it that some areas in the Lake Effect Belt of Lake Superior also seem to get less Lake Effect?

I just find it strange, these lakes are many miles across, so yes wind direction plays a role, but the mid lower portion of Michigan and portions of Upper notoriously and consistently get left out of the big lake effect snow no matter what direction the wind is blowing from.

All the best and hoping for a real winter again!
 
jd

jd

Administrator
Staff member
NWL MI gets help from Lake Superior. The air is pre-conditioned by Lake Superior and then does not need to travel over as much water at the north end of Lake MI to produce LES. Traveling south, those areas in central western lower MI do not get air that is pre-conditioned.

For SWL MI, the air typically travels down a good stretch of Lake MI from south to north and then hooks to the east enough to bring that corner of the state, as well as NW IN snows.

For the UP, it is all a matter of wind direction and how much water the air travels over before hitting land again. So some places are much more prone to getting hit than others. In some cases, elevation plays a roll too. The lower elevations get less snow.

-John
 
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