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Monitoring Tsunami Impacts Across the Pacific; Air Quality Concerns; Dangerous Heat; Critical Fire Weather for the West

Tsunami impacts continue for portions of the Pacific basin. Wildfire smoke causes unhealthy air in Midwest to Great Lakes. Heat dome spans Mississippi Valley to Mid-Atlantic with excessive heat warnings and advisories. Critical fire weather in Great Basin to Pacific Northwest (dry thunderstorms). Cold front spawns severe storms/heavy rain in Central U.S. today, shifts to East Coast Thursday. Read More >


Lake Effect Summary - January 29-30, 2014 


Lake Effect Snowfall - January 29-30, 2014


 

Maximum Snowfall: Lake Erie 1" (North Amherst); Lake Ontario 26.7" (Watertown)

Duration: 18 hours +/-

Prime feature: West-southwest flow over Lake Ontario, very little response off Lake Erie.

Our 9th event of the winter season came on the heels of a long duration lake effect snow band that dropped several feet of snow east of Lake Ontario January 27th and 28th. A weak, multi banded lake effect snow structure continued across Jefferson County through the morning and early afternoon hours on Wednesday January 29th.

An aligning 230 wind direction, combined with moisture deepening in a zone that promotes snowflake growth, allowed the lake effect snow to consolidate and intensify through the afternoon hours over the city of Watertown and points inland. By mid afternoon, a single band of snow was dropping several inches of snow per hour over Watertown.  This band stayed nearly stationary over central and northern portions of Jefferson County, including the city of Watertown. It was not until the evening hours that the band of snow settled southward a little, with the upslope regions of the Tug Hill beginning to accumulate several inches of snow. 

Backing winds during the overnight again shifted this band of snow back north over the city of Watertown, with snow ending over the Tug Hill. As wind shear increased and moisture decreased in the lower levels, the snow band began to weaken just before the morning rush hour on the 30th of January. This band of snow quickly fizzled, such that by dawn, there were just a few flurries flying over northern Jefferson County.
 

Off Lake Erie...

1.0 inch... North Amherst
0.7 inch... Lockport
 
Off Lake Ontario...

1-2 feet... Watertown
10 inches... Beaver Falls
10 inches... Redfield
7 inches... Theresa
6 inches... Croghan