What are the conditions that lead to lake-effect snow? Why does the effect only extend for a few miles?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Answer: Lake-effect snow occurs when the lake warms and evaporates moisture into the lower atmosphere. As the lower atmosphere warms, it can become unstable as the temperature lapse rate increases. Thus, air that was originally dry and stable becomes moist and statically unstable. When the air passes over land, the effects of topography, vegetation, and other features of the land surface slow the wind. The decrease in wind speed causes convergence, a mechanism for uplift and adiabatic cooling. Thus, the passage of cold air over the lakes and subsequent landfall provides the three mechanisms favorable for precipitation: unstable air, sufficient water vapor, and a mechanism for uplift. This lake effect often produces snow showers restricted to a strip of land that can be anywhere from 1 to 80 km (0.6 to 50 mi) long and can extend more than 100 km (60 mi) inland.