Lake-aggregate mesoscale disturbances. Part II: a case study of the effects on regional and synoptic-scale weather systems

Abstract

A high-resolution numerical model is employed to examine effects of the Great Lakes aggregate, defined to be the five major great Lakes, on regional and synoptic-scale weather. Simulations wherein the effects of the lakes are included and then excluded are performed on a selected cold air outbreak episode during late autumn when the lakes are still ice-free. In addition to the developing primary lake-aggregate circulation, a secondary dynamic response appears at a distant location, adjacent to the eastern seaboard. The organization of this secondary circulation suggests that the lakes may play a direct role in some cases of East Coast cyclogenesis. -from Authors