The status of snowmageddon, bystander killed in liquor store shooting, Punxsutawney Phil's big day

WEDNESDAY NEWS HIT - The coming snowmageddon of 2022 is still coming, but it appears to have been delayed by a few hours. Meteorologists don't see any reduction in the chance of severe weather expected to drop nearly a foot of snow on Metro Detroit, just the time it will happen. 

A forecast of 8-12 inches of snowfall remains the likeliest scenario for residents in Southeast Michigan, with those in Wayne and Monroe Counties expected to see the higher end of that. Oakland, Macomb, and Livingston counties will see some less snow fall.

Wednesday morning was characterized by off and on rain due to an unseasonably warm Tuesday. The snow is expected to start around 8 a.m. and pickup fast around 9 a.m. Some variability remains. 

Snow will fall "late this morning and through the afternoon will PILE UP quickly… don't get lulled into thinking ‘oh the snow isn’t happening'," said FOX 2's Derek Kevra.

Temperatures got up to 46 degrees Tuesday - about 5 degrees warmer than originally forecasted. A lot of that warm air hung around into the evening and early morning, delaying the transition from rain to snow. 

Residents should plan to see 1.3 inches of snow by 10 a.m. in most places, around 3 inches by 1 p.m. and nearly 5 inches by 4 p.m. The impending second surge that was supposed to drop even more snow on Thursday also looks to be easing in its severity.

Weather concerns spanned much of the U.S., with states from New Mexico to Vermont declaring winter weather watches and warnings. Hundreds of flights have also been canceled in preparation for the bad weather. 

Hundreds of local school districts also closed buildings or pushed learning online for the day in preparation for the bad weather. You can check the full list here.

Here is a more detailed timeline of what residents can expect in the coming hours.  

2 dead including bystander in Detroit liquor store shooting

An argument at a Detroit liquor store on Wyoming Street escalated into a fight that turned deadly after a man with a concealed pistol license shot and killed two people, including an innocent bystander late Tuesday morning.

Police say an argument at the Party Plus Liquor that happened around 11 a.m. turned violent when the suspect went to his car, grabbed a metal pipe, and started hitting the other man. The man ran to get a pry bar from his workbag to defend himself. That's when the suspect shot him. 

Another bullet struck a man named Raymondo Bankhead. His sister couldn't believe the news. "This was not my thought when waking up that I would have to come to the store and be told that my brother has been accidentally shot."

The actions were not typical among CPL holders, a firearm instructor said. The suspect is now in custody. 

Family sues school after student burned by scalding water

A kettle boiling water was left unattended at an elementary school when a child that ran by tripped over a loose cord, causing it to spill. The scalding hot water poured over Dakhari Smith, a fourth grader at the time.

Smith now has scarring on her arms and abdomen. "When it fell on me, it was burning, and I had screamed and ran over to the teacher," she said. Her family has filed a lawsuit against the Koepsell elementary School in Eastpointe and Grand Rapids-based EDUStaff, due to the second and third degree burns. 

"What kind of teacher would put a pot of boiling water next to a young fourth grader on a table and then have cords hap haphazardly strewn out?" Attorney John Marko said. "If I did this to my child, to my son, I'd be under investigation by Child Protective Services."

Her mother said Dakhari hasn't been the same since. She has suffered both emotional and physical scarring. Evans also claims that no one ever apologized. "Somebody should be held accountable. If this was me, I would be held accountable," Danyelle Evans said. "All this time has went by and no one has did anything, not even paid for her bills."

Detroit police adopting puppies they rescued

A vicious dog call led Detroit police to something else late last year – two puppies in an abandoned house. When officers Gabrielle Rogers and Hussein Kourani responded to the house on the city's east side Dec. 26, 2021, they found a dog on the porch.

Rogers volunteers with an animal rescue and said she knew the dog was a mom. "We could tell she had something in there that she wanted to get to because she just wouldn't leave the location," Kourani said. The house was boarded up by a neighbor who tried to secure it when the dog was gone.

So, the officers ripped off the boards and went inside. "I just remember gasping and saying, ‘Oh my gosh,’ and then I saw a puppy laying on a beaten up, old mattress, and it was tangled up in there, and I kind of stared at it for a second thinking, ‘Is it alive?’" Rogers said. "It was totally like a Christmas miracle." After removing a mattress coil from the puppy's neck, Rogers found another puppy under the mattress padding.

Detroit Pit Crew stabilized the puppies, now named Harry Potter and Hermione, and the mother, named Minerva. She is being treated for heartworm. Then she will be available for adoption. As for the puppies – they'll be going to live with the officers who rescued them. Donate to the rescue here.

Michigan finalizes plan to build first-ever wireless charging road

Michigan has finalized a contract to build the country's first wireless charging road system in Detroit, the state announced Tuesday. The Michigan Department of Transportation awarded the project to Electreon, an electric vehicle solutions firm that will construct a 1-mile stretch of road open to the public and capable of charging battery-powered cars and trucks in real time.

The road where it will be built hasn't been selected yet, the state said. It will be located somewhere in Detroit.

The innovative road will be hosted by Ford inside its Michigan Central Station, which is part of the automaker's mobility innovation district. DTE and the city of Detroit will also be part of the project

The project is scheduled to be operational in 2023. Whitmer announced the initiative at Motor Bella in 2021. Once complete, it will enable cars, trucks, and public transit options that carry batteries to recharge without stopping. The contract represents the state's interest in developing electric vehicle infrastructure. It also showcases just how far facets of the industry are lagging behind the goal of electrifying vehicles as charging stations are still seldom available to drivers.

What else we're watching

1. The snow may not be falling as hard, but the rain still did. And once temperatures drop, that means one thing - ice. Be careful on the roads as freezing conditions are sure to create problems for drivers venturing out Wednesday.
2. The UAW will now hold national elections to determine leadership within the union, following the green light from a judge that approved the results of the referendum following a corruption scandal that spanned years.
3. Gov. Whitmer says more than 91,000 students are on track for a tuition-free path in college under the Michigan Reconnect program.
4. What evidence might be used in the case against Ethan Crumbley? A list of the evidence that could be utilized was obtained by FOX 2, which includes 128 gigabytes of data.
5. The 15-year-old suspected of killing a teen at a gas station in Detroit has been arrested. Mekhi Green is expected to be arraigned on murder charges Feb. 2.

Live on FOX 2

Daily Forecast

The snow will come. It's just going to arrive a few hours later. See the full forecast below.

Groundhog Day 2022: Punxsutawney Phil sees shadow, predicts 6 more weeks of winter

Punxsutawney Phil, arguably one of the most famous groundhogs, awoke Tuesday morning saw his shadow — which according to folklore means there will be six more weeks of winter.

Each year, thousands descend on Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, on Groundhog Day to watch the giant rodent make his annual weather prediction at dawn with the help of his "inner circle."

According to folklore, there will be six more weeks of winter if he sees his shadow. If he doesn’t, spring comes early.

"Winter has been bleak, and bereft of hope, yet winter is just another step in the cycle of life," one of Phil's top-hatted inner circle members read from a scroll. "I couldn't imagine a better fate. With a shadow I have cast... six more weeks of winter."