2/5/08-2/6/08 WINTER STORM NOW: KS,MO,IA,NE,IL,WI,MN,IN,MI,OH

[Jeremy Lemanski]

9 inches so far, 2.5 falling in the past hour and a half.

 

[MatthewCarman]

The site I checked said 13" for my area (Jasper County) in central Iowa and it did look like we had over a foot of snow. This was a strong system.

 

[rdale]

7" final tally in Lansing...

 

[Scott Weberpal]

14" later, just got done plowing the driveway at the farm for the 2nd time. Thankfully the wind has diminished significantly, and hopefully we won't have to plow again!
(click thumbs for larger images)

 

[Jim Zandonai]

We ended up with about 10-11" inches here..the official amt was 11.6
Originally I had stated about 10" last night..not bad..However, some locales obviously ended up over a foot. The local TV station WIFR reported 14.3. The Airport is somehow always lower..in the case of Dec 1st 2006 they had 10.6 where i measured about 13-14" here..just 6-7 miles apart..
I was pretty impressed with the higher amounts..Didnt think it was going to happen last night but an impressive storm.. Could be close to a record season here which is 74.5 inches in78-79..total now 59.4 I believe.. I am really looking forward to seeing some green grass again !

 

[Mike Kovalchick]

About 8" on the E side of Lansing...and as expected-the bonus snow fell North of town with as much as 16". Lansing season totals are upto 4 feet and counting. I suspect there is plenty more to come during the rest of the Winter as the current storm track should hold in place. http://www.crh.noaa.gov/crnews/display_story.php?wfo=dtx&storyid=12495&source=0

[Now-on to the next storm! I'm headed up to my second home SW of Gaylord, MI this evening for the weekend. [Season totals there are now at 10 feet] Looking at BUFKIT Saturday evening/Sunday morning time frame shows high winds out of the NW and very cold temperatures and decent moisture. With the direction and strength of the wind field..there should be excellent Lake Superior preconditioning as the air rushes across Lake Michigan and then strong vertical velocities where the winds plow into the SW to NE escarpment West of Gaylord and develop intense snow squalls. I expect at least near blizzard conditions in that area. I will give a report on location over the weekend if this storm develops as anticipated.]

 

[rdale]

Keep the updates - I do radio up there, and have been at Otsego Lake every summer for the past 35 years...

7-8" covered Lansing, so a nice healthy snow, but nowhere near the extreme predictions of some (well, one ) outlets...

 

[Mike Kovalchick]

Keep the updates - I do radio up there, and have been at Otsego Lake every summer for the past 35 years...

7-8" covered Lansing, so a nice healthy snow, but nowhere near the extreme predictions of some (well, one ) outlets...

Will do...I will be located about 3 miles WNW of Otsego lake.
http://www.partnershipsforchange.cc/otsego/downloads/otsego_07_risk_vulnerability_assessment.pdf

Per the maps in the file above.. NW wind would put me on the Eastern side of the highest risk area. (Attachment shows model vertical velocities generated in NW flow situation..maxing out in a SW to NE line in Antrim CO...with the most intense convection-spill over just downwind from that location. ) Typically the area from Starvation Lake to Lakes of the North to the hill just East of Elmira receives the most in this situation with noticeable drop off in the town of Gaylord running S through Otsego Lake to Waters. Higher winds tend to move it a bit further inland however. There is about 17" on the ground at my cottage tapering to about 11" at NWS Gaylord. (Below average snow depths due to all the thaws this year.) Based on my own observations..Elmira is undoubtedly the snowiest town in lower Michigan..and should get quite the storm this weekend.

EDIT: New models show more of a WNW event(i.e. little air parcel preconditioning from Lake Superior) and bit less wind for the Saturday evening/Sunday morning time frame. Will have to see how the Alberta Clipper develops and modulates the wind flow around the Great Lakes over the weekend.