Since late November, over 70 inches (approximately 1.8 meters) of snow have blanketed the region between Erie, Pennsylvania, and Buffalo, New York, severely disrupting post-Thanksgiving travel. Snowdrifts reaching 4 to 8 feet (approximately 1 to 2.4 meters) have been so extreme that even snow removal crews have struggled to navigate the harsh winter conditions.

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Residents struggle -

Residents north of Syracuse, New York, faced similar challenges, spending weeks shoveling their way out from beneath several feet of snow.

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Fatal storm -

The storm led to several fatalities, with incidents linked to snow shoveling and vehicle accidents reported across the Great Lakes region.

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Ohio -

A herd of bison are seen struggling during an intense lake-effect snowstorm that resulted in 36.5 inches (92 cm) of snow in Ohio.

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Parts of states buried under snow -

Heavy snow across the Great Lakes buried parts of Pennsylvania, New York, and Ohio under snowfall.

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State of emergency -

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine declared a state of emergency in counties that were hit hard by the lake-effect snowfall.

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What happens? -

A lake-effect snowstorm occurs when cold winds hit across a warm body of water, causing moisture to rise.

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Snow falls downwind -

With levels of moisture quickly rising over an unfrozen body of water, snow begins to fall downwind.

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Accumulate -

Large amounts of snow can accumulate fast. In New York, 54 inches (137 cm) of snow had fallen in one region in just the span of four days.

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Cattle barn collapses -

Due to the heavy accumulation, a cattle barn collapsed, killing five cows and injuring a rescue worker.

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Snow belt -

Some places experienced over five feet (1.5 meters) of now in just 48 hours in an area commonly known as the “snow belt.”

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Great Lakes -

The snow belt is located on the eastern and southeastern shores of the Great Lakes, where lake-effect snow occurs.

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Annual snowfall -

Over 50% of the region's annual snowfall is generated through lake-effect snow.

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More cold coming -

More Arctic air is expected to sweep over the region in the coming days, likely to generate more of this snow.

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Late autumn and winter -

Lake-effect snow is common across the region during the late autumn and winter.

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Where does the cold front come from? -

The blasts of cold air often originate from Canada and then make their way across the Great Lakes' open waters.

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Moisture flows -

As the cold air makes its way over the warm waters of the Great Lakes, moisture flows into the atmosphere's lowest portion.

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Continuous -

As the air rises, clouds form, and they produce approximately 2–3 inches (5-8 cm) of snow per hour.

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Stranded motorists -

Snow can accumulate fast. Pictured are stranded motorists on a frozen highway in Ohio.

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Wind -

Wind direction determines which areas will receive the lake-effect snow.

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Wind -

There can be a stark difference in snow accumulation between areas just one or two miles (1.6-3.2 km) apart due to the wind direction.

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Physical geography -

A land's physical geography and the conditions regarding the body of water present are two important components to consider.

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Consideration of many factors -

Meteorologists consider many different factors when attempting to forecast lake-effect snow.

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Snow emergency -

The accumulation of snow in Pennsylvania and New York placed parts of the states under a snow emergency.

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Residents struggle -

Many residents struggled to deal with the aftermath of the sudden snowfall.

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Difficult driving conditions -

Driving conditions may be especially difficult. At least one person was critically injured after a collision in Michigan during the storm.

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Reduced visibility -

Even in areas that experience less snowfall, snow blowing in the air can create reduced visibility, causing dangerous conditions.

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Storm alerts common -

Storm alerts in southern parts of Canada, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York are very common during the late fall and winter due to lake-effect snow.

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New storm incoming -

The "Alberta Clipper" is set to drive in more snow as colder temperatures continue to move across the region, this as residents continue to struggle over the storm.

Sources: (The Weather Channel) (The New York Times)

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Harsh conditions -

Getty Images

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Residents struggle -

Residents north of Syracuse, New York, faced similar challenges, spending weeks shoveling their way out from beneath several feet of snow.

Getty Images

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Fatal storm -

The storm led to several fatalities, with incidents linked to snow shoveling and vehicle accidents reported across the Great Lakes region.

Getty Images

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Ohio -

A herd of bison are seen struggling during an intense lake-effect snowstorm that resulted in 36.5 inches (92 cm) of snow in Ohio.

Getty Images

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Parts of states buried under snow -

Heavy snow across the Great Lakes buried parts of Pennsylvania, New York, and Ohio under snowfall.

Getty Images

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State of emergency -

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine declared a state of emergency in counties that were hit hard by the lake-effect snowfall.

Getty Images

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What happens? -

A lake-effect snowstorm occurs when cold winds hit across a warm body of water, causing moisture to rise.

Getty Images

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Snow falls downwind -

With levels of moisture quickly rising over an unfrozen body of water, snow begins to fall downwind.

Getty Images

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Accumulate -

Large amounts of snow can accumulate fast. In New York, 54 inches (137 cm) of snow had fallen in one region in just the span of four days.

Getty Images

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Cattle barn collapses -

Due to the heavy accumulation, a cattle barn collapsed, killing five cows and injuring a rescue worker.

Getty Images

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Snow belt -

Some places experienced over five feet (1.5 meters) of now in just 48 hours in an area commonly known as the “snow belt.”

Getty Images

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Great Lakes -

The snow belt is located on the eastern and southeastern shores of the Great Lakes, where lake-effect snow occurs.

Getty Images

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Annual snowfall -

Over 50% of the region's annual snowfall is generated through lake-effect snow.

Getty Images

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More cold coming -

More Arctic air is expected to sweep over the region in the coming days, likely to generate more of this snow.

Getty Images

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Late autumn and winter -

Lake-effect snow is common across the region during the late autumn and winter.

Getty Images

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Where does the cold front come from? -

The blasts of cold air often originate from Canada and then make their way across the Great Lakes' open waters.

Getty Images

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Moisture flows -

As the cold air makes its way over the warm waters of the Great Lakes, moisture flows into the atmosphere's lowest portion.

Getty Images

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Continuous -

As the air rises, clouds form, and they produce approximately 2–3 inches (5-8 cm) of snow per hour.

Getty Images

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Stranded motorists -

Snow can accumulate fast. Pictured are stranded motorists on a frozen highway in Ohio.

Getty Images

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Wind -

Wind direction determines which areas will receive the lake-effect snow.

Getty Images

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Wind -

There can be a stark difference in snow accumulation between areas just one or two miles (1.6-3.2 km) apart due to the wind direction.

Getty Images

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Physical geography -

A land's physical geography and the conditions regarding the body of water present are two important components to consider.

Getty Images

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Consideration of many factors -

Meteorologists consider many different factors when attempting to forecast lake-effect snow.

Getty Images

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Snow emergency -

The accumulation of snow in Pennsylvania and New York placed parts of the states under a snow emergency.

Getty Images

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Residents struggle -

Many residents struggled to deal with the aftermath of the sudden snowfall.

Getty Images

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Difficult driving conditions -

Driving conditions may be especially difficult. At least one person was critically injured after a collision in Michigan during the storm.

Getty Images

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Reduced visibility -

Even in areas that experience less snowfall, snow blowing in the air can create reduced visibility, causing dangerous conditions.

Getty Images

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Storm alerts common -

Storm alerts in southern parts of Canada, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York are very common during the late fall and winter due to lake-effect snow.

Getty Images

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New storm incoming -

The "Alberta Clipper" is set to drive in more snow as colder temperatures continue to move across the region, this as residents continue to struggle over the storm.

Sources: (The Weather Channel) (The New York Times)

Getty Images

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Third lake-effect storm hits the US

Arctic blast brings heavy snow and strong winds

23 hours ago | StarsInsider

LIFESTYLE Weather

A significant storm system moved across the eastern US on December 12, triggering another Arctic blast and dumping 10 to 20 inches (approximately 25 to 51 cm) of lake-effect snow downwind of the Great Lakes. This marked the third round of intense snowfall in just two weeks as Mother Nature's snow machine ramped up once again. Friday’s forecast calls for heavy snow, strong winds, plummeting temperatures, and dangerously low wind chills.

In recent weeks, the US and Canada have been hit hard by lake-effect snowstorms, blanketing many cities in snow and placing 19 million people under winter alerts. These storms occur when cold winds sweep across warmer bodies of water, causing moisture to rise and heavy snow to fall downwind. Here are some striking images of the storm's aftermath.