The Snowbelt, Snow Belt, Frostbelt, or Frost Belt[1] is the region near the Great Lakes in North America where heavy snowfall in the form of lake-effect snow is particularly common.[2] Snowbelts are typically found downwind of the lakes, principally off the eastern and southern shores.
Map showing the snowbelts around the Great Lakes of North America with 150 cm (60 in) accumulations or more during winter
Lake-effect snow occurs when cold air moves over warmer water, taking up moisture that later precipitates as snow when the air moves over land and cools.[2] The lakes produce snowsqualls and persistently cloudy skies throughout the winter, as long as air temperatures are colder than water temperatures, or until a lake freezes over.
Portions of the snowbelt are located in Ontario, Canada,[3] which includes the eastern shore of Lake Superior from Sault Ste. Marie northward to Wawa, as well as the eastern and southern shores of Lake Huron and Georgian Bay from Parry Sound to London. During the winter, north-westerly winds cause frequent road closures, with Highway 21 on the Lake Huron coast and Highway 26 south of Georgian Bay as far east as Barrie, Ontario, being strongly affected. The Niagara Peninsula and the north-eastern shores of Lake Ontario are especially hard-hit by heavy snowfall when south-western winds are predominant.
Lake Erie is the second smallest of the five Great Lakes and shallowest. It can completely freeze over during winter.[4] Once frozen, lake-effect snow over land to the east and south of Lake Erie is temporarily alleviated. This does not end the possibility of a damaging winter storm. The Great Lakes Blizzard of 1977 that struck metropolitan Buffalo was a direct result of powder snow blown by high winds off Lake Erie, which had frozen earlier than normal. There was, for the region, no significant snowfall during the duration of the blizzard.
The southern and southeastern sides of the Great Salt Lake in Utah receive significant lake-effect snow. Since the Great Salt Lake never freezes, the lake effect can influence the weather along the Wasatch Front year-round. The lake effect largely contributes to the 55–80 inches (140–203 cm) annual snowfall amounts recorded south and east of the lake, and an average snowfall reaching 500 inches (13 m) in the Wasatch Range. The snow, which is often very light and dry because of the semiarid climate, is referred to as the "Greatest Snow on Earth" in the mountains. Lake-effect snow contributes to roughly six to eight snowfalls per year in Salt Lake City, with about 10% of the city's precipitation being contributed by the phenomenon.[5]
Skiing industriesedit
Healthy skiing industries have been established in snowbelt regions located near major cities such as Buffalo and Toronto. The Erie/Ontario snowbelt, which extends to the northern slopes of the Allegheny Plateau, has lent the region its nickname: ski country. To the south of Georgian Bay, ski resorts are found on the Niagara Escarpment at Blue Mountain and on the Oro Moraine.
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The Snowbelt Snow Belt Frostbelt or Frost Belt 1 is the region near the Great Lakes in North America where heavy snowfall in the form of lake effect snow is particularly common 2 Snowbelts are typically found downwind of the lakes principally off the eastern and southern shores Map showing the snowbelts around the Great Lakes of North America with 150 cm 60 in accumulations or more during winter Contents 1 Cause 2 Location 3 Skiing industries 4 Outside North America 5 See also 6 ReferencesCause edit nbsp Lake effect snow is the cause of the regional nicknameMain article Lake effect snow Lake effect snow occurs when cold air moves over warmer water taking up moisture that later precipitates as snow when the air moves over land and cools 2 The lakes produce snowsqualls and persistently cloudy skies throughout the winter as long as air temperatures are colder than water temperatures or until a lake freezes over Location edit nbsp Northeast Ohio Primary and Secondary Snow BeltsIn the United States snowbelts are located southeast of Lake Erie from Cleveland Ohio to Buffalo New York and south of Lake Ontario stretching roughly from Rochester New York over Syracuse New York to Utica New York and northward to Watertown New York Other snowbelts are located on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan from Gary Indiana northward through Western Michigan and Northern Michigan to the Straits of Mackinac and on the eastern and southern shores of Lake Superior from northwest Wisconsin through the northern half of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan Portions of the snowbelt are located in Ontario Canada 3 which includes the eastern shore of Lake Superior from Sault Ste Marie northward to Wawa as well as the eastern and southern shores of Lake Huron and Georgian Bay from Parry Sound to London During the winter north westerly winds cause frequent road closures with Highway 21 on the Lake Huron coast and Highway 26 south of Georgian Bay as far east as Barrie Ontario being strongly affected The Niagara Peninsula and the north eastern shores of Lake Ontario are especially hard hit by heavy snowfall when south western winds are predominant Lake Erie is the second smallest of the five Great Lakes and shallowest It can completely freeze over during winter 4 Once frozen lake effect snow over land to the east and south of Lake Erie is temporarily alleviated This does not end the possibility of a damaging winter storm The Great Lakes Blizzard of 1977 that struck metropolitan Buffalo was a direct result of powder snow blown by high winds off Lake Erie which had frozen earlier than normal There was for the region no significant snowfall during the duration of the blizzard The southern and southeastern sides of the Great Salt Lake in Utah receive significant lake effect snow Since the Great Salt Lake never freezes the lake effect can influence the weather along the Wasatch Front year round The lake effect largely contributes to the 55 80 inches 140 203 cm annual snowfall amounts recorded south and east of the lake and an average snowfall reaching 500 inches 13 m in the Wasatch Range The snow which is often very light and dry because of the semiarid climate is referred to as the Greatest Snow on Earth in the mountains Lake effect snow contributes to roughly six to eight snowfalls per year in Salt Lake City with about 10 of the city s precipitation being contributed by the phenomenon 5 Skiing industries editHealthy skiing industries have been established in snowbelt regions located near major cities such as Buffalo and Toronto The Erie Ontario snowbelt which extends to the northern slopes of the Allegheny Plateau has lent the region its nickname ski country To the south of Georgian Bay ski resorts are found on the Niagara Escarpment at Blue Mountain and on the Oro Moraine Outside North America editOcean effect snow conditions are found on the West side of the Japanese island of Hokkaido and the west side of Russia s Kamchatka Peninsula There cold winds blowing outward from the Siberian winter high pressure system pick up moisture while crossing the Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk and release it as heavy snowfall in Japan s snow country Sweden s east coast can be affected by similar conditions particularly in the early winter when there is little ice on the Baltic Sea See also editSnow country Japan Banana Belt Lake effect snow Great Salt Lake effectReferences edit snowbelt dictionary com Retrieved March 31 2023 a b Mark Johnson November 12 2010 Where is northern Ohio s snow belt News Channel 5 Archived from the original on November 19 2010 Retrieved August 25 2013 Snowfall coming to the snow belt The Canadian Press CTV News December 7 2011 Retrieved August 25 2013 Staff Straight Dope Science Advisory Board May 30 2002 What s the physics behind lake effect snow The Straight Dope Retrieved 2020 12 01 Lake has great impacts on storm weather Deseret Morning News August 5 1999 Archived October 2 2012 at the Wayback Machine 43 N 78 W 43 N 78 W 43 78 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Snowbelt amp oldid 1166793852, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
