What is Finger Lake snow?

We’ve all experienced lake effect snow from the Great Lakes, but did you know that the Finger Lakes can also produce lake effect snow?  

With a wind out of just the right direction, areas such as Watkins Glen and Ithaca can experience snow from Seneca and Cayuga Lakes.  Since Seneca Lake is aligned generally north-to-south, a northerly breeze can generate a band of lake effect snow into Watkins Glen.  Since Cayuga Lake has more of a northwest-to-southeast orientation of its southern half, a northwesterly breeze can cause a band of snow into Ithaca. 

Generally, it’s much more unusual to see a band of lake effect snow off the minor Finger Lakes, since the ‘fetch’, or distance the air has to interact with the water, is much shorter.  The minor lakes generally freeze much more readily, which causes lake effect snow to not be able to form at all.