A broad ridge of high pressure will result in mostly sunny skies through the middle of the weekend, with light winds. Because of those factors, we will still have moderately strong temperature inversions which will result in cool daytime highs in the valleys. Thursday high temperature will likely top out in the upper 40s and may warm to the mid-50s by Saturday. By Sunday, the next winter storm comes through the region, bringing back a chance of rain turning to snow by late Sunday.

Yesterday, Fred wondered if Lake Effect snow actually did us harm water-wise. There’s a misconception about Lake Effect snow that it takes moisture out of the lake and deposits it downstream. That really isn’t happening much at all. The lake instead acts as a heat source, warming the cold air which is flowing over it and giving it impetus to rise. It’s that rising air that causes it to cool and condense and precipitate more downstream. The contribution of actual water from the lake itself is negligible, and the increased precipitation into the downwind side of the lake and that side of the basin more than makes up for any water which might be drawn from the lake itself.