Here's why Southeast Michigan saw more snow than expected on Wednesday
Some forecasts you nail, and some forecasts nail you. This goes with the story of the heavy, continuous, non-stop snow Southeast Michigan received Wednesday night.
Here was the setup: an area of low pressure along with two frontal boundaries was expected to move through the region, bringing with it some snow and much colder temperatures. The original forecast showed that we may see about one to two inches of snow after the changeover from rain, with a pocket or two of three inches.
As the fronts moved in and the temperatures began to fall through the mid-morning (as expected), Mother Nature had a different plan to allow the second front to slow way down, allowing ample moisture to gather ahead of its passage almost eight hours later.
With this moisture in place, the winds picking up off the lake and the drop in temperatures allowed for the lake effect machine to rev up (just in time for the Detroit Auto Show to kick off) and show what's under the hood.
The amount of snow ratio jumped rapidly, and temperatures and wind all combined to add continuous snow squalls across the area that were visible on Next Weather radar. This allowed for the first forecast of one to two inches to balloon into four to six inches quickly through the afternoon and evening rush hour. Disaster timing.
With all the rapid changes, the CBS Detroit Next Weather team sprang into alert mode to update viewers of the disintegrating weather conditions at hand, to best inform you on current road conditions and what to expect next.
Even though you are from Michigan and drive an all-wheel drive vehicle, you were white-knuckling it home, as the worst was during these peak travel hours.
The lesson of this story for all forecasters is to always respect Mother Nature and know that things can change on a dime. The CBS Detroit Next Weather Team is always trying our best to bat 100% for you, and we stay humbled, knowing the power of the weather.