Lake effect blizzard
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An unofficial term used to describe blizzard like conditions resulting from lake effect snows.
[edit] Formation and Usage
Under certain conditions strong winds can accompany lake effect snows creating blizzard like conditions. Lake effects snow squalls often produce very little wind or blowing snow, in most cases winds ease underneath the squalls allowing the snow to fall nearly vertically. If the synoptic surface winds are very high and the land is relatively flat blowing snow will often be found on either side of a single banded snow squall but usually not underneath it, in multi banded events the strong winds will be found between the bands but due to their close proximity with one another and the ability for snow to drift long distances when aloft, areas which experience the strong winds will also usually experience heavy snows from the nearby squalls. The result is that blizzard like conditions are experienced locally. Often the wind chill and visibility values will reach blizzard criteria however the duration of the event is often slightly less than that required for a blizzard warning in both the US and Canada. Since the criteria is often just shy of that required for an official blizzard warning to be issued, the term "blizzard like condition(s)" is often used in special statements regarding the lake effect snow event to convey the message that conditions are near that of an official blizzard.
