This may sound like a silly question but..... (Cleveland, Lakewood: 2013, suburbs)

[Minervah]

I am hearing about snow falling all around but here Lakewood we had only a dusting yesterday and there is only a little bit left in corners. My neighbor told me that Lakewood doesn't get as much snow as the rest of the Cleveland area. Does the lake have anything to do with it?

True? Why?

[usernameunavailable]

Originally Posted by Minervah

I am hearing about snow falling all around but here Lakewood we had only a dusting yesterday and there is only a little bit left in corners. My neighbor told me that Lakewood doesn't get as much snow as the rest of the Cleveland area. Does the lake have anything to do with it?

True? Why?

There is no such thing as a stupid question. But yes the lake does have alot to do with it. From what I have heard, it's mainly because at the mouth of the Cuyahoga River, the lake takes a sharp turn to the northeast, instead of being due east-west like it is in the western suburbs.

[Kamms]

Originally Posted by usernameunavailable

There is no such thing as a stupid question. But yes the lake does have alot to do with it. From what I have heard, it's mainly because at the mouth of the Cuyahoga River, the lake takes a sharp turn to the northeast, instead of being due east-west like it is in the western suburbs.

Wind direction across the lake ''fetch'' are key as well. You can have major white-out conditions on W 117th and clear conditions a half-block away. There can be clear lines of demarcation lake snow. Many drive right into the ''wall''of snow from otherwise completely clear conditions.

[216facts]

The lake has a moderating effect on temperatures so areas close to the lake generally get less snow than those more inland, simply due to temperature control from a large mass of water.

[Minervah]

Thanks for the responses. We got some snow last night. Nothing like the east side though.

[WRnative]

See fetch here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake-effect_snow#Fetch

Compared to the snow belt northeast of Cleveland, where the Lake Erie shoreline slopes to the northeast, there is relatively no open water due west of Lakewood. Because of the great fetch when winds are out of the west or slightly northwest, typical of approaching fronts, the areas east of Cleveland and south of Buffalo get the most lake effect snow.

Areas west of Cleveland get more lake effect snow when the wind is out of almost due north, but fetch over Lake Erie is much less during northerly winds because the width of Lake Erie is much less than its width. Such northerly winds, however, can carry moisture from Lake Huron. Northerly winds are more common on the back end of a storm front.

Orographic uplift in the higher elevations, or "heights" areas of Greater Cleveland, also increase snowfall.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...=.c5ae87ac019a

Geauga County, such as around Chardon, has both significantly greater fetch and altitude, making it the center of Greater Cleveland's "primary" snow belt, but altitude begins to increase in southern Lake County, as evidenced by the heavy snowfalls along I-90 when under lake effect snow bands.

[mbowes80]

Lake-effect Snow in the Great Lakes Region | GLISA

As WRnative said, the "primary" snow belt kicks in someone in the eastern part of the county, sparing us west-siders.

Here's an interesting tidbit:

"As [Lake Erie] freezes throughout the winter and the fuel supply of moisture from the lake surface is cut off, lake-effect snow events cease."

[Cleveland_Collector]

Originally Posted by Minervah

I am hearing about snow falling all around but here Lakewood we had only a dusting yesterday and there is only a little bit left in corners. My neighbor told me that Lakewood doesn't get as much snow as the rest of the Cleveland area. Does the lake have anything to do with it?

True? Why?

The lake has everything to do with it. Since the winds prevail out of the west, the east side of the city/suburban area catch the brunt of it. However, it is very possible for the wind to switch to more of a northwesterly direction (usually during an Alberta Clipper). In that case, we all get a taste until the lake finally freezes over. Lakewood is not immune to lake effect weather. It just doesn't happen there nearly as much.

[Minervah]

I'm really getting an education here. Thanks again everyone. Now I can explain to my friends back in Portland why the weather I am experiencing here is better than what they have been getting there in recent days.

[Kamms]

Originally Posted by Minervah

I'm really getting an education here. Thanks again everyone. Now I can explain to my friends back in Portland why the weather I am experiencing here is better than what they have been getting there in recent days.

It's funny because people around the country will see the snow in ''Cleveland'' when it's generally out east while you, in Lakewood, have green grass or a dusting of snow. Hard to understand for those not familiar with how the Great Lakes snow machines work.