Lake Effect Snow Algonguin Radar 0031z 11/3/99

At this time we do not have satellite imagery from the early part of the event, when Buffalo was getting hit hard Monday afternoon. However, we do have a few images showing significant lake effect banding from Tuesday and Wednesday. In the top image, northwest flow covers the Great Lakes. In addition to bands that emanate off Lake Erie and Ontario, bands that have developed off Lake Huron and Georgian Bay also extend far downwind across Lakes Erie and Ontario. In the bottom image the picture becomes more complicated as a secondary cold front associated with a short wave over Lake Huron interacts with lake snowbands. There is some question here as to whether or not the band coming from Central Lower Michigan is lake effect, it is most likely a combination of a lake band and frontal convergence.

Research with numerical computer models has shown that in some cases, bands that develop on upwind lakes are enhanced or strengthened as they cross the lower lakes under favorable fetch and orientation. However, if the upwind lake snowband is not aligned favorably as it propagates downwind toward the lower lakes, it may actually negatively affect snowband develop over the lower lakes.