Prime feature: Marginal lake effect event.

The 2011 year ended with a marginal lake effect event across the region dropping a localized foot plus over the Tug Hill region. An area of low pressure tracked across the region Tuesday night changing rain to a wet snow. Behind this low, the first true arctic air mass of the winter season poured over the Eastern Great Lakes with Lake Effect Snow developing late Tuesday night.

Bands of snow with the northwest flow remained weak off Lake Erie through Wednesday with only the higher terrain receiving any appreciable lake snows. Off Lake Ontario, and with a longer stretch of flow over the lake waters, broad bands of snow over the upslope regions of the Tug Hill dropped localized areas of a foot or more of snow, with the snow becoming fluffier Wednesday as much colder air passed over Lake Ontario.

This was a marginal lake effect event with many areas receiving just nuisance lake effect. Only localized areas on the Tug Hill received decent lake effect snows with little impact on travel the last week of the year. This event therfore earns one * star. Here are some representative reports.