That was quite a storm. And in a twisted sort of meteorological way, it was a fun storm. Yes it meant a lot of hard work and long hours for me, and many of you put in long hours either shoveling, plowing, or driving in the snow and slop. But from an atmospheric point of view, this will be a storm to remember.

My previous blog dealt with the psychology of forecasting and the premise that most people only remember the higher number in a snowfall forecast. Sure enough, today most people were coming down hard on the forecasters wondering why we didn't get buried in snow like "they said it would".

Keep in mind that the people doing the complaining are those who live near the lake where rain and sleet due to warmer air kept snowfall totals much less than inland locations. This was as I predicted but most people only remember the 12" or more forecast for inland locations.

Those of you inland know what it feels like to get hit with the full fury of a winter storm. Those of you near the lake have to remember that just because it didn't happen in your backyard doesn't mean it didn't happen. That's another part of the forecasting psychology. We have 11 counties in our viewing area and they are all included in our forecast.

I can understand people's confusion. I saw a national weather summary on TV yesterday that painted the entire state of Wisconsin in an area of 12" or more of snowfall accumulation. That was not accurate, of course. The finer details were left out. And that's the problem when people rely on national weather forecasts to determine their local forecasts.

The storm that arrived last night and departed today is a classic test of local forecasters. How well do they know the local effects and how unique terrain and lake-enhanced features skew the snowfall amounts? It wasn't an equal distribution of snow due to the exact storm track and the warmer air off the lake. If you didn't realize that when getting your forecast from me, than you simply weren't paying attention. And for those who rely on national forecast sites to get their local forecast......why? Haven't you been burned enough with busted forecasts from them?

In the final analysis, the surface low passed 35 to 50 miles farther northwest than I thought it would. Instead of remaining east of us over the lake, the low passed directly over Milwaukee at 7 a.m. today. That meant it remained warmer near the lakeshore for a longer period of time, resulting in more slush than snow.

I forecasted under 6" of snow from Oak Creek south to eastern Racine and Kenosha counties, and 6" to 8" for southern Ozaukee, northern and central Milwaukee, and eastern Waukesha counties. The lakeside locations received only about half of what I predicted due to the shift in the track of the low.

Forecasting may not be a game of inches, but it is a game of miles.

For an outstanding review of the storm, including snow totals, storm track analysis, and photos, check out the Milwaukee-Sullivan National Weather Service link HERE.