Why does lake effect snow occur mostly on the east and south sides of the Great Lakes?

During the late fall and winter seasons in the Great Lakes region, the flow of cold air masses across the relatively warm waters of the Great Lakes waters results in the production of dramatic lake-effect snowfall downwind of the lakes, particularly on the southern and eastern shores.



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In the U.S. lake effect snow commonly occurs across northern Wisconsin, western Michigan, northwestern New York, northwestern Pennsylvania and the Great Salt Lake in Utah.

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Worldwide some locations that get substantial lake-effect snows include Japan, the Korean Peninsula, Scandinavia off the Gulf of Bothnia and the Gulf of Finland, and Canada when cold air passes across Hudson Bay, the Gulf of St.

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The fetch is important in that a longer fetch will provide more fuel, or water vapor, for the development of heavier lake effect snow. For example, a north wind will produce a narrow band of very heavy snow to the south of Lake Michigan, while a (cold) west wind will produce multiple weaker bands to the east.

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As mentioned above, for the Great Lakes to produce lake effect snow, a wind direction somewhere between north and northwest is generally the most favorable.

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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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Why do lake-effect snows not develop on the northern side of the great lakes when strong southerly winds are blowing during winter? -Southerly winds would be bringing warm air across the lake. This would decrease the lake-air temperature difference, which is necessary for lake-effect snow.

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