Snow Records
Record Snowfall Explained: Lake Effect, Snow Ratios, Storm Tracks, and Measuring Snow
Why record snowfall totals occur, how lake effect and snow ratios matter, and why measuring snow is harder than it sounds.
Quick answer: Record snowfall depends on moisture, lift, cold air, storm duration, snow ratio, and sometimes local lake-effect bands.
Lake-effect records
Lake-effect snow can focus intense bands over narrow areas for many hours.
A small shift in wind direction can move the heaviest totals from one town to another.
Snow ratio
Cold fluffy snow can pile up deeper than wet heavy snow from the same amount of liquid water.
That makes snow depth different from water content.
Measurement
Wind, drifting, compaction, melting, and measurement timing all affect snow totals.
Official procedures try to make reports comparable.