Heavy snowfall is caused by a combination of, at minimum, freezing temperatures throughout the atmosphere, ample atmospheric moisture, and a lifting mechanism to form clouds. Intense, rapid accumulation often results from large-scale storm systems, intense lake-effect moisture, or orographic lifting where mountains force air upwards.
Heavy snowfall is caused by
a combination of, at minimum, freezing temperatures throughout the atmosphere, ample atmospheric moisture, and a lifting mechanism to form clouds. Intense, rapid accumulation often results from large-scale storm systems, intense lake-effect moisture, or orographic lifting where mountains force air upwards.
Key factors and causes include:
Atmospheric Conditions: -
Temperatures near or below freezing are essential, though relatively warmer cold air (around -9∘C negative 9 raised to the composed with power C−9∘C or 15∘ F15 raised to the composed with power F15 ∘F) allows for more moisture retention, producing heavier, wetter snow.
Moisture Supply: -
A significant source of water vapor is necessary, often provided by oceans, large lakes, or air mass collisions.
Lifting Mechanisms: -
Orographic Lift:-
Mountains force air upward, causing it to cool and condense, leading to heavy snowfall on windward slopes.
Frontogenesis: -
The collision of warm, moist air with cold, dry air (cold fronts) creates, often leading to intense snowfall.
Lake-Effect: -
Cold, dry air passing over warmer, unfrozen lakes picks up heat and moisture, producing heavy, localized snow.
Atmospheric Instability: -
Unstable air layers promote deep vertical growth of clouds, often resulting in heavy, intense snow events.
Common Triggers
Jet Stream Perturbations:-
Disruptions in the atmosphere can push cold polar air southward.
La Niña: -
Springer Nature Link suggests that this phase of the ENSO cycle can increase moisture and enhance snowfall, causing wetter areas to receive more precipitation.
Latent Heat: -
Springer Nature Link states that latent heat condensation contributes to the intensity of snowfall events.
MJF Lion ER YK Sharma
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