Northeast covered by almost 40 inches of lake-effect snow as drivers battle harsh conditions

A warming climate may cause lake-effect clouds to dump even more snow on the northeastern US in the coming years

Cities across the Northeastern US saw several feet of lake-effect snow this week, wreaking havoc on roads and shutting down schools across the region. Constableville, New York, saw the most snow, with 42.7 inches blanketing the town, NBC News reported.

Northeastern residents might want to get used to heavy snowfall and treacherous roads more often, though, as research suggests a warming climate may temporarily increase the amount of lake-effect snow that hits the region each year.

Lake-effect snow falls when cold air from Canada moves across the Great Lakes, forming clouds that can produce two to three inches of snow per hour.

The severity of the lake effect is tied to how warm and ice-free the lakes are, as well as the difference between the Canadian cold air and the lakes themselves, according to research from Tom di Liberto with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Warmer temperatures mean the lakes would remain warmer and ice-free for longer — so when that cold air arrives from Canada, the Lake Snow Effect could become more severe and dump even more snow on the northeastern US.

And with the Earth temporarily crossing the 2C warming milestone this summer — a rise in temperature that, if permanent, could mean extreme heatwaves, drought and water stress for large portions of the planet — more severe Lake Effect Snow could be right around the corner.

But according to Liberto’s research, the increase would only be temporary. Eventually, the cold air from Canada would also warm — and if the northeast isn’t cold enough either, those Lake Snow Effect clouds could produce rain instead.