Lake effect snow in Middle Tennessee? Why this morning’s snow was ‘unusual to see’
Lake effect snow, a weather event usually seen in the Great Lakes region, has reached Middle Tennessee.
The National Weather Service reported on Thursday that lakes and rivers are contributing just enough moisture to produce localized grainy snow throughout the area.
According to the weather service, lake effect snow is “unusual to see” throughout Middle Tennessee, as conditions have to be “perfect” for the precipitation to form.
“Some of the lake effect snow might just be ‘river-enhanced,’ as not all these bands can be attributed to actual lakes,” reported the weather service. “Still, it’s a quite fascinating phenomenon to see and somewhat rare for us.”
Once the snow exits the region, Middle Tennessee will be without any precipitation chances until next week, reported the weather service.
What is lake effect snow? What causes it?
Lake effect snow is a form of precipitation which occurs when cold air moves across open bodies of warm water. As the cold air passes over the unfrozen, warm water, heat and moisture cause clouds to form. The clouds then grow bigger and snow begins to fall.
A female red-breasted merganser swims along as lake effect snow falls around it at the Irondequoit Bay Outlet in Irondequoit Friday, Jan. 24, 2025.
Where does lake-effect snow normally occur?
According to the weather service, lake effect snow is typically common across the Great Lakes region during the late fall and winter.
A satellite image taken the morning of Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025, showing lake effect snow across the Great Lakes.
Diana Leyva covers trending news and service journalism for The Tennessean. Contact her at Dleyva@gannett.com or follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @_leyvadiana
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: What is lake effect snow? Nashville area hit by unusual weather event
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