The record-breaking Buffalo storm, responsible for such widespread destruction of that area's trees and the massive power outages, occurred two weeks ago (we're carrying out this posting Friday, Oct. 27). But, we thought you'd find these late-arriving photos, relayed to me from Chris and Alysha Garvin of Amherst, N.Y. (a southern suburb of Buffalo) by Joe Charlevoix, staff meteorologist of WPBN, Traverse City, Mich., interesting. Remarkably, the huge snowfall in Buffalo occurred with lake waters at 62°.
The National Weather Service's Buffalo, N.Y., forecast office has generated a fascinating explanation of the freak storm's remarkable meteorological backround indicating mammoth snow accumulations occurred despite lake temperatures of 62°!
The temperature spread between the lake surface and approximately a mile aloft plunged 43.2 degrees, a level of atmospheric instability which supported towering 25,000-30,000 foot lightning-bearing clouds. The snow/water ratio was 6 to 1 (i.e. six inches of snow occurred for each inch of water)--an extraordinarily WET snow. It's little wonder trees and power lines cames down under the weight of the waterlogged snow accumulation.
Joe Charlevoix, by the way, was a WGN-TV weather office intern years ago, and also reports that Storm Warnings have been hoisted for Lake Huron nearshore waters Saturday into Sunday (Oct. 28-29) for high winds and 8-12 foot waves!
--Tom Skilling, WGN-TV Chief Meteorologist
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