Could you name that snow?...., LES and GLC/clipper/coldfront snow Options

[stxprowl]

Is it possible to observe 2 different types/forms of snow falling from 2 different kinds/levels of clouds in the atmosphere? I’m assuming that lake effect snow falls from a different type of cloud then say the type of clouds from a GLC/clipper/ or cold front? If you could name the clouds and levels that would be great for me!

My question is if you were standing on the ground in say Buffalo could you tell the difference and say “that snowflake that just landed was from the lake effect snow clouds and that snowflake over there that just landed was from the clipper snow clouds?”
Thanks

This post has been edited by stxprowl: Jan 17 2013, 12:25 PM

[mmi16]

I can't give you any technical names for it, but you can tell 'lake effect' from 'clipper' snows.

Lake Effect will be a much heavier and wetter snow, Lake effect picks up the mositure from the surface of the unfrozen Great Lake and as the air mass holding the moisture is forced up by the land mass at the shore of the lakes the moisture is 'wrung' out of the air as a relatively wet and 'sticky' snow. As the lakes freeze over, the occurence of lake effect goes away and even in 'lake effect' areas clipper type snow can be depositied.

Clipper snows are normally formed at very low (zero or there abouts) temperatures, the atmosphere can hold very little water vapor at those temps, as a consequence the snow that does form has very small and 'dry' flakes. Clipper snows are subject to a lot of drifting if the winds are elevated.

[stxprowl]

I can't give you any technical names for it, but you can tell 'lake effect' from 'clipper' snows.

Lake Effect will be a much heavier and wetter snow, Lake effect picks up the mositure from the surface of the unfrozen Great Lake and as the air mass holding the moisture is forced up by the land mass at the shore of the lakes the moisture is 'wrung' out of the air as a relatively wet and 'sticky' snow. As the lakes freeze over, the occurence of lake effect goes away and even in 'lake effect' areas clipper type snow can be depositied.

Clipper snows are normally formed at very low (zero or there abouts) temperatures, the atmosphere can hold very little water vapor at those temps, as a consequence the snow that does form has very small and 'dry' flakes. Clipper snows are subject to a lot of drifting if the winds are elevated.

Cool thanks!