DALLAS — When I think of lake effect snow and some truly “Great Lakes,” I don’t think of Lake Erie, Lake Michigan or Lake Ontario. No, I think of Grapevine Lake, Ray Hubbard and Lake Lewisville!
But seriously, when lake effect snow ferociously blows off of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, it can bury Buffalo or Syracuse in feet of snow. Meanwhile, here in North Texas, little flurries of glitter gently fall from the sky and softly land on the concrete jungle of the metroplex, and that’s possible overnight as an Arctic blast sweeps over DFW.
Do you recall this happening last year?
Here’s a post about it when it occurred on Jan. 14, 2024.
Lake effect snow in the metroplex!! No. It’s not like Buffalo or Syracuse, but parts of Denton and Tarrant Counties are seeing a little light snow forming off of Lakes Grapevine and Lewisville. Pretty cool! #wfaaweatherpic.twitter.com/s1Gd2Cxnzc
— Jesse Hawila (@JesseWFAA) January 15, 2024
How does lake effect snow form?
The key ingredient is a temperature contrast. When a frigid air mass (like the one we have moving in tonight) sweeps across the relatively warm waters of our lakes, the lower atmosphere undergoes a transformation. The cold air picks up moisture from the lake’s surface and brings it upward. This motion, fueled by instability, is a crucial step in the formation of snow…