Teamed up with new local chasers to go after an intense lake effect snow band that would affect parts of MI and IN. Experienced traffic crippling conditions along with 3"/hr snowfall rates Friday night. Sat in a local Burger King waiting for event to re-ramp up during the day but never quite did.
Detailed Account:
Chasing snow was never really a priority of mine. However, two new local chasers by the names of Matt Piechota and Sam Augustyn had reached out to me for a snow chase. They were extremely eager, but felt more comfortable if I could tag along knowing I have experience and a much more capable vehicle. They agreed to cover gas and I accepted. Afterall, what else was I going to do?
We set off for a destination of New Buffalo, MI which is where we thought the heaviest band would setup and persist the longest. Snow picked up ferociously along I-94 and quickly we were driving in near white out conditions on un-plowed expressway roads. Eventually an Indiana state trooper began to lead all the traffic. This was something I never saw before. I wasn't quite sure what his reasons were. I thought he would perhaps lead us off the expressway due to road closings but once we crossed into Michigan he exited and we were on our way escort free.
We stopped a couple times to sample the band and decided to sit in a rest stop near Sawyer, MI. We made the perfect call as this area was the hardest hit for nearly 2 hours. There we sat and took measurements while I streamed the snow live. Upon arrival we measured the snow at 4.5" and 1 hour later we measured it again at a little over 7" The snowfall rate was nearly 3"/hr.
Once the band began to shift east we decided to take a drive down un-treated roads.
This was my first chase where everything was running how it should. No tech issues!
The snow was falling so fast it rapidly accumulated on my hood.
Matt wanted a picture of himself standing in the heavy snow. Visibility was extremely low.
It was hard to get a picture of my truck, even though I was standing only a few feet infront of it.
Never had a problem with traction. The tires handled like a champ. I was able to keep it in 2wd the entire time!
The burger king that eventually became our home for nearly 8 hours! Watervliet, MI
We became the staffs favorite customers. They even gave us free food! It was now Saturday and the new bands began to form. We decided to finally leave and head for home. Agreeing that if things got really crazy again on the way home we would stop, but it never really did.
The area around Buchanan had the heaviest snowfall reports so we decided to take the scenic route home and check it out. Indeed the area had the heaviest snowfall that we had seen, about 16 inches. I have never seen a street divided by snow before.
As is typical of lake effect snow. The bands were very thin, narrow and intense. Whats cool about this is how rapidly conditions can change. They can change from sunny to white out in a matter of seconds. We can see one of the snow squalls in the distance. A tease as it almost resembles summer convection!
The rest of the drive home was a bit difficult. Temperatures had now plummeted to single digits and ice had frozen over the nozzles where windshield washer fluid sprays. It was a bit hard to see at times but I managed.
Here is a video. It shows the officer escort and then some intense snowfall rates as we sat in a gas station near Paw Paw, MI.
Conclusion:
While chasing snow is not a real priority of mine, it was a new experience for me. The snow was probably some of the heaviest I have experienced first hand. I learned some lessons when it came to documenting snow events. We did notice several vehicle accidents which I did not film. Matt and Sam really enjoyed the chase. I was glad to be able to assist them in their experience and help show them what a more experienced chaser does with his resources. I will probably go on more of these in the future. I really do love all types of extreme weather. Even the miserable winter kind.
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