Lake Effect

I've mentioned that we've been suffering through the cold weather here like most of the northern U.S. We have a unique phenomenon here called "lake effect" snow. Cold fronts descend from the arctic as the jet stream changes and flows more to the south. As this cold air passes over the Great Lakes, it picks up moisture which is dumped on land to the east and south depending on the wind direction.

We are in the eastern part of upstate New York so we only get some of this. But Oswego, NY, a city on the eastern shore of Lake Ontario and about 6 hours West of here, has been getting hammered with snow. They have been getting 3 feet (~1 meter) a day and there doesn't seem to be much relief for them in sight. One storm can be fun, but every day is a nightmare.

As an aside, school children here are taught a trick to remember the Great Lakes in order from West to East. They think of "She Made Henry Eat Onions" where the first letters correspond to the first letters of the lakes. Funny how silly things like that are so memorable. I learned that 35 years ago!