Have you noticed this time of year in Western New York our temperature can be dramatically different depending on where you are?
Several factors can contribute to that temperature variation but one of the biggest is called a lake breeze.
A lake breeze is just as it sounds; a breeze that comes off of the lake. In our case, Lake Erie or Lake Ontario are the lakes at play.
When the temperature of the land gets warmer than the water, the warmer air over the land rises.
When it rises, it is replaced by cold air coming off of the lake. This means that the temperature near the water can be 10 – 20 degrees cooler than spots further inland.
A common way to think of this is by considering what happens at the beach.
Whether you’re at Beaver Island or Mickey Rats doesn’t matter, everyone knows that on a hot day the beach is the place to go.
Yes, jumping in the cold water will help to cool you off, but the air around the water is typically cooler too due to a lake breeze.
We see this happen all year round in Buffalo but it is more common to see in the spring.
For most of this week, the temperature has been in the 60s and 70s while Lake Erie still has ice chunks in it and remains at 36 degrees. Lake Ontario is a few degrees warmer but is still bitter cold at 39 degrees.
Although a lake breeze sounds like a real buzz kill to warmer temperatures, it can also benefit us. A lake breeze is responsible for keeping sunshine along the lakeshore, while areas inland are locked under cloud cover.
That’s because cold air from the lake is less likely to rise into clouds.
If you’re a fan of thunderstorms, a lake breeze can help to initiate the bright and loud storms in the spring and summer months, making Buffalo the perfect spot for viewing!
To read more weather blogs follow Meteorologist Kaylee Wendt on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!
