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 9^th 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 27^th and 28^th. A weak, multi banded lake effect snow structure continued across Jefferson County through the morning and early afternoon hours on Wednesday January 29^th.

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 30^th 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