The presence of large lakes in a region greatly influences the lives of the people living nearby. Lakes affect weather conditions over a large area. In summer, a lake never gets as warm as the surrounding land. Thus, breezes blowing over the water are cooled. In winter, a lake does not cool off as fast as the surrounding land, and may cause the climate to be warmer.
Warm winds blowing off a lake in autumn make it possible for certain crops to grow especially well.
The warming influence of Lake Ontario in autumn extends the growing season of southern Ontario, making it possible to raise fruits and corn. The great fruit belt of Michigan, along the east shore of Lake Michigan, depends partly on winds off the lake. Cool spring winds delay the blossoming of the fruit trees until the danger of a killing frost has passed. Warm winds in autumn allow the fruit crops to be harvested before the frost strikes. The thousands of lakes in central Florida have an important effect on the location of the state's citrus-fruit industry.