2/9/08-2/10/08 WINTER STORM NOW: MI,NY

[Mike Kovalchick]

Blizzard warnings went into effect at 4PM in the Western UP and will spread Eastward during the rest of the evening across the snowbelt areas near Lake Superior. NW Lower Michigan will have near blizzard conditions tonight/tomorrow. Most of rest of lower Michigan will have blowing snow for the next 2 days.

Moderate lake enhanced snow has already developed out ahead of the arctic cold front in Western Otsego Co West of Gaylord.

Few interesting facets to this storm...winds will gust to 50 mph, temps will be near zero, the extreme cold will limit snow flake size, and waves on Lake Superior are forecast to be has high as 28 feet causing flooding on the SE shore.

Despite being mid-February..the Western lakes remain remarkedly free of ice and won't be a factor in reducing snowfall amounts. http://www.natice.noaa.gov/pub/Great_Lakes/5_Lake_Composite/West_Composite/wl080207color.jpg

In NW Lower...the wind should between 290 and 300 degree which favors the Eastern Antrim/Western Otsego Co areas for greatest snow impact. The WRF 12 Km shows remarkable detail in highlighting the variability of snowfall so common with lake effect snow: http://www.grib2.com/wrf/U-GRTL_WRF_SFC_ACCUM-SNOWFALL_48HR.gif

 

[Mike Kovalchick]

Blizzard conditions this morning in the Gaylord area. Visibilities have been at or below 1/4 mile for hours with snow and temps at zero.
Some fairly intense snowbands have set in Antrim and Otsego counties but lack of a Lake Superior connection and a good snow growth region in the clouds are keeping things from getting out of hand. Looks like the Tug Hill Plateau region in NY will end up getting the brunt of this storm with upto a couple of feet of snow expected.

Roads last evening in open areas were already well on their way to drifting over..I imagine they must be in fine form this morning. Highway budget cuts all across Michigan due to a poor economy have resulted in subpar snowplowing this year.

 

[Mike Kovalchick]

Rob, here's that report for you. I decided to try to drive around abit in the blizzard. About 2 feet on the ground with at least 1/2 foot new. Hayes Tower road was unplowed but passable. M-32 was plowed but a complete white out near Elimra at the intersection of M-32 and 131. Camp Ten road was unplowed, nearly impassable...had a snow drift upto my windshield in the road....I think somebody driving a tank must have smashed through it! Here's a few pics from this morning adventure:

 

[Mike Kovalchick]

Few more...the town pic is of Elmira. At 11 AM EST..the winds were getting stronger...the radar now shows a Lake Superior connection-nevertheless..visibilities have improved in the last hour from earlier as the lake convection was fighting with dry air and bands are getting re-oriented.
Parts of US 2 are now closed which runs along the North shore of Lake Michigan.

 

[Mike Kovalchick]

Trapped! Attemped to return to Lansing from Gaylord..but that isn't going to happen. Sat on the highway for an hour before being rerouted back into town. Interstate 75 is closed out of Gaylord due to..what the firemen told us was 25 miles worth of accidents between Gaylord and Grayling. The UP is now cutoff from the lower MI as the Machinaw Bridge is completely closed. Whiteouts are wide spread.....

 

[rdale]

We're experiencing wind chills of -25 to -30 for the first time in a L O N G time downstate, and I hope it's just as long before they return!

Nice pics.

 

[Mike Kovalchick]

There has been a dominant band set up from Northern Antrim Co SE into Western Central Otsego Co for many hours. I can't recall seeing 1/4 mile or less(or much much less!) visibility for almost an entire day.....and it has not abated in the slightest.