Overnight Snow Leaves Metro Detroit Freeways 'Like A Sheet Of Ice'
DETROIT (WWJ) - Several inches of snow fell on metro Detroit overnight, leaving many roads "like a sheet of ice" -- and forecasters say there's more to come.
Spin-out crashes were reported on nearly every freeway Thursday morning in the Detroit area, as drivers dealt with snow squalls and rapid fluctuations of reduced visibility. Accumulating snow lead to especially icy conditions on freeway bridges, entrance and exit ramps, and overpasses.
Early Thursday morning, trained spotters with the National Weather Service reported 2.1 inches of snow at Detroit Metro Airport in Romulus, 3.9 inches in Howell, 3.4 inches in White Lake, 1.5 inches in Roseville and 1.3 inches in Rochester.
"It feels like winter out there," said CBS 62 Chief Meteorologist Jim Madaus. "Temperatures are still well below normal for this time of year. We're only looking at the 20s today."
Forecasters say snow showers will continue to move across the region throughout the morning, eventually tapering off by the evening. Some areas could see an additional 1 to 3 inches of accumulation by Thursday night.
"Even though we'll see more sunshine, it's going to be cold Friday," Madaus said. "We'll have to wait for Saturday and Sunday to warm up to the 40s, but we're also expecting rain."
Here's the local forecast from the CBS Detroit weather team:
Thursday: Variably cloudy with snow showers. High around 30F. Winds WSW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of snow 50%.
Thursday Night: A few clouds. Low around 15F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph.
Friday: Intervals of clouds and sunshine. High 27F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.
Friday Night: Clear to partly cloudy. Low 21F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph.
Saturday: Rain and freezing rain early...with rain showers in the afternoon. High around 40F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of precipitation 60%.
Saturday Night: Showers early, becoming a steady rain late. Low 38F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch.
Sunday: Cloudy skies with periods of rain later in the day. High 49F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch.
Sunday Night: Rain early...then remaining cloudy with showers late. Low around 45F. Winds S at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch.
Monday: Overcast with showers. Becoming windy in the afternoon. High 53F. Winds SSW at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 60%.
Monday Night: Mostly cloudy. Gusty winds early. Low around 35F. Winds SW at 20 to 30 mph.
Know before you go: Keep it tuned to WWJ Newsradio 950 for the latest forecast during traffic and weather, every 10 minutes on the 8s. See the live, local radar now at this link.
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