Have you ever noticed that the northwest corner of Pennsylvania
receivesmuchmore snow than anywhere else in the state? This is
because of “the
Lake Effect
” surrounding Lake Erie. When very cold
air moves over a large body of warmer water, the warmed air absorbs
moisture from the lake. Clouds form loaded withmoisture. As the
clouds approach higher elevations of land, they can no longer hold
their moisture. The result is heavy snow near the shore and inland.
Erie, which is part of this snowbelt region downwind of all of the
Great Lakes, can receivemore than 200 inches of snow each winter
because of this effect.
L
ET
’
S
R
EVIEW
1. Describe the location of Pennsylvania in three different ways.
2. Area-wise, which state has the smallest border with Pennsylvania?
3. Which states border Pennsylvania on its:
east
west
south
north
4. What was the original purpose for creating theMason-Dixon Line?
5. Describe at least three features of our climate.
6. What is a nor’easter?
7. Describe what the lake effect is.
The Lake
Effect
Location and Climate of Pennsylvania
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