Lake-Effect Snow Moving Over the Great Lakes

news image
Special Stories
2 Nov 2020 7:00 AM
Cold air plunging southward from Canada into the northern parts of the nation, coupled with the a fast moving clipper-type low pressure center, is bringing snow showers to the Great Lakes. A surface front made it's way over the region this weekend, bringing in some snowfall reports out of Wisconsin Sunday. Winter Weather Alerts have been issued for the lake effect snow for areas downstream 0f Lake Ontario and Lake Erie into Tuesday. Enhanced bands may bring several inches of snow.

Lake-Effect Snow Forecast

As shown below, water temperatures in the Great Lakes are warmer than the air temperature. This leads to the development of lake effect snow showers. An additional wave of energy, along with a low pressure system, are diving south. This will produce lake effect snow from Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. The first wave will come with the fast moving low pressure center. A few lake effect snow bands will develop behind the low into Tuesday.

Accumulation

In the Northeast, accumulations of snow are expected to be light to moderate for most areas. A few spots could see over 6 inches by Tuesday morning, mostly from lake effect snow east of Lake Ontario in Upstate New York. Higher elevation areas in Northern New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine could also see snow totals of 4 to 6 inches in some locations. Check this story for updates as additional details become available. Our live streams and on-air broadcasts always have the latest alerts scrolling at the bottom of the screen.
All Weather News
More
Storms Leave Thousands in the Dark, Target I-95 Thursday

Storms Leave Thousands in the Dark, Target I-95 Thursday

A cold front continues to move off the East C

20 Jun 2025 3:00 AM
Hot Weather Spreads to the Heartland

Hot Weather Spreads to the Heartland

The hottest temperatures of the year are on t

20 Jun 2025 2:45 AM
Severe Weather Threat Increases Friday in the Upper-Midwest

Severe Weather Threat Increases Friday in the Upper-Midwest

The solstice is fast approaching and so is pe

20 Jun 2025 2:40 AM
Major Hurricane Erick Makes Landfall as a Category 3

Major Hurricane Erick Makes Landfall as a Category 3

Major Hurricane Erick made landfall in extrem

20 Jun 2025 2:30 AM
The Heat Is on in the Northeast

The Heat Is on in the Northeast

The pattern across the Northeast has been coo

20 Jun 2025 2:30 AM
Record Breaking Heat in the Southwest

Record Breaking Heat in the Southwest

A powerful heat wave continues to grip the So

19 Jun 2025 12:00 AM
Active Pattern Sparks Mid-Atlantic Flood and Severe Threat

Active Pattern Sparks Mid-Atlantic Flood and Severe Threat

A Moderate Risk for excessive rain remains ov

18 Jun 2025 2:50 AM