Forecast of the Day • A National Weather Forecasting Contest

A slow lake effect snow event is expected in upstate New York this week, with steady west or northwest winds blowing across Lake Ontario. So let's predict Wednesday's 24-hr precipitation amount (the liquid equivalent, not the snow depth, because the liquid equivalent is reported every 6 hours) for Rome, New York. Here's an NWS snow prediction map that covers part of the 24 hours used for the contest (1 am EST Wednesday through 1 am EST Thursday).

Question of the Day: The NWS hourly forecast graph shows all snow, despite temperatures staying at or above 32 F all day. Why would it be snow instead of rain?