The Role of the Winter Land Breeze in the Formation of Great Lake Snow Storms

Abstract

Radar and aircraft data are presented, in the form of case studies, for three shoreline-parallel snow bands that occurred over Lake Michigan. In all three cases a winter land breeze from one or both shores is shown to have an important role in organizing the low-level convergence and convective motions. These cases are compared with earlier studies of lake-effect snow bands on Lakes Erie and Ontario.