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
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The weather service cites lake effect snow, which is created when cold air moves over the relatively warm Great Lakes, pulls water into the atmosphere and then rapidly releases snow, sometimes at 2 to 3 inches per hour. NBC News, 6 Jan. 2025 Michiganders driving in lake effect snow areas should look out for slippery and slick travel conditions, the National Weather Service cautioned. Jalen Williams, Detroit Free Press, 2 Jan. 2025 The lake effect will help bring localized accumulations of 3-to-6 inches to parts of east central Ohio, southwest and western Pennsylvania, and northern West Virginia. Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 21 Dec. 2024 Lake effect, explained In the United States, the lake effect typically begins when cold air – often from Canada – blows in over the Great Lakes’ warmer waters. Bruce Shipkowski and Dave Collins, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for lake effect 

Word History

First Known Use

1951, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of lake effect was in 1951

Dictionary Entries Near lake effect

Cite this Entry

“Lake effect.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lake%20effect. Accessed 15 Jan. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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