A lake effect snow event will continue Friday night into Saturday. First, let's explain how lake
effect snowfall is formed. Lake Ontario is still somewhat warm and unfrozen this winter. Warm and humid air
forms over the lake. Warm air tends to rise as it less dense then cold air. With a West wind, this rising
warm air is swept away from the lake and brought onto the land. The land is at a higher elevation than the
lake, so the air is forced to rise it is brought inland. The air cools as it rises, and the moisture
develops into snowflakes. The cloud carries these snowflakes inland. Eventually, the cloud becomes too heavy
and it starts drop the snow. Lake effect snow bands usually don't travel far before they drop all of their
What is occurring Friday night is a West wind off Lake Ontario, bringing heavy lake effect snowfall bands
into the North Country. A Lake Effect Snow Warning is in effect until 4:00am Saturday. Something interesting
happens as we head overnight.
The wind direction changes tonight from West at 270° to Northwest around 290° to 300°. This will change the
orientation of the lake effect snow band. It will move from the North Country to the Mohawk Valley
overnight. With a Northwest wind, the warm and humid air will be swept off Lake Ontario and brought into the
Saturday morning, a more organized and stronger Northwest wind will develop. This will push the lake effect
snow bands further away from the lake and into the Southern Valleys. The snowfall will continue in this
region throughout the afternoon and into the evening. The snow eventually ends late Saturday as drier air
moves in and the winds begin to weaken. For the North country on Saturday, We will have dry weather and
mostly cloudy skies throughout the day.
For temperatures, Saturday will be a cold day overall. We will be near ten degrees Saturday morning. By the
afternoon, highs will only rise to near 20 degrees. Saturday evening, temperatures sink back into the teens.
Then overnight into Sunday, lows drop into the single digits.
On Sunday, the edge of a high pressure system moves in bringing some relief from the snow. We will be dry
throughout the day with decreasing cloud cover and more sunshine. Throughout the day we will have partly
cloudy skies. Temperatures will be in the single digits in the morning. By the afternoon, highs will reach
the upper 20s. In the evening, we will hover in the mid 20s. Overnight, lows only reach the lower 20s.