What’s new
NASA’s Earth Observatory has revealed stunning satellite images of “cloud streets” forming over the Great Lakes, a phenomenon associated with lake-effect snow.
Images taken Dec. 12 by the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite on the NOAA-21 satellite reveal parallel bands of clouds flowing over lakes and dense snowpack in nearby areas. These natural color and false color images highlight the distinct patterns of clouds and snow.
Why it matters
Lake-effect snow is a defining winter feature for communities near the Great Lakes, with significant implications for travel, infrastructure, and safety.
Recent snowfall buried cities in Michigan and New York under several feet of snow, while frigid temperatures and gusty winds disrupted life for millions.
What to know
Cloud streets, sometimes called “streamers,” occur when cold, dry air moves over the warmer, unfrozen waters of the Great Lakes, picking up moisture and forming parallel bands of clouds.
These bands, aligned with wind direction, can stretch over 100 miles and trigger intense snowfall when moist air reaches the opposite shore. In rare cases, they can stretch all the way from Lake Superior to the mid-Atlantic and New England coasts.
Cities like Elma Center, New York saw up to 38 inches of snow, while parts of Michigan saw totals in excess of 17 inches over two days.
Wind gusts reached 40 miles per hour and cities like Green Bay, Wisconsin and Chicago dropped below zero.
A false-color satellite image distinguishes clouds (white) from snow-covered ground (light blue) and vegetation (light green). It was created by combining visible and infrared light.
Lake effect snow typically develops in narrow snow bands capable of producing 2 to 3 inches of snow per hour. These events are influenced by wind direction, temperature differences, and geographic features.
Snow can be heavy below the cloud-covered street, with AccuWeather describing scenes akin to a “winter wonderland”. Just a mile or two away, the sky can be clear and sunny, with no snow on the ground.
While the phenomenon is common in late fall and winter, its intensity varies. Rare cases such as the 2014 snowstorm in Buffalo, New York, which brought 88 inches of snow, demonstrate the potential for long-term and extreme impacts.
Cara Anna/AP Photo
What people are saying
He added: “Although given a different name, sea-effect snow is also a common phenomenon in some parts of the world, specifically Japan, where the same mechanisms as lake-effect snow are at work. [snow]but the source of moisture instead of a lake is the sea.”
He said the largest accumulation of snow from the latest lake-effect snow event fell 4 miles northwest of Eden, New York, where 42.5 inches was observed.
Around Thanksgiving, portions of I-90 were closed as travelers left for the holidays. 65.5 inches was reported near Barnes Corners, New York.
“Which area or which city or part of a city will get the heaviest lake-effect snow is often determined by wind direction shifts of just 5 or 10 degrees on the compass,” Gilman said. “One place can have zero visibility and a complete whiteout, while a few miles down the road it’s partly sunny.”
