How do hills enhance lake effect snow on the downwind lakeshore?

speed, amount of ice cover on the lake, and topography downwind of lake. increased convergence and lifting on downwind side of lake; hills also a physical barrier to flow, forcing it to rise. Both effects contribute to upward air motion necessary to produce clouds and snow.



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The water molecules in these clouds freeze and are eventually deposited downwind, on the leeward side of these lakes as snow and other types of winter precipitation. Lake effect snow occurrence and location is mainly dependent on wind (speed and direction) and topography.

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The lower layer of air, heated by the lake water, picks up water vapor from the lake and rises through colder air. The vapor then freezes and is deposited on the leeward (downwind) shores.

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Lake-effect snow generally doesn't fall over the water because it needs the friction and topography of the land to bring out the snow. Winds usually blow west to east in the Northern Hemisphere, so the lake-enhanced snow is pushed to the eastern side of the Great Lakes, Miller said.

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The difference between lake-effect snow and a blizzard In contrast, lake-effect snow is created when cold air passes over a warmer body of water, picking up moisture and creating conditions conducive to snowfall.

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Anywhere! Lake effect snow can occur over any unfrozen body of water where the fetch is long enough to gather enough moisture to create snow. Lake effect snow can occur over Lake Tahoe, the Great Salt Lake, the finger lakes, and even has been reported over rivers in the Midwest!

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Lake Superior has the greatest impact on local snowfall amounts with 100% more winter precipitation falling downwind compared to Lakes Erie and Ontario that only have precipitation increases of 15% from the lake-effects.

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