Is anyone else a little frustrated by having to explain Lake Effect Snow to non WNYers?

[Beck Water]

8 hours ago, Punch said:

I have a lot of empathy for humanity in general, but so many people are morons.

 

It doesn't surprise me that most people have never heard of "Lake Effect Snow" but it disappoints me how (willingly) obtuse so many of them can be even after hearing the explanation. 

 

Yes, exactly.  Ignorance isn't a problem, but once something is explained in an understandable way, it would be nice if the explanation were acknowledged.

 

I've lived in the Midwest for decades.  We have severe thunderstorms and tornadoes here.  Like lake effect snow, they can dump torrential rain and knock down trees, sometimes buildings, in one neighborhood, while another neighborhood a few miles away got enough rain to pause the irrigation system and didn't even bring in the porch cushions.  Yes, this happens in Kansas City, several times a year.  And just like lake effect snow, the weather forecasters can predict that severe thunderstorms/tornadoes are very likely to occur, but not be able to predict exactly what path they will take and which neighborhoods will be affected until closer to the event.
 

3 hours ago, TheWeatherMan said:

@Beck Water Try explaining Lake Effect vs Lake Enhanced snow…that’s when it gets fun.  

 

I'd need to start with understanding that myself, care to explain?

Edited January 15 by Beck Water

[SectionC3]

They don't know what they're missing.  The sunny morning after storms like this one is beautiful.  OP is gorgeous right now.  Stunning beauty.  Now let's win a beautiful football game this afternoon!

[Matt_In_NH]

The takes are annoying, like other topics the best bet is to turn if off/don't engage, most of the time you cannot get someone off their take.    The thing that has changed is public policy around snow/weather events.   Schools call snow days now a day in advance for something that no one would have considered a snow day 20 years ago.  Many jobs allow people to flexibly work from home so on weather days its an easy decision.  

[BillsPride12]

3 minutes ago, SectionC3 said:

They don't know what they're missing.  The sunny morning after storms like this one is beautiful.  OP is gorgeous right now.  Stunning beauty.  Now let's win a beautiful football game this afternoon!

Getting ready to head out to the stadium right now.  Let's Go Buffalo! Go Bills! 

[SoonerBillsFan]

8 hours ago, Beck Water said:

No, the fact that some idiot posted a video showing light snow in some part of the Buffalo area does not mean the winter storm is “fake news” or that there isn’t real and sound public safety reason for a driving ban

 

Yes, “Lake effect snow” is a known and common phenomenon in Western New York.  School kids grow up knowing all about it.

 

Yes, it shows up very well on radar.  Heavy snow in one location and almost no snow a few miles away

 

Apparently I’m not alone:

 

Eric Wood started here, and basically ended telling people to “come see him” LOL

https://twitter.com/EWood70/status/1746242981999337816

 

I just hope Josh Allen opened his gate so it didn’t freeze shut or get snowed in, and I hope we don’t need Squirrel Winter’s QB Delivery Service

 

Had I not been to Buffalo for December games on 93' & 94' I wouldn't have a clue, so I kind of get it that they don't comprehend how bad it is.

[Maynard]

3 hours ago, BuffaloBillyG said:

I get more frustrated explaining that the state of New York  isn't just some large state with skyscrapers and huge amounts of traffic in every town and that there are things like farmland and trees.

Whenever I’ve told someone I’m from New York they always assume NYC. I’ll then tell them no, I’m from Buffalo, NY. They will then say oh that’s Upstate NY right next door to NYC. Then I have to tell them Buffalo is Western NY and 7 hours from NYC and they appear shocked. Never fails.

[WhoTom]

48 minutes ago, JimBob2232 said:

Just remember - you are just as ignorant on other topics.  Remember that - and the world will be a better place.

 

There's a difference between being initially ignorant (as in unaware at the time) and willfully ignorant (ignoring the evidence and clinging to a preconceived notion). The OP was referring to the latter.

 

 

[elijah]

The people not understanding lake effect snow didn’t bother me one bit, they’re just either joking about it or truly ignorant to it.

 

The people that frustrate and bother me are the soft ass Bills fans that are getting upset with those folks and feel a need to put their life on the line defending the team over every little thing. Just let it ride, who cares. Couldn’t open twitter yesterday without seeing thousands of tweets from Bills fans repeating the same stuff about how lake effect snow works and that people died in a blizzard last year. Just wanna go to that site to see cool stars and hype videos and instead it’s a bunch of agitated weirdo’s who take it all too seriously.

[4th&long]

They are just trolls looking for attention. You see those videos and that explains everything. 
 

They want the wind was whipping the snow around that does not look like a game anyone would enjoy. If they played that game you might as well play in a hurricane!

[JoPoy88]

8 hours ago, Beck Water said:

No, the fact that some idiot posted a video showing light snow in some part of the Buffalo area does not mean the winter storm is “fake news” or that there isn’t real and sound public safety reason for a driving ban

 

Yes, “Lake effect snow” is a known and common phenomenon in Western New York.  School kids grow up knowing all about it.

 

Yes, it shows up very well on radar.  Heavy snow in one location and almost no snow a few miles away

 

Apparently I’m not alone:

 

Eric Wood started here, and basically ended telling people to “come see him” LOL

https://twitter.com/EWood70/status/1746242981999337816

 

I just hope Josh Allen opened his gate so it didn’t freeze shut or get snowed in, and I hope we don’t need Squirrel Winter’s QB Delivery Service

 

Lol some people just don’t get it and that’s cool! But yeah that barstool steelers guy self owned so hard it was hard to read/watch.

[BarleyNY]

9 hours ago, Beck Water said:

No, the fact that some idiot posted a video showing light snow in some part of the Buffalo area does not mean the winter storm is “fake news” or that there isn’t real and sound public safety reason for a driving ban

 

Yes, “Lake effect snow” is a known and common phenomenon in Western New York.  School kids grow up knowing all about it.

 

Yes, it shows up very well on radar.  Heavy snow in one location and almost no snow a few miles away

 

Apparently I’m not alone:

 

Eric Wood started here, and basically ended telling people to “come see him” LOL

https://twitter.com/EWood70/status/1746242981999337816

 

I just hope Josh Allen opened his gate so it didn’t freeze shut or get snowed in, and I hope we don’t need Squirrel Winter’s QB Delivery Service

 

Not really. Seems a simple enough concept to explain. Winter air coming across a relatively warm body of water is warmed and gathers moisture. The air then moves off the lake and over cold land so it drops the moisture as snow. It only occurs until the lake freezes.  

[bklnpete]

It's rare that anyone cares. When they do, it's a pleasure explaining the simple science behind it while sharing stories of the blizzard-filled winters of my youth. Go Bills. 

[ddaryl]

This is one of my favorite pictures. This was from the 7 footer that fell on the southtowns. Its clear in Buffalo but looking south you can see the moisture being sucked up from the lake and dropping on the southtowns. Reminds me of a sandstorm.

I think during this time Buffalo received like 18 inches - 2ft....  10 to 15 miles south of Buffalo there was 7 feet

Edited January 15 by ddaryl

[Jauronimo]

8 hours ago, K-9 said:

I can’t understand why they needed to cancel the game. 
 

 

I can't help but think that a dome to be completed in 2026 could have somehow prevented this.

[dollars 2 donuts]

9 hours ago, Beck Water said:

No, the fact that some idiot posted a video showing light snow in some part of the Buffalo area does not mean the winter storm is “fake news” or that there isn’t real and sound public safety reason for a driving ban

 

Yes, “Lake effect snow” is a known and common phenomenon in Western New York.  School kids grow up knowing all about it.

 

Yes, it shows up very well on radar.  Heavy snow in one location and almost no snow a few miles away

 

Apparently I’m not alone:

 

Eric Wood started here, and basically ended telling people to “come see him” LOL

https://twitter.com/EWood70/status/1746242981999337816

 

I just hope Josh Allen opened his gate so it didn’t freeze shut or get snowed in, and I hope we don’t need Squirrel Winter’s QB Delivery Service

 

 

Beck, showing them The Wall…that hard line that shows streets and a community and then…just a blank white nothingness extending upward for miles…that hopefully gets the point across.  Adams was a d*** in that and other threads, but I couldn’t link to the image I’m referencing above to put it in there.

 

Also, and I hate to say this, but what about 50 or so dead in one day last year somehow doesn’t factor into anyone’s sense or sanity?

 

Jack***es.

 

 

 

 

Edited January 15 by dollars 2 donuts

[Mrbojanglezs]

I'm sure the TV broadcast will show it

[dollars 2 donuts]

10 minutes ago, ddaryl said:

This is one of favorite pictures. This was from the 7 footer that fell on the southtowns. Its clear in Buffalo but looking south you can see the moisture being sucked up from the lake and dropping on the southtowns. Reminds me of a sandstorm.

I think during this time Buffalo received like 18 inches - 2ft....  10 to 15 miles south of Buffalo there was 7 feet

 

This, this is what I, and all of us, mean.

 

Thank you.

 

The storm 10 years or so ago we got a dusting in Williamsville, meanwhile they got 3 feet a couple of miles away in Cheektowaga.

 

 

 

 

[Big Turk]

It's hard to grasp that concept if you haven't experienced it.

 

The only part that's annoying is after you explain it and they act like you are full of sh!t

 

[Gunsgoodtime]

The problem is they don't care, they just want to trash the Bills and be a asshat, with no care to human safety 

[dollars 2 donuts]

3 minutes ago, Big Turk said:

It's hard to grasp that concept if you haven't experienced it.

 

The only part that's annoying is after you explain it and they act like you are full of sh!t

 

 

Turk, the NFL network, that cuts to Buffalo regularly, could do us all a favor and put five minutes worth of work into explaining it.  1 photo of “The Wall” snow band, 1 story of what happens, and the tragedy that took place last year.

 

They just cut to someone saying, “a lot of snow, it’s crazy, they are shoveling.”

 

 

 

Edited January 15 by dollars 2 donuts

[Beck Water]

51 minutes ago, elijah said:

The people not understanding lake effect snow didn’t bother me one bit, they’re just either joking about it or truly ignorant to it.

 

The people that frustrate and bother me are the soft ass Bills fans that are getting upset with those folks and feel a need to put their life on the line defending the team over every little thing. Just let it ride, who cares. Couldn’t open twitter yesterday without seeing thousands of tweets from Bills fans repeating the same stuff about how lake effect snow works and that people died in a blizzard last year. Just wanna go to that site to see cool stars and hype videos and instead it’s a bunch of agitated weirdo’s who take it all too seriously.

 

LOL this must be a parody post.  You're talking about "soft ass" people, and then you're complaining about Twitter (or X, or whatever it's called now) not being what you want it to be and having the content you want in order to please you?

 

Twitter has always been a site full of "agitated weirdos who take it all too seriously" and anyone who expects differently, is soft in a different location than their ass, one where hats are usually placed.

 

 

7 minutes ago, Big Turk said:

It's hard to grasp that concept if you haven't experienced it.

 

The only part that's annoying is after you explain it and they act like you are full of sh!t

 

 

Exactly

 

There are even weather systems in other parts of the country that are a good analogy.  Thunderstorms, hurricaines etc.

Edited January 15 by Beck Water

[Just in Atlanta]

I guess just come to peace that more than 50% of people aren’t logical. You throw in collectivism like politics or fandom and that number gets worse.

 

Acceptance of this will lead to more zen.

[hondo in seattle]

I grew up in Cheektowaga.  When I went to college, my parents moved to the Southtowns where it really snows.

 

Haven't lived in Buffalo since and, no, it doesn't bother me when I have to explain lake effect snows.   

 

I'm not a very smart man.  The opportunity to intelligently explain something is good for my self-esteem.  Anyway, why should it bother me?  There are murderers, rapists, pedophiles, and terrorists all over the world.  They bother me.  Someone who's a little obtuse about lake effect snow isn't a problem worth worrying about.   

 

[nedboy7]

This thread got all weird I see.

With 23% of people claiming the sun revolves around the earth, I dont expect much from most people. 

 

 

[Beck Water]

42 minutes ago, Just in Atlanta said:

I guess just come to peace that more than 50% of people aren’t logical. You throw in collectivism like politics or fandom and that number gets worse.

 

Acceptance of this will lead to more zen.

 

It is truth, I am not very Zen.

 

36 minutes ago, hondo in seattle said:

I grew up in Cheektowaga.  When I went to college, my parents moved to the Southtowns where it really snows.

 

Haven't lived in Buffalo since and, no, it doesn't bother me when I have to explain lake effect snows.   

 

I'm not a very smart man.  The opportunity to intelligently explain something is good for my self-esteem.  Anyway, why should it bother me?  There are murderers, rapists, pedophiles, and terrorists all over the world.  They bother me.  Someone who's a little obtuse about lake effect snow isn't a problem worth worrying about.  

 

I feel as though there's a Need to Know here.

 

Whataboutism explained. 

 

 

"We need to reduce the use of plastic, for the environment"

"There's a famine in south Sudan, why are you worried about plastic?"

 

21 minutes ago, nedboy7 said:

This thread got all weird I see.

With 23% of people claiming the sun revolves around the earth, I dont expect much from most people.

 

TBD is very educational.  It has taught me what is a rusty Sanchez.  It has taught me about Q Anon.  And I was Today years old when I learned that in fact, surveys have shown that 1 in 4 Americans believe that the Sun revolves around the Earth.

 

A valid perspective,  @nedboy7.  I should lower my expectations, I see.

 

But if I have conveyed an understanding of Whataboutism to several folks, I have done my part.

Edited January 15 by Beck Water

[f0neguy]

I live in the Albany area and this morning the local “sports” guy was commenting on how soft the WNY people are because the game was backed up one day.  I tried to call and explain that if you haven’t seen Lake Effect snow in person you don’t realize how dangerous it can be.  They wouldn’t let me through…

[Amorgus]

I live 5 minutes from the lake and have for the majority of my life. I'm sure some of the houses on the shore are encased in ice yet again like Mr. Freeze used his gun on them.

Just now, Amorgus said:

I live 5 minutes from the lake and have for the majority of my life. I'm sure some of the houses on the shore are encased in ice yet again like Mr. Freeze used his gun on them.

 

[Beck Water]

2 minutes ago, Amorgus said:

I live 5 minutes from the lake and have for the majority of my life. I'm sure some of the houses on the shore are encased in ice yet again like Mr. Freeze used his gun on them.

 

Just like this?

[transplantbillsfan]

2 hours ago, scuba guy said:

No offense but I would rather have lake affect snow than oozing lava

 

Me too. That's why I don't live on the only island in the chain with an active volcano 

[Malazan]

Why would you try? Why are the thoughts of some random people that important to you?

[RochesterLifer]

I don't understand why the OP feels that everyone should understand a Great Lakes weather phenomenon. I've spent the past couple of days (in Mississippi) explaining lake effect snow to friends. The folks here are fascinated and frightened by it. It just makes for fun conversation, especially over bourbon.

BTW - it is 12 degrees with 5" of snow - very rare. The region is completely shut down.

[Simon]

6 minutes ago, RochesterLifer said:

BTW - it is 12 degrees with 5" of snow

In Mississippi?

I didn't even know that was possible. 

 

You now have more snow than I have had all year in NW Pennsylvania. 

 

 

[Big Turk]

30 minutes ago, Beck Water said:

 

It is truth, I am not very Zen.

 

 

I feel as though there's a Need to Know here.

 

Whataboutism explained. 

 

 

"We need to reduce the use of plastic, for the environment"

"There's a famine in south Sudan, why are you worried about plastic?"

 

 

TBD is very educational.  It has taught me what is a rusty Sanchez.  It has taught me about Q Anon.  And I was Today years old when I learned that in fact, surveys have shown that 1 in 4 Americans believe that the Sun revolves around the Earth.

 

A valid perspective,  @nedboy7.  I should lower my expectations, I see.

 

But if I have conveyed an understanding of Whataboutism to several folks, I have done my part.

 

Do you mean "Dirty Sanchez"?? Never heard of Rusty...do explain

[RochesterLifer]

2 minutes ago, Simon said:

In Mississippi?

Yup. It's a tough couple of days. I missed the Dallas game on TV because I was helping friends on a ranch get their livestock into barns for the night. Unlike the Bills,  they're not built for this.

[Simon]

16 minutes ago, RochesterLifer said:

Yup. It's a tough couple of days. I missed the Dallas game on TV because I was helping friends on a ranch get their livestock into barns for the night. Unlike the Bills,  they're not built for this.

 

I am 100% blown away that you've got more snow in Mississippi than I've had in northwest PA at any point in the last 3 years. 🤯

Hope everybody's critters are OK.

 

 

[hondo in seattle]

1 hour ago, Beck Water said:

 

It is truth, I am not very Zen.

 

 

I feel as though there's a Need to Know here.

 

Whataboutism explained. 

 

 

"We need to reduce the use of plastic, for the environment"

"There's a famine in south Sudan, why are you worried about plastic?"

 

 

TBD is very educational.  It has taught me what is a rusty Sanchez.  It has taught me about Q Anon.  And I was Today years old when I learned that in fact, surveys have shown that 1 in 4 Americans believe that the Sun revolves around the Earth.

 

A valid perspective,  @nedboy7.  I should lower my expectations, I see.

 

But if I have conveyed an understanding of Whataboutism to several folks, I have done my part.

 

Well, I watched the video on whataboutism!  Thanks for the link.  You've indeed done your part.

 

But when I mentioned famine or whatever it was that I mentioned, it wasn't a rhetorical tool to try to win an argument.  I don't care about winning a debate.  I was just expressing how I feel about the subject.  As a Stoic-Buddhist, I am not as worry-free as I should be.  But I do try not to sweat the small stuff.  Ignorance of lake effect snow is something I personally consider small stuff.  But I don't see any need for other people to value what I value, or devalue what I devalue.  

 

Stoicism, btw, teaches people to be indifferent to the things they can't control.  I try to embrace that teaching in most things.  But not when it comes to the Bills, I'm not indifferent to the outcome of today's game.  This isn't small stuff and I'm sweating it.  I've irrationally put my mental health in the hands of a bunch of kids playing a game.  If the Bills win, I'll be happy.  If they lose, I'll be grumpy the rest of the day.  Maybe the rest of the month.    We all have our hang-ups.  

 

 

[TheWeatherMan]

4 hours ago, Beck Water said:

 

Yes, exactly.  Ignorance isn't a problem, but once something is explained in an understandable way, it would be nice if the explanation were acknowledged.

 

I've lived in the Midwest for decades.  We have severe thunderstorms and tornadoes here.  Like lake effect snow, they can dump torrential rain and knock down trees, sometimes buildings, in one neighborhood, while another neighborhood a few miles away got enough rain to pause the irrigation system and didn't even bring in the porch cushions.  Yes, this happens in Kansas City, several times a year.  And just like lake effect snow, the weather forecasters can predict that severe thunderstorms/tornadoes are very likely to occur, but not be able to predict exactly what path they will take and which neighborhoods will be affected until closer to the event.
 

 

I'd need to start with understanding that myself, care to explain?

Sure thing!  For Buffalo Lake effect generally occurs on the backside of a high pressure system this late in the season when arctic air blows over the relatively warm air lake water.  The term fetch (direction and distance the cold air travels over the lakes. The greater the distance the more intense the snow band) not only determines the location of the snow band but the intensity as well.

 

Lake enhanced is generally when a frontal boundary transits over the lakes and continues to destabilize due to the warm waters.  This enhances the storm total snowfall.  
 

In summary, lake creates snow independent of a frontal boundary by cold winds blowing over warm water, while lake enhanced causes systems to become stronger and dump more snow.  
 

please let me know if I didn’t explain well and I’ll try a different approach.