Winter: the time of the year when we celebrate gift-giving festivities and go outside only to build snowmen and toboggan. Many people love winter for its serene beauty and holiday cheer it brings on, however, for citizens in Buffalo,New York, their stories of winter aren’t at all cozy or beautiful. For them, winter this year means devastating blizzards leaving behind snow that, in certain locations, can be as high as a two story building (and we thought Calgary had unbearable weather). For many people, this also means being stranded in homes with a limited food supply and no energy or running water—as the weight from excessive amounts of snow and high speed winds can potentially break power lines.
“We woke up to find that we weren’t moving any more because the storm was so bad,” says an interviewee of CBC who had been travelling to Buffalo from a basketball tournament, “It had backed all the way up the highway and we couldn’t get off.”
Buffalo’s snowstorm backed up many people travelling into Buffalo and created difficulties for the vast majority of their population.
One urgent inquiry, however, is how the snow got there. While people stranded in Buffalo may only see the annoying shade of white, people outside this dilemma may ask: How did so much snow reign upon Buffalo? The most accurate explanation for this is a phenomenon called lake-effect snow. This occurs when a cold wind gusts over the surface of a warm lake or large body of water. This newly formed water vapour then rises and deposits a walloping amount of snow when the clouds that form are overwhelmed. Buffalo, New York is, unfortunately located beside one of Canada’s five great lakes: Lake Erie. Because of the large expanse of the lake and strong, persisting winds of New York, the amount of snow is increased as well, creating that large deposit of snow in Buffalo.
So how can we take this event and turn it into something positive? For all the optimists who want to find a bright side in this story, we can learn from incidents like this. Although it is unlikely that events like these occur in Calgary, we can be prepared for these occurrences by parking our cars inside, always having an extra can of canned food and other small preparations. Lake-effect snow can also mean great skiing conditions, according to Phillip, an interviewee from CBC’s article on this incident. It can bring a lot of business and attract those who still look for a thrill even in the worst of weather conditions.
In conclusion, Buffalo taught us a little more about snow and its negative side effects and causes, however, on the flip side, gives us Calgarians a lesson. So, to all the citizens who have suffered from the snow in Buffalo, we send our gratitude and praise.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/buffalo-lake-effect-snow-what-it-is-how-it-happens-1.2842119
http://vipmedia.globalnews.ca/2014/11/buffalo-storm.jpg?w=720
