Strong northwesterly surface winds associated with a strong surface low in Quebec continued to cause lake-effect snow off Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. Up to 1 1/2 feet of snow had fallen in western New York, and at least one location reported nearly 3 feet of snowfall from this storm, but most reports were in the 4- to 8-inch range. South of Lake Erie, snowfall was much lighter, and 3 inches or less were reported. Quiet and warm conditions continued in the West with strong upper-level ridging and strong surface high pressure.
The upper-level blocking pattern in the West and the large upper-level trough in the East will continue the meteorological schism in the coterminous U.S. The surface pressure gradient across the Northeast will slacken considerably today; up to 4 inches of snow is possible today east of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. A strong Alberta clipper will move into the Great Lakes on Friday and through the Middle Atlantic States by Saturday. Behind the system will be very cold air from northwestern North America which will spread through the Plains, Midwest, and East. Lake-effect snows are likely south and southeast of the Great Lakes Friday through Saturday.
weather.gov
