Lake Erie Barely Ice Covered: Heavy Lake Effect Snow Later This Winter?

I can't recall an easier winter than the one we've had so far here in Buffalo. Not only have we had below normal snow for January, but it just hasn't been bitterly cold.

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According to WKBW's Aaron Mentkowski, Buffalo had its ninth-warmest January on record at just over 33 degrees on average.

That also means however that Lake Erie is not covered with much ice. In fact, according to The Buffalo News, under 7% of Lake Erie was covered in ice at the end of January. That's also true for all the Great Lakes this year. The east coast has had a fairly easy winter as a whole.

But could no Lake Erie ice mean big lake effect snow totals for Western New York later this winter? Lake effect thrives on a wide open lake and there's no better example than this winter season.

According to WKBW, a quick blast of arctic air would result in impressive lake effect snow totals for Buffalo, which is something we should keep in mind.

For now though, that polar air is locked up in the North Pole, which is why our winter has been so warm...but all it takes is one cold air blast and those snow totals will quickly increase.

If you're a skier or snowboarder, you're probably hoping for a last ditch lake effect storm but I'm okay with winter staying like it did in January!

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