DETROIT – There are two scenarios for our snowfall Sunday in Metro Detroit, one that brings us 1-4 inches and another that could bring much more.
A major winter storm is moving across the country, and that includes an ice storm that’s going to miss Metro Detroit to the south.
It’s still difficult to say exactly how much snow we’re going to get on Sunday because it’s two days out, and the high-resolution models haven’t come in yet.
As of Friday morning, we’re keeping an eye on two different scenarios that depend on the placement of the low pressure.
Either way, we’ll get some snow on Sunday, and you’re likely going to have to use the shovel and/or snowblower. It’ll be the light, fluffy snow that can add up quickly and lead to higher accumulations.
Here are the two scenarios:
Scenario 1: Southern track
The first scenario is that the southern track results in 1-4 inches of snow across Southeast Michigan.
In this scenario, the lesser amounts are to the north of Metro Detroit and our area to the south will receive 2-4 inches.
This would mean the states south of us get more wintry precipitation, which could cause problems for areas that aren’t necessarily equipped for winter weather.
The ice accumulation in those southern states could cause widespread power outages.
Scenario 2: Northern track
The second scenario is a very aggressive northern scenario, and that could bring 4-8 inches of snow across Southeast Michigan.
In this scenario, the freezing rain and sleet would be a little farther north, limiting the area that’s going to see that wintry precipitation, with more rain along the gulf.
What we’re predicting 2 days out
The northern scenario seems a bit aggressive as of Friday morning, so our current prediction is that Southeast Michigan gets a widespread 2-4 inches, with a sliver of our southernmost area getting 4 or more inches.
It’s still two days out from the snowstorm, so there’s going to be some fine-tuning of this forecast as more high-resolution models come in throughout the weekend.