WINTER STORM NOW 12/15-12/16: IA/MO/WI/IL/MI/IN/OH/PA

[Joel Wright]

A narrow, but heavy band of snow is pushing north across extreme eastern IA and northwest IL right now. Some specs of 35dbz returns as well. This could be the first sign that the second, and main part of the storm system is starting to evolve.

It's snowing fairly heavy right now here in Erie. This is easily the hardest it's snowed here all season so far. Won't last too long since this band is progressive and fairly narrow. Interesting just the same. About an inch so far here. Most models agree 4-5" looks good for this portion of IL.

Over the next several hours we should really see the second part of this storm system really get it's act together...

 

[Joel Wright]

Well, got just a bit over an inch of snow in the last 25 minutes. Snowed VERY intensely for that time period. Large, fluffy, dendritic flakes. Even with the 15:1 ratio snow. Moderate snow continues. 2 1/3" new snow total now. Numerous smaller bands of moderate snow developing quickly now across much of the area.

If this is any indication of the snowfall with this system, you guys in Michigan and northern Indiana better get ready.

 

[Robert Dewey]

Check out the difference between the 21Z RUC 3HR forecast, and the 00Z RUC analysis... The SFC low is 4MB deeper than predicted, and the 850MB low is also quite a bit stronger. When I first looked, I assumed the 00Z RUC was actually a tad weaker as the 1380m isoheight had "shrunk." In actuality, the 1380m isoheight increased in size drastically, and I was looking at a small area of 1350m that I assumed was 1380m.

So... 4MB deeper at the SFC, and 30m deeper at 850MB. Not too shabby.

 

[Brandon Smith]

Sounds like it'll be a pretty good snow maker up north. Down here in south-central PA, it'll be mainly a rain event.

As of right now, I'm receiving moderate freezing rain. The forecast is for the warm air to completely over-ride any cold air in a couple of hours. We are hovering right at the freezing mark right now. I wouldn't be surprised if the change over to rain will actually happen sooner than predicted.

This is a very healthy system. The second low has formed off the coast and continues to deepen, developing a wide swath of precipitation. The moisture is there, all we need is the cold and we would have ourself a good snow.

I am continuously having to tell myself that it is not really winter yet. We still have many months to go!

 

[Chris Hayes]

We got a burst of snow that lasted a couple hours earlier this afternoon. Got a quick two inches or so. We then got some freezying rain. Was raining a little bit ago. Hope to get more snow tommorow. Deffinately isnt the storm I was hoping for

 

[Robert Dewey]

Quite a persistent little band of snow has already dropped around 2.5 inches in my backyard in Rochester, Michigan. Still coming down at a moderate pace...

 

[Danny Neal]

6.3 measured here on the southside of Chicago after 4 hours of extremely heavy snow. Heavy snow tapering off to more of a light snow. Tack on an inch and I think we can call it a day.

 

[Joel Wright]

The snow has ended in NW IL. After that initial heavy band earlier this afternoon, the majority of the snow was rather light, with intermittent bursts of moderate snow. Measured 4.3" here. Not very impressive, but adding to the previous snowpack makes our current snowdepth about 6". Winds have picked up and has caused some blowing snow out in the open country. I just got home from work and had to drive through some areas where the snow had drifed several inches back onto the highway.

Some really heavy stuff getting ready to invade Michigan now.

 

[Brandon Smith]

I woke up 15 minutes ago to a Powercall siren on a fire truck near my house. Apparently a tree fell on some wires down the street, causing the pole to catch on fire. I can see episode continuing as the ice continues to build into the next half hour before the precip ends and the winds pick up.

Surprisingly, we have stayed mainly freezing rain all night through all of the precip that we have had. The temperature has hovered around 30 - 32 degrees since the precip started around 9:00 PM. I haven't been able to officially measure the icing but it is probably in the 1/4 - 1/2 inch range.

With this said, CCX upgraded us to a Winter Storm Warning at 12:40AM. The warm air at the ground didn't quite make it as far north as it was being predicted too. I'll try to get some photos tomorrow morning before I head off to work.

**EDIT**

Right after I typed this and was heading back to bed, we had two transformers at either ends of the neighborhood blow out. Our section of the neighborhood still has power, but points east and west do not.

 

[Robert Dewey]

Haven't had much sleep. Just wanted to note that it is snowing VERY hard, with thunder and lightning. Based on IR satellite and NEXRAD, I suspect heavy snow will continue until about 18Z for the DTW area before pushing east.

 

[rdale]

Running about 4-5" through Lansing, ramping up to 9" near the MI/OH border.

 

[Jeremy Lemanski]

2.5 here in bad axe, got a really late start to the decent snow and most of that has fallen in the past 2 hours.

Its gonna take some heavy long last snow to reach the 14 inches range, but as long as the wind is off lake huron, anything is possible.

 

[rdale]

You aren't going to reach 14 inches...

Reports: 6-8 in Lansing, 11 in northern Branch Co is the highest I can find in MI, 12-14" in NE Indiana.

 

[Jeremy Lemanski]

5.5 inches on the ground now, 3 inches in the past three hours. There is zero vis. in the rural areas. With another 6-8 hours of winds off the lake to help the cause, i'm hopeful i can break into double digit snowfall totals.

 

[rdale]

16" in northern IN , 14" extreme southern MI.