04 November 1995 -- Lake Effect Snow
GOES-8 Sounder Derived Product Image -- Precipitable Water

GOES-8 Sounder Precipitable Water

GOES-8 Sounder Derived Product Image -- Precipitable Water

The 850 hPa wind barbs show a broad westerly to northwesterly flow across the Great Lakes region in the wake of a cold front. The long fetch across the relatively warm (early November) waters allowed prolonged heat and moisture flux from the lake surface, which increased the total precipitable water (PW) content of the atmospheric column. Individual rawinsonde sites show only a slight increase in calculated PW (3mm upwind of the Great Lakes, 5-6mm downwind), but the GOES-8 Sounder derived product image of total precipitable water shows a broad plume of 7-10mm values over the eastern Great Lakes. This plume of enhanced PW acted to favorably condition the synoptic scale environment for lake effect snow, especially over central New York State.