Date of Award
2026
Document Type
Open Access Master's Report
Degree Name
Master of Science in Physics (MS)
Administrative Home Department
Department of Physics
Advisor 1
Shawn Brueshaber
Advisor 2
Will Cantrell
Committee Member 1
Shiliang Wu
Abstract
Lake-effect snow (LES) produces copious amounts of snow across the Great Lakes region. While mechanisms and impacts are well-understood, they remain difficult to observe and study over Lake Superior and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan due to a large gap in radar coverage and sparse in-situ measurements. The goal of this project aimed to characterize variables present across Lake Superior and counties on and downstream of the Keweenaw Peninsula that contribute to the formation and evolution of lake-effect snowbands. Nine different lake-effect snow events were analyzed in this project, identifying structures and features resulting from upstream passage over the Keweenaw Peninsula into counties further downstream. These features are a result of orographic lift and frictional effects from terrain, weakening with passage over the Keweenaw Peninsula but regaining strength as they converge into larger snowbands downstream. These features were successfully reproduced through a WRF simulation for 26 November 2024, providing support for these mechanisms and providing motivation for future simulations of other identified cases.
Recommended Citation
Pavell, Thomas M., "An Investigation on Downwind Impacts of the Keweenaw Peninsula on Lake-Effect Snow Events", Open Access Master's Report, Michigan Technological University, 2026.