In the wake of the general snow moving out of the eastern Great Lakes area to end the week, lake-effect snow will continue downwind of the upper lakes through tonight and will kick into gear in the lower lakes this afternoon and evening.

Gusty winds will continue to cause extensive blowing and drifting of snow on the ground. Where the wind combines with flurries, squalls and bands of lake-effect snow, local whiteout conditions are in store.

The Upper Peninsula of Michigan has been pounded with snow the past 24 hours (We have reports of over 2 feet of snow in some areas!), and an additional half a foot of snow will fall into tonight. General storm snow was greatly enhanced by Lake Superior in northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Lake-effect off Superior will wind down tonight.

Lake-effect snow will continue into tonight on the eastern and southern shores of Lake Michigan where a general additional fresh 1 to 3 inches is in store with locally higher amounts, especially in southwest lower Michigan and northern Indiana. Lake-effect should shut down Saturday off Lake Michigan.

Downwind of lakes Erie and Huron in northeastern Ohio and in parts of southern Ontario, bands of heavy lake-effect snow are in store this afternoon, tonight and into Saturday morning. From 3 to 6 inches of snow will fall in general with locally higher amounts this afternoon into early Saturday.

Farther east off Lake Erie, up to a foot of lake-effect snow (new snow) is forecast from late this afternoon into Saturday south of Buffalo in western New York to part of northwestern Pennsylvania.

Lake-effect snow in these areas should diminish off lakes Erie and Huron Saturday afternoon.

Lake-effect snow off Lake Ontario will kick in tonight and last through Saturday. However, a storm is bringing substantial general snow (3 to 6 inches) to this area before this evening.

Moving forward tonight, the area from the Tug Hill Plateau to near Syracuse should get a general 3 to 6 inches with locally a foot of new snow. The lake effect should go to town this evening.

A bubble of high pressure will slide southeastward this weekend, shutting off the cold flow of air over the lakes and hence shutting down the lake-effect snow and the strong winds, blowing and drifting snow from northwest to southeast.

At any rate, snow is snow whether it is home grown from the Great Lakes or the result of a storm. For snowmobilers and cross-country skiers, now is your chance.

Unfortunately for ice fisherman, not so good. There just isn’t any.