National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

Overview

A low pressure system developed along a frontal boundary draped across the Midwest and moved northeastward through southeast Michigan on the morning of January 29th. As this system approached during the afternoon and evening of January 28th, a lead wing of isentropic ascent and warm air advection brought the onset of accumulating snowfall across central and northern portions of southeast Michigan. Throughout the night intensity of snowfall increased for areas north of I-69. A corridor of stronger frontal forcing along with thermal profiles conducive for periods of heavy snow developed moved into the Tri-Cities during the early morning hours bringing snowfall rates up to an inch per hour for several hours and reaching a storm total snowfall of 7-8 inches in parts of the Tri-Cities. 

A sharp gradient in snowfall totals developed with a significant drop off for areas south of I-69 as dry air cut into the totals along and south of the rain/snow line. There were points mainly along and south of the I-94 corridor that experienced a period of light wintry mix and light freezing rain during the morning hours of January 29th as surface air temperatures held at or below freezing. Snowfall totals for areas south of I-69 were around an inch or less before precipitation ended during the mid-morning hours.   

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