Massive Blizzard Currently Hitting Metro Detroit

**mtburb** · January-05-14, 09:47 PM

As I type this, a massive blizzard is currently bearing down on the midwestern US, including all of southeastern Michigan. It is falling on levels not seen since the Groundhog Day blizzard of 2011. In fact, this one is hitting exactly 15 years and three days after a similar-proportion blizzard struck Motown in 1999.

Here in Wyandotte, every public school in the city will close tomorrow, therefore extending the Christmas vacation. My vehicle has already been removed from the street. In fact, the temperatures for Monday and Tuesday will be wicked, with windchills reaching well into the negatives [[right around -30 to -45!). Here's the view from my living room window as of a few minutes ago.

**compn** · January-05-14, 09:56 PM

**MikeM** · January-05-14, 10:00 PM

Massive blizzard? More like a seasonal heavy snow.

**mtburb** · January-05-14, 10:00 PM

Let's hope the snow doesn't accumlate tall enough to completely block all of our first-story windows...

**Johnnny5** · January-05-14, 10:07 PM

Originally Posted by MikeM

Massive blizzard? More like a seasonal heavy snow.

I would think the coldest temps in over two decades and more snow than we have seen in years is a bit more than "Seasonal heavy snow".

**Zacha341** · January-05-14, 10:08 PM

Please make that video '...SO Cold in the D' DIE....

....

**compn** · January-05-14, 10:34 PM

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/top-list...ls-in-detroit/

well not-in-detroit-but-the-suburbs. have fun on your snow day kids!!!

**Detroit Stylin** · January-05-14, 10:35 PM

Originally Posted by Zacha341

Please make that video '...SO Cold in the D' DIE....

....

Please.....please do....

**MikeM** · January-05-14, 11:02 PM

Originally Posted by Johnnny5

I would think the coldest temps in over two decades and more snow than we have seen in years is a bit more than "Seasonal heavy snow".

Yeah, well, that doesn't make it a blizzard, much less a massive blizzard. I have maybe four inches of new snow.

**Johnnny5** · January-05-14, 11:10 PM

Originally Posted by MikeM

Yeah, well, that doesn't make it a blizzard, much less a massive blizzard. I have maybe four inches of new snow.

Depends on where in Metro Detroit you are. I'm in Milford and we have had 4" of snow just within the last 4-5 hours! I would say there's at least a foot or more on the ground with 2-3ft drifts on my driveway [[Not an exaggeration at all). I spent over 10 years plowing snow here, so it's not like I'm unaccustomed to what is typical. This in NOT just a regular snow storm.

**jcole** · January-05-14, 11:21 PM

A blizzard means that the following conditions are expected to prevail for a period of 3 hours or longer:

Sustained wind or frequent gusts to 35 miles an hour or greater; and
Considerable falling and/or blowing snow [[i.e., reducing visibility frequently to less than a ¼ mile)

Not enough wind to be a blizzard.

**Bobl** · January-05-14, 11:41 PM

It's January. It snowed. It will now get quite cold.
About twelve minutes of a fifteen minute newscast gave the details, tonight, on TV.
[[sigh)

**DetroiterOnTheWestCoast** · January-05-14, 11:41 PM

I admit, I really don't miss the Michigan winters

**313WX** · January-06-14, 12:09 AM

We ONLY picked up 6-9" in Detroit.

Although I know it's a different story in the NW suburbs [[where 12-18" fell), it was a pretty "typical" snowstorm here in the city and immediate suburbs.

Funny in a way. By tomorrow, half of the metro area will be talking about how this event was Snowmageddon, while the other half will want to crucify the media for "overhyping" what was "typical" winter weather in Michigan.

**Zacha341** · January-06-14, 06:20 AM

Well the snow we did get brought down the mighty: WSU.

"Wayne State never closes" so the saying goes. When they close it's officially bad out there.

Even Henry Ford Community College, Dearborn closed. Another die-hard for closing.

**Hermod** · January-06-14, 08:42 AM

You know, going to school in Detroit 1944-1954, I do not remember the schools ever closing for snow. The bigger kids just walked in front and made a path through the drifts for the five and six year olds.

**Zacha341** · January-06-14, 09:00 AM

^^^ Make a path! That's how it was for my going to grade school and beyond in the seventies. They had hot chocolate waiting for your arrival!

However, there's more congested roads now [[withstanding our declining population). The few schools remaining are spread out - rarely walking distance.

Public transpo on DOT is abysmal and very slow on a nice summer day, so the HS teens struggle to get to their schools. Solution: close the schools.

**iheartthed** · January-06-14, 09:00 AM

Originally Posted by Hermod

You know, going to school in Detroit 1944-1954, I do not remember the schools ever closing for snow. The bigger kids just walked in front and made a path through the drifts for the five and six year olds.

Seems to happen with more frequency since the city took all that criticism for that New Year storm in 1999. IIRC, the storm hit on a Sunday, the day before students were to return from the holiday break, and DPS cancelled classes until the following Friday. They reopened schools on Friday even though they hadn't really cleared any of the snow from the roads, and then opened again on the following Monday. But after Monday they ended up cancelling classes for the rest of that week because there was still snow everywhere.

**Zacha341** · January-06-14, 09:05 AM

Yep. That is why DPS takes the position they do now.

6" SNOW: CLOSE - Straight thru....

It will be interesting to see how it goes this time. New mayor, new processes to deal with the snow/ cold??

**dadesign** · January-06-14, 09:08 AM

seriously this is bad...

**Zacha341** · January-06-14, 09:23 AM

Here's a DetroitYes trip down memory lane of the 1999 blizzard including a comment from someone working for DPS...

Originally Posted by iheartthed

Seems to happen with more frequency since the city took all that criticism for that New Year storm in 1999....

**401don** · January-06-14, 10:04 AM

Someone made a smart [[lucky) decision to postpone the auto show a week a couple of years ago. The '99 blizzard reeked havoc on the show.

**bailey** · January-06-14, 11:00 AM

I understand it snowed a lot last night. However, other than the main roads being slightly snowy and a bit slippery... what is with the regional freak out?

GP to Downtown in about 25 minutes on Jefferson [[maybe 10 minutes longer than usual) for an 8 am meeting that eventually had to be cancelled because people coming in from Novi and Macomb couldn't make it.

I don't get it. It snows here in winter. Sometimes it snows a lot. Why the regional freak out? I understand cancelling things like garbage pick up or non essential deliveries... but Courts? Federal and State offices? WTF? Yes, its going to take a little longer to get to work and yes you might have to get up early and shovel. GET UP EARLIER and get to f'ing work.

Sorry...more of a rant at some work colleagues that desire to live in exurban cul du sac subdivisions and every time it snows call in about how they just cant get in.

**Johnnny5** · January-06-14, 11:38 AM

Originally Posted by bailey

I understand it snowed a lot last night. However, other than the main roads being slightly snowy and a bit slippery... what is with the regional freak out?

GP to Downtown in about 25 minutes on Jefferson [[maybe 10 minutes longer than usual) for an 8 am meeting that eventually had to be cancelled because people coming in from Novi and Macomb couldn't make it.

I don't get it. It snows here in winter. Sometimes it snows a lot. Why the regional freak out? I understand cancelling things like garbage pick up or non essential deliveries... but Courts? Federal and State offices? WTF? Yes, its going to take a little longer to get to work and yes you might have to get up early and shovel. GET UP EARLIER and get to f'ing work.

Sorry...more of a rant at some work colleagues that desire to live in exurban cul du sac subdivisions and every time it snows call in about how they just cant get in.

As mentioned earlier the severity of this storm must really depend on where in Metro Detroit you are located. I was out late last night and even the main roads out this way were barely passable unless you had 4 wheel drive. "Getting up a little earlier" would not have made any difference for those in cars or 2wd trucks. I just got a call from my mail carrier and they are not even delivering today to most areas in Milford Township. I work from my home and rely on my daily mail pickup and I can not remember this happening in the last 10 years. The company that plows my drive has been here 3 times in 24 hours and if it snows again I have no idea where they will push the snow!

Out this way I would venture to say this is one of the most [[If not the most) significant snow storms we have had since the storm of 1999. The biggest threat now will be the record low temps and high winds they are calling for tonight and tomorrow. Salt does not work at all when the temps get this low, and if one were to become stranded exposure to the elements would be a serious concern.

**mtburb** · January-06-14, 11:58 AM

Well, I just found out that Wyandotte will shut down again tomorrow. For those wondering if this was from a blizzard, check out these live shots [[as of a few minutes ago) from mtburb's living room bay window: