PICTURE OF THE MONTH Satellite View of a Lake-Effect Snowstorm UDC 551~688.4:661.678.45:661.607.362.2:661.676.1(0~.1) (286: 71-73) “1970.11.23 ’ ’

• Main Author: Edward W. Ferguson
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Arctic
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.408.5638; http://docs.lib.noaa.gov/rescue/mwr/099/mwr-099-03-0247.pdf

The lake effect on snowfall has been of great interest to meteorologists for many years. Earlier work by Sheridan (1941) and Wiggin (1950) showed that cold arctic air flowing across relatively warm open water such as Lakes Erie and Ontario picks up vast amounts of moisture and heat. This is most pronounced during the early winter months when there is a large air-lake temperature difference. Heating of the lowest layer of arctic air produces convection that can result in heavy snowfall to the lee of the lakes. Later, a group of scientists under the direction of Dr. George McVehil made a study (McVehil et al. 1967) on the lake effect and agreed with these earlier ideas, but further concluded that initial air mass stability, height, and strength of air inversions and large-scale