What clouds accompany lake effect snow?

Northern or westerly winds blow over the lakes' surface, picking up heat and water vapor that produce warm columns of air known as “thermals.” Those columns then cool down and condense into cumulus clouds, aligning in the direction of the prevailing wind over the lakes' surface.



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The climate around Lake Superior is colder than that around other Great Lakes, which makes it more able to support snowfall for a longer period of time, even when temperatures warm. Eventually, though, as temperatures continue to rise, lake effect snows turn into rain.

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Luckily for people living near large lakes, lake effect snow generally slows down around February. That's when the lakes freeze over, making it impossible for the air to steal moisture away from the lake.

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Lake-effect snow can form on small lakes just as it does in the Great Lakes. Salt Lake City, Fort Worth and Carson City, Nevada have all had bouts of snow from lakes. Inland lake-effect and ocean-effect doesn't just occur in the United States.

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