The Snow Machine
The Snow Machine
Many New England ski resorts have had to make a majority of their snow this season since Mother Nature has been reluctant to lend a hand. While it has been a famine for Boston and surrounding areas with about 2 inches (5 cm) of snow this winter recorded at Logan Airport, a feast of snow has been unleashed downwind of Lake Ontario in recent days. As of Thursday morning, Parish, NY had received 88 inches (224 cm) of snow this week.
Although that may sound incredible to the snow-starved, 100 inches (254cm) or more of snow in a week is not unheard of in favored lake-effect snow regions.
The lake-effect snows are mostly an early winter phenomenon and are quite localized to areas right around the Great Lakes. As cold air blows over the unfrozen lakes, the air in contact with the lake surface picks up heat and moisture making it less dense relative to air over adjacent land masses. Consequently, bands of intense but narrow snow squalls form dumping as much as 5 inches (12.7cm) of snow per hour over a lakeside town for days but leaving locales only miles away with virtually nothing.
Meanwhile, cold and quiet weather will continue here through this weekend into early next week.
Today: Partly cloudy, chilly with breezy west winds. High 28°F (-2°C).
Tonight: Clearing and cold. Low 15°F (-9°C).
Tomorrow: Partly cloudy and slightly warmer. High 31°F (-1°C).
Sunday: Mostly sunny. High 30°F (-1°C).
Monday: Partly cloudy. High 33°F (1°C).