Lake Effect Snow

A strong band of lake effect snow has dumped nearly 2 feet of the white stuff on Buffalo's southern suburbs since mid day yesterday. The snow is all part of the same low pressure and cold front the produced damaging winds in Vermont and New York and flooding rains across the northeast, Ontario and Quebec. In Montreal 51.4mm of rain fell over a 36 hour period with a few snowflakes to end the precipitation last night. Kemptville had 35.7mm. The front was heralded by strong winds that gusted over 50mph in Vermont causing major property damage and knocking down trees and power lines. Peak winds in southern Quebec were around 85km/h in Vaudreuil. Flooding has been reported along the Ausable River in northern New York. The front drooped the temperature from a balmy 12C in Montreal last evening to 1C in just a few hours.

LAKE EFFECT SNOW
South of the Great Lakes heavy snow fell from Buffalo south for a few miles in a narrow lake effect snow band. The band dropped 1-2 inches of snow per hour along with strong winds, thunder and lightning. State Police were forced to close I-90 south of Buffalo stranding hundreds of drivers overnight. They became buried in the falling and drifting snow and had to be rescued. The nature of lake snows was so evident last night with no snow in Buffalo's northern suburbs, 2-4 inches at the airport and 16-22'' in the south towns, all this is only a 5 mile span!

Above right: Motorists trapped on the New York Thruway ( I-90) south of Buffalo as heavy lake snow piles up around them late last night.