BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) -- Western New York is no stranger to snow, especially lake-effect snow. However, not every snow event is the same.
There are two different types of ways we can see snow here in Western New York: lake-effect and snow from a low-pressure system. Lake-effect snow is a mesoscale (smaller scale) weather event. For lake-effect to develop, we need a temperature difference between the lake and air.
During the winter months, it is colder air going over the warm lake which results in the warmer, moist air rising and condensing to form clouds which eventually can lead to lake-effect snow bands. The amount of moisture and also wind direction play a role in the organization of the snow bands.
For a more organized lake-effect snow band here in Western New York, a WSW wind is ideal. This allows the colder air to go over Lake Erie longer which results in more rising from the lift of the warm moist air. Thus, the band becomes more organized.
Meteorologists use the term "fetch" to describe the length of the lake the air is going over, and the longer the fetch, the better organized the band is. Lake-effect snow is considered a mesoscale weather event because one area could be seeing snowfall rates of over 3 inches per hour while a short distance away will be dry and even see breaks in the clouds.
Heading into spring, warmer air travels over the colder lake which can result in lake-effect rain. It takes time for the lake to heat up in the warmer months and also for it to cool down going into winter.
Conversely, there's synoptic snow, which is considered a large-scale event. This would be low-pressure systems resulting in widespread snow instead of the narrow swath that we see with lake-effect snow. During these events, and with other weather features such as a cold front moving through, we can get lake enhancement.
There is a difference between lake enhancement and lake-effect. As described above, lake-effect is a result of the the air and lake temperature difference. For lake enhancement, we already have a weather feature bringing precipitation to the area such as a cold front. As we get that chillier air associated with a cold front going over the warmer lake, lake enhancement helps to amplify the precipitation coverage and also can lead to localized higher precipitation totals.