Some Milwaukee things come and go, while some become icons. Mandatory Milwaukee is all about the latter. This week: lake effect snow!
What’s the deal with snow?
Sometimes you get tons of the stuff in the winter, sometimes you hardly see a flake! And sometimes, if you happen to live in a very specific part of Milwaukee, you get a fair amount of snow while someone who lives just a few miles away gets next to nothing!
Who are the ad wizards who came up with this one?
Ah yes, the magic of lake effect snow. It’s the “hyperlocal news” of wintertime weather events, the “What was that noise?” post on a Facebook neighborhood page. And for a Great-Lake-adjacent city like Milwaukee, it’s mandatory.
Let’s start with a definition. What is lake effect snow? According to the National Weather Service…
Lake effect snow is common across the Great Lakes region during the late fall and winter. Lake effect snow occurs when cold air, often originating from Canada, moves across the open waters of the Great Lakes. As the cold air passes over the unfrozen and relatively warm waters of the Great Lakes, warmth and moisture are transferred into the lowest portion of the atmosphere. The air rises, clouds form and grow into a narrow band that produces 2 to 3 inches of snow per hour or more.
Wind direction is a key component in determining which areas will receive lake effect snow. Heavy snow may be falling in one location, while the sun may be shining just a mile or two away in either direction. The physical geography of the land and water is also important. National Weather Service meteorologists consider these factors as well as others when forecasting lake effect snow.
So there you go! That’s it! It’s snow that forms over a Great Lake and falls in a relatively narrow band along the shores of that Great Lake. Easy!
Like anything involving a couple of inches of snow, lake effect snow is Big News in Milwaukee. Earlier this week, the City, County, and surrounding areas all did battle with the ultra-specific phenomenon….
Milwaukee’s weather experts were on the case…
And whaddya know, we weren’t the only local media outlet in town with lake effect snow on its mind…
And shout-out, of course, to WUWM’s Lake Effect (which we appear on once a month to discuss Milwaukee music). The latest episode: winter weather! Here’s to Lake Effect (the show) reporting on lake effect (the snow).
Want more Milwaukee Record? Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter and/or support us on Patreon.