->  TN> Green Bay isn't that far from here (possibly 150km northwest).
->  TN> However, the weather is often quite different.  It isn't the
->  TN> distance that makes the difference; there is a very large body of
->  TN> water (Lake Michigan) between us. 
-> 
->  TN> Weather moves from the west to the east, across the lake.  The lake
->  TN> is warmer than land for most of the winter. Thus cold, dry air
->  TN> moves east from the west shore (Green Bay), across the lake, to
->  TN> Michigan. As it does, the warmer (less cold?) water of the lake
->  TN> slightly raises temperatures but also raises the humidity quite a
->  TN> bit.
-> 
->  TN> Once the weather reaches the esstern shore, the colder land causes
->  TN> all the humidity to condense and fall as snow.  Our winter
->  TN> temperatures are slightly warmer but our snowfall is much greater
->  TN> than in Green Bay. 
-> 
->  TN> I guess I can accept the current -13C temperature for winter. At
->  TN> least it isn't above the freezing point.
-> 
SH> I'm still trying to figure out exactly where you live in Michigan 
SH> but that is not critical to this discussion.  
SH> I take the point about the effect of the lake but wonder 
SH> if the winds ever go the other way, toward Green Bay?  
SH> And is it now
SH> warmer in winter because the lake no longer freezes?
SH> 
SH> Steven Horn (steven.horn{at}northwestel.net)
SH> Moderator, ALASKA_CHAT 
SH> --- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+


I live in Grand Rapids. Actually, I work for the local county government,
about 3 blocks from the museum and grave of former president Gerald Ford.

In the northern hemisphere, weather predominantly moves from the west to
the east. Of course there can be some exceptions (e.g part of a hurricane
or tornado). 

As with all coasts (large lake or ocean), temperature differences between
water and land can also have some effect. During the day, land warms so it
has a higher temperature than water; at night, the land cools so it has a
lower temperature than water. Thus wind directions often change between
night and day.
It isn't a question of the actual temperature, but rather about thereversal
of the differences between night and day.

---
.... Noise from Nik's Noo