Lake-effect snow in Oswego, NY

Both photos were taken by me at SUNY Oswego in 2007

My first year of college was at SUNY Oswego on the shoreline of Lake Ontario.  Oswego, NY is known for its harsh cold and wind and enormous amounts of snow.  Oswego gets what is called lake enhancement, or lake effect-snow.  Lake-effect snow can produce very large totals of snow over a relatively short amount of time, or over a few days when totals can exceed one to two feet.  Oswego is located in a location where a snow band often sets up over the town.  When I was at Oswego I remembered many days of heavy snowfall and high snow totals, resulting in the campus being closed and classes being cancelled.  One lake-effect snowstorm left snow drifts as high as the roofs of cars.  Snow coated the sides of buildings and blanketed roads.

Lake-effect snowstorms can be an impressive event.  One thing is for sure, I will never forget the weather in Oswego, NY.  Compared to the snowstorms we get in eastern upstate NY, the storms in Oswego are more intense and produce more snow.  It is not uncommon for Oswego and surrounding towns to receive upwards of three to four feet plus.

Sometimes these lake-effect storms are called lake-effect blizzards, when strong winds can accompany lake-effect snows creating blizzard-like conditions.