Buffalo, NY -- Accumulating lake effect snow off Lake Ontario is possible through Friday, 3 to 5".
Not much activity is expected off Lake Erie because that lake is basically covered with ice.
However Lake Ontario is wide open, not much ice on it and it doesn't freeze over like Lake Erie often does. This is because the depth of Lake Ontario is too deep at 802 feet, but Lake Erie is much shallower at 210 feet.
We are only expecting snowfall in terms of inches off Lake Ontario and not feet of snow like we can see off Lake Erie. This is because, the longer cold air remains over the warmer waters relatively speaking, the more precipitation can form. A southwesterly wind along the fetch or length of Lake Erie can keep air over lake water for more than 240 miles. For Lake Ontario there's only 37 miles to work with for its width that impacts us locally.
