Cold, Cold, Cold!
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
And Associated Press Reports
The season's biggest blast of arctic weather canceled all area high school basketball games Friday night and continued to make driving difficult on many of Kosciusko County's area roads.
Blowing and drifting snow made driving difficult Friday night. However, police responded to few if any serious accidents.
Road conditions remained poor.
"They're all blowing and drifting," said a dispatcher for Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department. "We've had several people hit snow drifts and get stuck, but we've only had one or two actually accidents.
The dispatcher said county snow crews quit plowing at sundown Friday and were expected to begin again about 5:30 a.m. today.
An additional inch or two of snow that fell Friday - on top of the estimated five inches that accumulated Thursday - was swept around by winds that peaked at 40 mph.
An arctic blast expected to encompass much of the nation's midsection was forecast to keep high temperatures today at about 10. Lows could be near zero.
As of 8 p.m. Friday, the temperature had dropped to 4 and the wind chill had plummeted to 30 below.
The icy winds will ease, forecasters said Friday, but the thermometer likely won't climb above the teens over the weekend.
While the first heavy snow storm of the year caused plenty of headaches, it also brought opportunities for outdoor winter recreation. Snowmobile trails opened up in northern Indiana.
But drivers were urged still to be cautious even as the winds abated and road crews caught up with the snowfall.
"Once you can see pavement, it gives you a false sense of security," said state police Sgt. John Wheeler. Occasional slick spots can still cause spin-outs and serious accidents, he said.
Twelve Indiana counties declared local snow emergencies. Residents in Benton, Boone, Carroll, Clay, Fountain, Hendricks, Montgomery, Parke, Putnam, Randolph, Vermillion and Warren counties were urged to stay off secondary roads.
Bitter cold became the major hazard after Thursday's storm left 7 inches of snow in Indianapolis and South Bend, and 4 inches in Fort Wayne.
Snowfall was lighter in southern Indiana, ranging from no snow reported in Jeffersonville, across the Ohio River from Louisville, to 3 inches in Versailles and Logan to the southeast.
A weather-related traffic accident claimed the life of a Marion woman. Helen E. Muchmore, 79, was killed Thursday when the car she was riding in slid on ice and slammed into a tree in Hamilton County, police said.
The driver of the car, her daughter-in-law, Joy E. Muchmore, 49, also of Marion, had swerved to avoid a truck that had crossed the center line. Joy Muchmore's condition was not available.
The AAA Hoosier Motor Club advised motorists to stay with their cars when stranded, if at all possible, said spokeswoman Stephanie Hinds. The motor club and state police advised drivers to travel with blankets, a candle to light for warmth, and a candy bar.
Forecasters predicted very cold weather will continue over the weekend. Highs Saturday will range from 10 to 15 with overnight lows ranging from 2 below to 6 above. Highs Sunday will reach 15 to 20.
The National Weather Service predicted a chance of snow Saturday in northern Indiana, with a chance Sunday for the extreme north central counties. [[In-content Ad]]
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The season's biggest blast of arctic weather canceled all area high school basketball games Friday night and continued to make driving difficult on many of Kosciusko County's area roads.
Blowing and drifting snow made driving difficult Friday night. However, police responded to few if any serious accidents.
Road conditions remained poor.
"They're all blowing and drifting," said a dispatcher for Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department. "We've had several people hit snow drifts and get stuck, but we've only had one or two actually accidents.
The dispatcher said county snow crews quit plowing at sundown Friday and were expected to begin again about 5:30 a.m. today.
An additional inch or two of snow that fell Friday - on top of the estimated five inches that accumulated Thursday - was swept around by winds that peaked at 40 mph.
An arctic blast expected to encompass much of the nation's midsection was forecast to keep high temperatures today at about 10. Lows could be near zero.
As of 8 p.m. Friday, the temperature had dropped to 4 and the wind chill had plummeted to 30 below.
The icy winds will ease, forecasters said Friday, but the thermometer likely won't climb above the teens over the weekend.
While the first heavy snow storm of the year caused plenty of headaches, it also brought opportunities for outdoor winter recreation. Snowmobile trails opened up in northern Indiana.
But drivers were urged still to be cautious even as the winds abated and road crews caught up with the snowfall.
"Once you can see pavement, it gives you a false sense of security," said state police Sgt. John Wheeler. Occasional slick spots can still cause spin-outs and serious accidents, he said.
Twelve Indiana counties declared local snow emergencies. Residents in Benton, Boone, Carroll, Clay, Fountain, Hendricks, Montgomery, Parke, Putnam, Randolph, Vermillion and Warren counties were urged to stay off secondary roads.
Bitter cold became the major hazard after Thursday's storm left 7 inches of snow in Indianapolis and South Bend, and 4 inches in Fort Wayne.
Snowfall was lighter in southern Indiana, ranging from no snow reported in Jeffersonville, across the Ohio River from Louisville, to 3 inches in Versailles and Logan to the southeast.
A weather-related traffic accident claimed the life of a Marion woman. Helen E. Muchmore, 79, was killed Thursday when the car she was riding in slid on ice and slammed into a tree in Hamilton County, police said.
The driver of the car, her daughter-in-law, Joy E. Muchmore, 49, also of Marion, had swerved to avoid a truck that had crossed the center line. Joy Muchmore's condition was not available.
The AAA Hoosier Motor Club advised motorists to stay with their cars when stranded, if at all possible, said spokeswoman Stephanie Hinds. The motor club and state police advised drivers to travel with blankets, a candle to light for warmth, and a candy bar.
Forecasters predicted very cold weather will continue over the weekend. Highs Saturday will range from 10 to 15 with overnight lows ranging from 2 below to 6 above. Highs Sunday will reach 15 to 20.
The National Weather Service predicted a chance of snow Saturday in northern Indiana, with a chance Sunday for the extreme north central counties. [[In-content Ad]]