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Lake-enhanced snow along the south shore of Lake Superior

By Scott Bachmeier •

GOES-16

GOES-16 “Red” Visible (0.64 µm) images [click to play MP4 animation]

NWS Duluth requested a GOES-16 (GOES-East) Mesoscale Domain Sector to monitor the potential for lake-enhanced snowfall along the south shore of Lake Superior on 09 November 2018 — and 1-minute “Red” Visible (0.64 µm) images (above) showed the cyclonic flow around abroad area of low pressure over the Great Lakes (surface analyses), along with the formation of convective elements within the northeasterly flow over western Lake Superior.

A closer look at GOES-16 Visible imagery (below) showed that as the convection moved inland over north-central Wisconsin and far western Upper Michigan, moderate snow developed at Ashland WI and heavy snow was reported at Ironwood MI beginning around 2030 UTC. GOES-16 GLM Flash data did not indicate any lightning associated with the lake-enhanced convection. Hourly surface wind barbs are also plotted; 10-minute wind data for Buoys ROAM4 and DISW3 are available here and here — northerly wind gusts at Buoy ROAM4 reached 25.2 m/s (49 knots) at 2257 UTC and 21.1 m/s (41 knots) at Buoy DISW3 at 2048 and 2202 UTC.

GOES-16 "Red" Visible (0.64 µm) images, with hourly surface weather type plotted in yellow [click to play MP4 animation]

GOES-16 “Red” Visible (0.64 µm) images, with hourly surface weather type plotted in yellow and wind barbs (knots) plotted in cyan [click to play MP4 animation]

A sequence of Suomi NPP and NOAA-20 VIIRS Visible (0.64 µm) and Infrared Window (11.45 µm) images (below) showed a more detailed view of the convection that developed over western Lake Superior (in response to instability from cold air moving over relatively warm water — the temperature difference between cold air aloft at 850 hPa and the lake surface was on the order of 15-20º C).  Snowfall rates were also locally enhanced by lifting when northerly/northwesterly surface winds off the lake interacted with the topography of the Gogebic Range in Wisconsin and Michigan (where elevations rise to 1800 feet).

Suomi NPP and NOAA-20 VIIRS Visible (0.64 µm) and Infrared Window (11.45 µm) images, with Topography [click to enlarge]

Suomi NPP and NOAA-20 VIIRS Visible (0.64 µm) and Infrared Window (11.45 µm) images, with Topography [click to enlarge]

A comparison of Snow Depth at 12 UTC on 09 and 10 November, plus 24-hour Total Snowfall ending at 12 UTC on 10 November from NOHRSC (below) showed accumulations of 14 inches at two sites in north-central Wisconsin; other snowfall amounts included 8.6 inches at Bayfield WI and 14.6 inches at Ironwood MI.

Snow Depth at 12 UTC on 09 and 10 November, plus 24-hour snow accumulation ending at 12 UTC on 10 November [click to enlarge]

Snow Depth at 12 UTC on 09 and 10 November, plus 24-hour Total Snowfall ending at 12 UTC on 10 November [click to enlarge]

Animations of radar reflectivity over the Upper Midwest and Wisconsin are available here and here (courtesy of Pete Pokrandt, UW-AOS).

Categories: GOES-16, NOAA-20, Suomi NPP, VIIRS, Winter weather