No blizzard for the history books in Windsor-Essex

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Windsor-Essex may have braced for a blizzard this week, but what we actually received in terms of snowfall would best be described as above average.

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“Expectations were probably a bit too high,” said Peter Kimbell, a meteorologist for Environment Canada who focuses on warning preparedness.

“We haven’t really had a ton of snow. But we certainly had a fair amount of snow.

Like many other parts of southern Ontario, Windsor-Essex braced for potentially heavy snowfall after Environment Canada’s weather offices issued a winter storm warning earlier this week.

Meteorologists predicted a 48-hour period between Wednesday morning and Friday morning with 20 to 30 centimeters of total snowfall, combined with winds blowing 50 to 70 km / h.

The Detroit office of the US National Weather Service had similar predictions. A headline from the Detroit Free Press nervously worried that the snowstorm “could be one of the largest on record in Metro Detroit.”

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But Kimbell said Wednesday’s total snowfall for Windsor-Essex was in the range of 10 to 15 centimeters.

There was a break in the weather Thursday morning, followed by a resumption of snow Thursday afternoon with likely amounts between four and eight centimeters.

Forecasts call for the storm to subside on Friday morning, with clouds dissipating and the sun returning, despite a 30% chance of showers.

“The worst is already over. The biggest snow blow is already done,” Kimbell said.

According to Environment Canada weather records, Windsor’s heaviest snowfall on February 2 was in 2011, with a total of 14.8 centimeters.

But Kimbell dismissed the stat as “a bit meaningless”. A more apt comparison would be to look at the snowiest February day in Windsor’s history: 36.8 centimeters, which occurred on February 25, 1965.

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“And that only looks at one day,” Kimbell noted.

Why didn’t this week’s multi-day snowstorm impress Windsor-Essex? Kimbell said our area is a little too far north to have taken the brunt of it.

The southeastern low pressure system that caused this wintry weather flurry had most of its impact in the US Midwest.

“There’s a lot of snow and the storm is very powerful, but it’s mostly south of the border,” Kimbell said. “Places like northern Indiana, northern Illinois, as well as Ohio.”

There is currently no snow in Environment Canada’s forecast for Windsor-Essex over the next week. Sun and cloud with below average temperatures is the trend ahead – and Kimbell said that could continue.

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“What I can say is that there are indications for more cold weather over the weekend of Feb. 11-13,” Kimbell said. “We are still in February.

That said, there is still snow on the ground in Windsor-Essex that needs to be dealt with at this time. The City of Windsor said major roads and arterials have been cleared and snow removal services will begin working on residential streets Friday morning.

“We estimate the snow removal will take approximately 16 to 24 hours to reach the entire city,” the municipality said in a statement.

Want to help? Volunteers are still needed for the city’s Snow Angels program, which puts able-bodied citizens to work clearing snow for seniors and people with physical disabilities. Call 311 for more information.