A powerful lake-effect snowstorm has brought several feet of snow to parts of Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York, disrupting travel and stranding hundreds of vehicles on roads. The storm is expected to continue dumping snow in the Great Lakes region through the week, with some areas potentially seeing up to six feet of snow.
The heaviest amounts of snow have fallen in northern Michigan and along a 160-mile stretch of Interstate 90 from northeast Ohio to Buffalo. Several New York communities east of Lake Ontario received over 40 inches of snow by Sunday night, including Copenhagen, which saw an astonishing 58 inches.
Lake-effect snow is especially dangerous for drivers due to rapid changes in weather conditions. Road closures and commercial truck bans were issued along sections of Interstate 90 in New York near the Pennsylvania state line on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Hundreds of vehicles were stranded, with some motorists sleeping in their cars at gas stations to wait out the hazardous conditions.
Forecasters expect reinforcing Arctic air and another storm system to keep lake-effect snow falling through the week, though the intensity of the snowfall is expected to fluctuate based on wind direction. The areas around Lake Erie in Pennsylvania and New York could see another two or three feet of snow, while Michigan’s Upper Peninsula may receive an additional two feet.
The storm has already caused minor injuries but no fatalities. Officials have made disaster declarations in affected areas and deployed National Guard troops. Some residents are taking the storm as a winter adventure, while others are struggling to cope with the heavy snowfall.
Experts say climate change could increase lake-effect snowfall in the short term due to warmer lake temperatures and longer ice-free periods. However, more precipitation may eventually fall as rain instead of snow as the climate continues to warm.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/01/us/lake-effect-snowstorm-weather-what-to-know.html