How many of inches of snow so far for Detroit?...

**getmoore** · March-04-14, 08:34 PM

I just found this on twitter. It's last years forecast for this week in March. I laughed out loud!
https://twitter.com/FarisA61/status/...401409/photo/1

That Great Guy · March-05-14, 10:14 PM

The biggest amount of Snow comes from Gov. Snyder telling us he has balanced the State budget. He has not and Detroit is proof of this. Detroit is part of Michigan and it's primary city, so if it is broke then Michigan is broke also.

**Honky Tonk** · March-06-14, 12:19 AM

Originally Posted by That Great Guy

The biggest amount of Snow comes from Gov. Snyder telling us he has balanced the State budget. He has not and Detroit is proof of this. Detroit is part of Michigan and it's primary city, so if it is broke then Michigan is broke also.

That sounds like a skit from "The Holy Grail".

**WaCoTS** · March-09-14, 11:49 PM

there is currently ~100 inches on the ground in parts of the Keweenaw Peninsula:
http://www.nohrsc.noaa.gov/interacti...nt=0&js=1&uc=0

Wayne County currently is averaging about 12in

**Pam** · March-11-14, 05:45 AM

Originally Posted by jackie5275

We need Lucy again, for this latest forecast:

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/wxstory.php?site=dtx

**313WX** · March-11-14, 07:26 AM

If the current forecasts pan out for the next Winter Storm/Blizzard, this would be Detroit's snowiest winter on record.

The winter that holds this record currently is 1880-1881, FWIW.

**sirrealone** · March-11-14, 10:52 AM

Originally Posted by 313WX

If the current forecasts pan out for the next Winter Storm/Blizzard, this would be Detroit's snowiest winter on record.

The winter that holds this record currently is 1880-1881, FWIW.

After the winter we've had, we had better get something to show for it. First place or bust.

**Danny** · March-11-14, 04:48 PM

We're not done with Winter, yet. More snow is on the way. Even in early April.

**Meddle** · March-11-14, 04:59 PM

Sonny Sez, 8-10 more a'comin'.

**Pam** · March-11-14, 06:08 PM

Originally Posted by sirrealone

After the winter we've had, we had better get something to show for it. First place or bust.

Are you by any chance the weather guy on Click on Detroit? He said almost the same thing.

**Meddle** · March-11-14, 06:43 PM

Well, you just barely missed the Great Lakes ice coverage record, so you might as well go for this one.

**Downriviera** · March-13-14, 06:37 AM

I always assumed, in this day of modern technology, that the weather service had some sophisticated device to measure snowfall. Now I'm watching a news report on Fox2 about some guy named Josh walking around Metro Airport with a ruler looking for a spot without drifts or where the snow has been blown away so he can get a good reading for the weather service. WTF

http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/story/24...st-winter-ever

**DetroitPlanner** · March-13-14, 07:46 AM

This is now officially Ann Arbor's snowiest season on record.

**313WX** · March-13-14, 08:06 AM

Originally Posted by Downriviera

I always assumed, in this day of modern technology, that the weather service had some sophisticated device to measure snowfall. Now I'm watching a news report on Fox2 about some guy named Josh walking around Metro Airport with a ruler looking for a spot without drifts or where the snow has been blown away so he can get a good reading for the weather service. WTF

http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/story/24...st-winter-ever

I do know Josh. In fact, he's friends and was referred to do this job by long time and recently retired NWS veteran Bill Deedler.

http://weatherhistorian.blogspot.com/

Everything he says is correct. It's important for record-keeping purposes that the NWS gets as accurate of snowfall measurements as they can.

The problem with storms like yesterday is that in several different spots, you can have several different measurements, since the wind can drift it everywhere. In one spot, you can have a 3 foot drift. In another spot, you have only have 3". In another spot, you may have 15" of snow. So what the NWS tries to do in those situation is take several measurements around a location and average out the number to determine how much snow actually fell from the sky and accumulated. If you have spotters or this device you're referring to picking up 2 feet of snow when only, say, 6-10" was expected to fall from the sky, that doesn't help them at all.

I can tell you that Environment Canada uses something similar to what you described for Toronto's snowfall observations. It has some fancy name [[I forget what it is). Based on the people I know who do measure snow "the old-fashion way" in and around Toronto, you can best believe that device has many flaws. For some events, at Pearson International Airport in that device, the snow may only add up to about 8". However, spotters throughout Toronto may measure, say, 12-15". And while that discrepancy may not be a big deal to the general public or for that one storm, those discrepancies do gradually add up in the record books when the NWS uses those numbers to determine their averages [[which are used by the weatherman to create forecasts later on).

The same applies when you have wet/cement-like snowstorms. If timely measurements aren't taken, what could happen is that a 12" snowfall for example will quickly compact into, say, a 6-7" snow depth by the time the storm ends.

Below is a good study about it that you might be interested in reading, and it explains why the NWS still relies on people to measure snow "the old-fashion way."

http://journals.ametsoc.org/doi/pdf/...S-D-11-00052.1

**Danny** · March-13-14, 08:32 AM

So far Detroit has pick up about 90 inches of seasonal snow. Almost to the record of 93 seasonal inches of snow. La Nina did it. As winter comes to close next year could 100 times as worst than this season. Be prepare to shovel.

I was right YAY!

**Hypestyles** · March-13-14, 09:07 AM

As various local/regional/state governments have been strained in dealing with the snow/ice-related management issues, I wonder if there will be movement at all for more progressive tax policies statewide? Hmm. Probably not.

**mtm49269** · March-13-14, 02:11 PM

Danny,

Actually they're predicting an El Nino for next year which will have the opposite effect of La Nina and it could be a rather mild winter next year. Hope so! Even our house cats are getting sick and tired of looking out at all the white all the time!

**Meddle** · April-14-14, 03:15 PM

Anybody up for setting a record?

Official Total through March 31 is 91.7" and the record is 93.6" [[ http://www.crh.noaa.gov/news/display...00198&source=0 )

Forecasts for the next two days indicate 2-4" possible.

Tonight
Rain before 11pm, then rain and snow between 11pm and 1am, then snow after 1am. Low around 29. North northwest wind 8 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible.

Tuesday
Snow showers likely before 9am, then a chance for flurries. Cloudy, with a high near 38. Northwest wind 10 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible.

If that holds true, the 133 year old record should fall easily.

That Great Guy · April-14-14, 07:50 PM

Next August, the taxpayers of Wayne, Oakland and Macomb Counties will get a real SnowJob with yet another tax increase of 2 foot of snow

**getmoore** · April-15-14, 06:13 AM

Originally Posted by meddle

anybody up for setting a record?

Official total through march 31 is 91.7" and the record is 93.6" [[ http://www.crh.noaa.gov/news/display...00198&source=0 )

forecasts for the next two days indicate 2-4" possible.

If that holds true, the 133 year old record should fall easily.

We did it!!!! Woowhoo!!!
http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2...RO08/304150043

**sumas** · April-15-14, 09:08 AM

All I know is I am so sick of snow. A few days ago area children and I were prepping my yard for new landscape. Did our porch sitting thing with friends and now this.

As a lifelong Michigander I am not surprised but long for Spring.

Bought flower pots for area kids and top soil, wanted to do butterfly container gardens for Easter, need to get the plants at eastern market but staring at snow is sooo depressing.

**rb336** · April-15-14, 10:20 AM

I'm glad we set a new record. everyone I know who bitched about this winter is glad we set it. It's that "if we had to go through all that, at least we set a record" mentality.

Why do I smell rabbit droppings?

**Meddle** · April-15-14, 10:47 AM

Originally Posted by rb336

It's that "if we had to go through all that, at least we set a record" mentality.

Yeah, but I was a little annoyed that the Great Lakes missed the all time record for ice cover percentage.

If you check the link above, you'll see that Detroit and Flint both set records for the number of consecutive days with at least 1" of snow cover and Flint tied the record for number of days with highs of 32 degrees or below while Detroit is in 3rd place for that.

Flint also set a record for the lowest average temperature from November through March.

**Vic01** · April-15-14, 11:54 AM

Originally Posted by Meddle

Yeah, but I was a little annoyed that the Great Lakes missed the all time record for ice cover percentage.

If you check the link above, you'll see that Detroit and Flint both set records for the number of consecutive days with at least 1" of snow cover and Flint tied the record for number of days with highs of 32 degrees or below while Detroit is in 3rd place for that.

Flint also set a record for the lowest average temperature from November through March.

I'm sure we can go for another record next year...

**Jimaz** · May-01-14, 06:40 PM

From the front page of today's Free Press: Great Lakes ice cover from brutal winter could lead to a chilly summer

A relatively cool spring will give way to a colder-than-usual summer locally, all because of the continuing impacts of the intensely frigid, snowy winter, scientists said. And at least one Great Lakes ice researcher thinks that the domino effect could continue into a chilly fall and an early start to next winter — and beyond.

The reason is the unusually late ice cover that remains on the Great Lakes. Heading into May, the Great Lakes combined remain 26% ice-covered, with Lake Superior still more than half-blanketed in ice. By comparison, at this time last spring the lakes were less than 2% covered with ice....

Interesting ice breaker video at the link.