Lightning is common with lake effect snow. Lightning can strike whenever liquid water droplets and frozen water crystals are present. In thunderstorms, ice crystals are in the top of the cloud with water droplets in the lower half. One charge tends to accumulate near the top of the thunder cloud. The opposite charge accumulates near the bottom.
Lightning is just a spark between opposite charges.
Lake effect snow often contains water droplets as well as ice crystals, especially when the lake is very warm. Electricity was knocked out by trees and branches falling onto power lines. The heavy wet snow Saturday accumulated on tree branches. Many trees had still not lost their leaves. The combined weight was simply too much.