Question

creating lake - effect snow
situated on lake erie, the city of buffalo, new york, is one of the snowiest cities in the united states. like other cities on large lakes, it is subject to a phenomenon called lake - effect snow. water retains heat, so lake water is often warmer than the air. in the lake effect, cold air moves over warmer lake water, initiating a process that can produce large snowstorms. moisture from the lake evaporates into the cold air, warming it. because warm air is less dense than cold air, it begins to rise. as it rises and moves away from the lake, it cools down. as the air cools, moisture condenses and forms into clouds. if the temperature is cold enough, the moisture falls to the ground as snow.
what is the main, or central, idea of the passage?
in the lake effect, warm air, which is lighter than cold air, rises and moves away.
when cold air moves over the warmer water of a lake, lake - effect snow can be produced.
buffalo, new york, gets more snow than most cities in the united states.

Explanation:

The passage starts by introducing Buffalo, New York (situated on Lake Erie) as a snowy city due to lake - effect snow. Then it explains the process of lake - effect snow: cold air moves over warmer lake water. Moisture evaporates into the cold air (warming it), warm air rises (because it's less dense), cools as it moves away, moisture condenses into clouds, and if cold enough, falls as snow. The first option only focuses on the rising of warm air. The third option is just a fact about Buffalo (a supporting detail). The second option summarizes the overall process of how lake - effect snow is produced (cold air over warm lake water leads to lake - effect snow), which is the main idea.

Answer:

When cold air moves over the warmer water of a lake, lake - effect snow can be produced.