A La Nina Type Blizzard may come to Metro-Detroit

DetroitDad · February-01-11, 11:11 PM

That would be pretty scary Wolverine, if you have pets or a little one. Very cool pictures though.

I hope everyone stays safe. How is it out on the weather patio LD?

**Magnatomicflux** · February-01-11, 11:19 PM

Cool shots wolverine.

Anyone see that Downtown office buildings have been putting their employees up in some of the nicer hotels downtown? Paying for meals?! That's pretty nice of'em!

**p1acebo** · February-01-11, 11:27 PM

I live downtown, just got back from walking from greektown... it is a MESS out there!

ANd yes magnatomicflux, I met up with a buddy of mine at the casino, he was there with a bunch of co-workers that work in the ren cen. They are staying downtown in hotels tonight with the funding of the company, very nice of them.

**MikeM** · February-01-11, 11:50 PM

KMDW 020351Z AUTO 05026G49KT 1/16SM R31C/1200V2200FT +TSSNGS BLSN FZFG OVC001CB M06/M08 A2969 RMK AO2 PK WND 04049/0347 TSB04E17B36GSB46 SLP069 OCNL LTGICCG OHD TS OHD MOV N SNINCR 1/11 T10611078 PNO $

That's some crazy weather in Chicago Midway...

wind gusting to 49 knots
1/16 mile visibility
thunderstorm overhead moving north
heavy snow
snow pellets
blowing snow
freezing fog
occasional lightning in clouds & cloud-to-ground
snow increase of 1" in the past hour to a total of 11"

**Don K** · February-02-11, 12:02 AM

Originally Posted by Thruster315

Y'know- if there's something that we can do about it, then let's do it. But for most of the general population, it's just common advice to get up earlier, drive slower and be a helluva lot more patient. Bitching about Mother Nature's about as useless as spitting into the wind. She's on her way and she's gonna dump on us.

Thanks for that [[and I'm being serious, not facetious). It's Michigan, folks. Snow happens. In my working years I put up with lots of 90 minute commutes between Dearborn and Plymouth because of snow. It's happened before; it will happen again. It's not the end of the freakin' world. If we get 18-24 inches sometime then start freaking out.

DetroitDad · February-02-11, 12:09 AM

The forecast is 12-18 inches, with blowing snow and drifts in the 19-24 inch range. Mid-Michigan and Flint is supposed to get some two feet.

Originally Posted by Don K

Thanks for that [[and I'm being serious, not facetious). It's Michigan, folks. Snow happens. In my working years I put up with lots of 90 minute commutes between Dearborn and Plymouth because of snow. It's happened before; it will happen again. It's not the end of the freakin' world. If we get 18-24 inches sometime then start freaking out.

**wolverine** · February-02-11, 01:28 AM

Originally Posted by Don K

Thanks for that [[and I'm being serious, not facetious). It's Michigan, folks. Snow happens. In my working years I put up with lots of 90 minute commutes between Dearborn and Plymouth because of snow. It's happened before; it will happen again. It's not the end of the freakin' world. If we get 18-24 inches sometime then start freaking out.

Depends on where you live I suppose. But there's people out there forced to abandon their cars to be rescued... And I don't mean the middle of nowhere. If you treat the situation seriously and stay in, you are helping reduce the burden on law enforcement, and allowing city maintenance to get the job done.

It may not be the end of the world, but it could be the end of your own or someone else's should you choose to drive in inclement whether. Ice is not forgiving, even when you are driving at slow speeds or risk walking to work just as 12 pounds of ice dislodges and falls from 40 stories up.

**redvetred** · February-02-11, 03:34 AM

Snow thunder woke us up at 2:51 AM, Wednesday. Now we're waiting for the ground hog to get up.

**Corn.Bot** · February-02-11, 05:33 AM

I'm presently in SW Michigan, not SE.... we got prob'ly about half the depth of snow predicted [[10" versus the 18" direly announced), but we've got some good drifts. My employer has called off the workday due to conditions - first time in the 17 yrs I've been there - so I'm presently watching my husband try to back out of our driveway. He's been trying for 20 minutes now, drift-busting first with a shovel, then with the car. The driveway is 2 car lengths long and he's --

woot, he's actually out on the street. However, now he needs to get himself unstuck from his present sideways position into a more forward-facing one... I think I'll get on my boots and go help, now. He won't get paid to stay home and so far, his employer is still open. Fut.

**Eric_c** · February-02-11, 05:59 AM

Big flippin' whoop. Five to six inches in Downtown Detroit as of 6am.

"Snowmagheddon", my ass. Detroit's protective dome wins again.

Everybody go to work!

**Zacha341** · February-02-11, 06:43 AM

It does not seem to be more than 5 inches in Midtown? But perhaps we will get more. I'll just watch out the window as my employer closed shop yesterday in anticipation.......

citylover · February-02-11, 07:13 AM

Originally Posted by Eric_c

Big flippin' whoop. Five to six inches in Downtown Detroit as of 6am.

"Snowmagheddon", my ass. Detroit's protective dome wins again.

Everybody go to work!

Agreed.The doom predictions predictably were way overblown. I was counting on a snow day. But since the useless local news sensationalizes things one can not rely on them.

To give an example of how useless local news is yesterday they had a "big" feature on being careful not to shovel the foot of snow that was sure to come so we would not all keel over from a heart attack.............of course it did not come............and then today Alicia Smith ....wants to see some "hefty shoveling" of the five to six inches of snow............the big blizzard!

**Zacha341** · February-02-11, 07:24 AM

Hah! Even WSU closed in anticipation of the [[end of days style) foot of snow and they NEVER close... well some of us have the day off, but really was all the sensationalism needed? Sure it's bad out there and driving is trecherous in the city, but the foot of snow we may not get. At least I am stocked up for when it really hits.

Originally Posted by citylover

Agreed.The doom predictions predictably were way overblown. I was counting on a snow day. But since the useless local news sensationalizes things one can not rely on them.

To give an example of how useless local news is yesterday they had a "big" feature on being careful not to shovel the foot of snow that was sure to come so we would not all keel over from a heart attack.............of course it did not come............and then today Alicia Smith ....wants to see some "hefty shoveling" of the five to six inches of snow............the big blizzard!

**rjk** · February-02-11, 07:32 AM

I didn't even have to use my snowblower for the blizzard of 2011. Used a shovel early this morning to clear my driveway and sidewalk. I think it was around 4-5" with some drifts hitting 8-10".

These meteorologists should have to do their evening weather report from a freeway overpass with their pants around their ankles.

LodgeDodger · February-02-11, 08:11 AM

Latest from the lodgedodger Weather Deck: We're disappointed up here. We've received about six inches of snow with some drifting. This old girl is longing for the old days when Old Man Winter really knew how to throw it down!

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Even Mister Snowman is embarrassed.

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**Pam** · February-02-11, 08:26 AM

I don't think we are done yet. Radar shows more snow.

**Lowell** · February-02-11, 09:12 AM

O-ver-rat-ed. Didn't live up to the hype and I am not disappointed. Good news for everyone, particularly for our public safety officials who have to deal with it, and for everybody who got a snow day out of it. The nearby sledding hill will soon be shrieking with kids.

**canuck** · February-02-11, 10:41 AM

Here's a shot of my backyard this A.M. from the side deck and a view of my neighbor across the street. We are getting pounded by the same system you guys have tasted. Here, the snow is plowed on all the streets and then a snowblower shoots the snow into trucks scheduled on the dot so there is no waiting between loads. Montreal's budget for snow removal is 130 million yearly.
Some of the narrow sidestreets in the older neighborhoods have a pretty rough time of it. Some of these streets have parking allowed on either side on alternate days so you need to find a parking space and then when the plowing begins, the city folks put up signs and send advance crews in pickups with loud sirens for people to clear their vehicles before they are towed. Here's a video on Youtube of a snow clearing op by a frenchman who compares a snowstorm in Paris to one in Montreal. Notice the driver of a car who stopped just before the plow was coming.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRGJg...eature=related

**ja!mz** · February-02-11, 11:07 AM

yup as usual, the NWS and local forcasters got caught with their johnsons in their hands, a whopping 4 inches of snow here...no one can take them seriously anymore the waythey hype the storms even in the summer months,,,a dry slot came in and cut off the moisture, none of the computer models predicted that was going to happen, so no even considered it would...I was dissapointed until I read that Anderson Cooper got puched in the face 10 times in Eygpt...made feel a little better...

**courtney** · February-02-11, 11:25 AM

Originally Posted by Zacha341

Hah! Even WSU closed in anticipation of the [[end of days style) foot of snow and they NEVER close... .

I remember when they called a snow day on my birthday - December 8, 2000. Not sure if it was the last time they closed, but it wasn't so bad then, either.

**Pam** · February-02-11, 12:24 PM

The latest snowfall reports from The National Weather Service in
Detroit/Pontiac, MI: Freeland, 11.5 ... Hemlock, 11.0 ... near Bombay,
11.0 ... Caro, 10.7 ... Filion, 10.1 ... 5 miles north of Clio, 9.8 ... near
Saginaw, 9.5 ... North Branch, 9.0 ... Harbor Beach, 9.0 ... Capac, 9.0 ...
Bad Axe, 9.0 ... near Clarkston, 8.9 ... Lake Orion, 8.5 ... Brownstown
Township, 8.0 ... 6 miles east of Adrian, 8.0 ... 8 miles northeast of
Midland, 8.0 ... Yale, 8.0 ... Flint, 7.5 ... Ortonville, 7.5 ... Romulus,
7.5 ... Wyandotte, 7.4 ... Tecumseh, 7.0 ... New Haven, 7.0 ... New Baltimore,
6.6 ... Utica, 6.6 ... 7 miles west of Flint, 6.6 ... Clarkston, 6.6 ...
Lapeer, 6.5 ... Durand, 6.3 ... near Dearborn, 6.1 ... Owosso, 6.0 ... Milan,
6.0 ... Chelsea, 6.0 ... Algonac, 6.0 ... Ann Arbor, 5.9 ... Flushing, up to
9.0 ... Shelby Township, up to 7.5 .

They did get almost a foot farther north.

**thomprod** · February-02-11, 12:41 PM

Originally Posted by courtney

I remember when they called a snow day on my birthday - December 8, 2000. Not sure if it was the last time they closed, but it wasn't so bad then, either.

You're only 10?

**courtney** · February-02-11, 12:52 PM

Originally Posted by thomprod

You're only 10?

Dictionary.com -
birth·day
–noun 1. the anniversary of a birth.

2. the day of a person's birth.

3. a day marking or commemorating the origin, founding, or beginning of something.

4. the festivities or celebration marking such a day or anniversary.

However, I'd rather be 10 so sure, I'm 10. No real responsibilities and according to some around here, at 31, I'm a senior citizen with one foot in the grave.

**daddeeo** · February-02-11, 01:20 PM

The media is only hurting themselves by getting hysterical every time there is a possible big storm coming. When the predictions fall flat, people will stop paying attention to them much like the folks wouldn't listen to the kid that cried "Wolf' once too often.

**blackmath** · February-02-11, 01:41 PM

This is getting ridiculous. From now on I'm going to completely disregard any weather "forecasts" that I hear whatsoever. But hey, at least I got a snow day out of it...