DETROIT (WWJ) -- While the snow has stopped falling (for now) the roads are still slick and a mess in spots after up to several inches of snow fell overnight in Metro Detroit.
According to Michigan State Police, there have been 86 traffic crashes reported across in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb in the last 24 hours as drivers dealt with snow squalls, black ice and whiteout conditions.
Salt trucks are out, but it's so cold that not all the ice will melt.
With that in mind, MSP is urging drivers to proceed with caution and drive for the conditions.
"Slow down! Weather doesn’t cause crashes, drivers do!" MSP said, reminding drivers: "Remember, you must stay 200 feet behind a snow plow and stop 20 feet behind if stopped at an intersection. Your paint and the snow plow drivers will thank you."
"You must move over a lane AND slow down 10 miles per hour below the posted speed limit!"
Speaking to WWJ Newsradio 950's Dan Jenkins, MSP First Lt. Mike Shaw insisted that it's never the weather's fault when there's a crash; that the driver involved is always to blame.
"It's media-driven as well, right? Back in the day, we used to always talk about that, you know: It's the snow that causes all this, and be careful out there," Shaw said. "And it's kinda hard for media stations to blame the driver or they turn the channel... I'm not responsible for that. My job is to tell people what the facts are out there."
According to the National Weather Service, between one and four inches of snow on the ground across Metro Detroit from Wednesday evening through Thursday morning.
The most snow fell in Eastpointe where four inches were reported. In Pinckney, in Livingston County, three inches were on the ground. Farmington had two-and-a-half inches. Other areas like Berkley, Livonia, Howell and Wyandotte were reporting about an inch-and-a-half.
A Winter Weather Advisory for Oakland, Macomb, Wayne, Washtenaw and Livingston counties expired at 10 a.m.
While no further snowfall is expected Thursday, the snow that's on the ground will be blowing around because winds of 30 to 40 miles per hour are expected.
Thursday afternoon, AccuWeather says it'll stay windy and frigid in Metro Detroit, with a high of only around 22 degrees, and a low of 18.
We won't see much of a warmup on Friday, when the high will reach around 26 degrees with a low of 18.
This weekend looks better, with highs into the upper 30s to mid-40s — although there is some rain in the forecast.
AccuWeather says the high in Detroit on Monday will reach 50 degrees, before the temp starts to tick down again as we get into next week. [More forecast details from AccuWeather HERE].
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