THIS WEEK HAS PRODUCED SOME OF THE LOWEST NOVEMBER TEMPERATURES OHIO HAS SEEN IN HISTORY…BUT THERE'S A PART OF THE STATE IN PARTICULAR THAT IS NO STRANGER TO EXTREMELY COLD WEATHER AND BAD WINTERY SNOWFALL …
THE PART I'M REFERRING TO IS CALLED THE SNOWBELT, AND IT'S THE SUBJECT OF THIS WEEK'S KNOW OHIO.
EVERY WINTER FOLKS IN NORTHEAST OHIO PREPARE THEMSELVES FOR HEAVY SNOWFALL IN THE FORM OF LAKE-EFFECT SNOW.
THIS SNOW IS CAUSED BY COLD AIR PICKING UP MOISTURE WHILE CROSSING THE LAKE AND THEN RELEASING IT AS SNOW WHEN THE AIR COOLS OVER LAND.
THE LAKES PRODUCE SNOW SQUALLS - WHICH IS A TERM USED TO DESCRIBE SUDDEN HEAVY SNOWFALL WITH STRONG WINDS. THE CLOUDY SKIES AND SNOW PERSIST THROUGHOUT WINTER AS LONG AS THE AIR TEMPERATURE IS LOWER THAN THE WATER TEMPERATURE OR UNTIL THE LAKE FREEZES OVER.
BECAUSE OF THE HEAVY LAKE-EFFECT SNOW, THAT AREA OF OHIO IS NORMALLY REFERRED TO AS THE SNOWBELT- A TERM USED TO DESCRIBE A NUMBER OF REGIONS NEAR THE GREAT LAKES.
A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THE SNOW BELT AND LAKE EFFECT SNOW HAPPENED EARLIER THIS WEEK WHEN AREAS OF DOWNTOWN CLEVELAND SAW LESS THAN AN INCH OF SNOW, YET CITIES JUST MILES AWAY TO THE EAST RECEIVED UP TO A FOOT!
WE'RE LUCKY HERE IN OHIO, BECAUSE ANOTHER CITY IN THE SNOWBELT -BUFFALO, NEW YORK - SAW UPWARDS OF SIX FEET OF SNOW TUESDAY NIGHT. WE'LL TELL MORE ABOUT THAT SHORTLY.
THERE ARE MANY OTHER SNOWBELTS IN THE U-S, BUT THERE'S ONLY ONE IN THE STATE, SO IF YOU'RE HEADED TO NORTHEAST OHIO THIS WINTER, I'D SUGGEST YOU BUNDLE UP AND PACK A SHOVEL!
DID YOU SEE ANY SNOW THIS WEEK? WE KNOW SOME OF YOU EVEN HAD A SNOW DAY AND WE WANT TO KNOW - WHAT ARE SOME THINGS YOU CAN DO WHILE IT'S SNOWING? WE'LL TELL YOU WHERE TO SEND THOSE LETTERS AT THE END OF THE SHOW.