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Rain, freezing rain and snow combined in a pre-Thanksgiving storm that reminded area travelers what Indiana winters are like.
This morning the Kosciusko County Airport reported 2 inches of snow, but it was the combination of snow and freezing rain that ruffled area feathers.
The Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department advised that the roads were slick and hazardous this morning following last night's storm. More than 20 minor accidents and slide-offs were reported to the county dispatcher last night as area drivers relearned their winter driving skills.
Drivers slid off slick roads into ditches, poles and each other last night and this morning. Four minor accidents in Warsaw alone were attributed to the weather conditions.
County Highway Department trucks started their standard snow cleanup routes at 4 a.m. today. Nothing out of the ordinary was reported by the drivers, who usually don't have to start snow cleanup before Thanksgiving.
Five local schools also felt the brunt of the early storm, with two-hour delays to allow safe transport of students to school. Warsaw, Tippecanoe Valley, Triton, Monarch Christian Academy and Redeemer Lutheran School all held classes two hours later this morning.
Several area preschools were canceled and others canceled morning classes, leaving parents to find day care or stay home with their children.
Highs should remain in the 30s today with a strong northwest wind of 15-20 mph. Look for clear skies tonight with colder temperatures overnight.
Statewide, many Hoosier drivers got their first real winter challenge last night and this morning as freezing rain and snow blanketed much of the state - especially the belt from Lafayette to Fort Wayne.
Evansville had 2.11 inches of rain by 9:45 p.m. Monday, enough to break the city's previous record of 1.67 inches on Nov. 25, 1946.
The weather also knocked out power for about 255 PSI Energy customers in Lafayette and Otterbein.
"I don't think it got to the point where we had any major problems though," PSI superintendent Larry Mock said. "The ice and wind generally cause most of our problems. There was some wind, but there wasn't a lot of ice buildup on the wires, so we were lucky."
The Indiana State police reported several vehicles off the road Monday afternoon and evening, but by today, most of the precipitation had passed.
