View of Antelope Island across the Great Salt Lake from Davis County â Photo by Brad Duke
What is lake effect snow? Why does it occur? How much snow can it add to a storm?
Lake effect precipitation occurs when a mass of cold air moves over a body of warmer water, creating an unstable temperature profile in the atmosphere. The Great Salt Lake is a very shallow lake with an average depth of 4.3 meters (14 feet). Because of this, the lake can undergo rapid temperature fluctuations. Furthermore, the high salinity of the Great Salt Lake prevents the freezing of the lake surface. These two factors allow for lake effect precipitation anytime between September and May.
Snowy day â Photo by Bill Sutton
Lake effect snow can contribute to storm totals of as much as 130 centimeters. That is equivalent of over 51 inches or more than 4 feet of snow!
The intensity of the âlake effectâ is increased over the mountains because the cold, snow-producing air has to rise to higher elevations where the air is even colder to pass over the mountains. This is part of what gives our mountains so much snow.
For more technical information on âlake effectâ and forecasting, see: http://www.met.utah.edu/jimsteen/cirp/lake_diagnostics/
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