lake effect

noun

: a meteorological phenomenon in which warm moist air rising from a body of water mixes with cold dry air overhead resulting in precipitation especially downwind

—usually hyphenated when used attributively

lake-effect snows

Examples of lake effect in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In the eastern Lake Ontario region, the NWS said lake effect snow was expected, with additional snow accumulations between 4 and 7 inches forecast in the most persistent lake snows. —Joe Edwards, Newsweek, 23 Feb. 2025

Damaging winds up to 70 miles per hour are expected and lake effect snow is expected to continue falling over the Great Lakes through late Monday, even into Tuesday. —Amy Graff, New York Times, 16 Feb. 2025

Accumulation is most likely to occur in northwest Indiana because of the lake effect, the weather service said. —Dan Petrella, Chicago Tribune, 15 Feb. 2025

Also in New York, lake effect snow will develop downwind of Lake Ontario and Erie. —Mirna Alsharif, NBC News, 20 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1951, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for lake effect

• aftereffect
• interconnect
• affect
• aspect
• bedecked
• bisect
• collect
• connect
• correct
• deflect
• detect
• direct