Lake effect phenomenon: Heavy snow showers in northern USA

An interesting weather phenomenon is currently occurring on the Great Lakes in the northern United States this Thanksgiving.

Heavy snow showers are repeatedly sweeping across the eastern shores of the lakes, sometimes accompanied by winter storms with gusts of wind.

They can leave behind large amounts of snow in just a few hours, as this video from Michigan shows. The cause of the heavy snowfall is the so-called lake effect.

This phenomenon requires a strong cold wind that travels a long way over comparatively warm water, creating a large temperature contrast with the cold air above.

Resulting in heavy showers, one after the other. For the snow to remain on the ground, temperatures at ground level must be around or below 0 degrees.