A lake-effect snow warning is issued when NWS is at least 80% confident that part of the county will see six inches or more of snow in12 hours or less.

The band of heavy lake effect snow will continue to shift north over Lake Erie Saturday night. Although snow will continue for Ashtabula and Lake counties, it is not going to be as heavy.

Lake-effect snow, which can last for only a few minutes to several days, develops from narrow bands of clouds that form when cold, dry arctic air passes over a large, relatively mild lake.

The heavy lake effect snow prompted the Buffalo Bills to ask fans for help clearing snow out of Highmark Stadium ahead of the team's game against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night.

Lake effect snow occurs when cold air moves across the open waters of the Great Lakes creating snowfall, said Lily Chapman, a meteorologist at the NWS Forecast office in Marquette.

If you’ve lived through more than one upstate New York winter, the term “lake effect snowstorm” is permanently part of your ...