Photo provided Columbus Department of Public Works employees Craig Bartlett, left and Kurt Carlson work on a salt truck in preparation for the upcoming ice and snow storm.
Local officials had their eye on approaching weather as residents braced for an expected overnight winter storm bringing freezing rain, sleet and snow to the county.
Bartholomew County Emergency Management Director Shannan Cooke updated predictions on the weather on Wednesday saying the National Weather Service has lowered the amount of snowfall expected south of I-70, but the path of the storm was still uncertain.
“Keep in mind that we could possible still see pockets of higher amounts and any further shift could change the snowfall amounts yet again,” Cooke said.
Bartholomew County remains under a winter storm warning through 1 a.m. Friday. Updated snow amounts for Bartholomew County were estimated at the 4-to 6-inch range with one-tenth (.10) of an inch of ice predicted.
Timing for the transition from our current rainy conditions to freezing precipitation was expected at approximately 8 to 9 p.m. Wednesday night.
Freezing rain, mainly sleet or with freezing rain mixed in, will occur this morning before it transitions to all snow, Cooke said. Heaviest snowfall will come between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. today before the snow begins to taper off. Snow should end between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. Friday.
Bartholomew County can still expect 35 to 40 mph winds between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. today causing visibility issues and blowing and drifting snow. It is a wet and heavy snow with this storm, she said.
Cooke warned that because of the steady rainfall Wednesday, it is likely ice will form today on roadways. Highway crews were not able to pre-treat roadways due to the rainfall prior to the freezing precipitation and snow with this system.
County and city highways crews currently plan to start their crews at 7 a.m. today since this will be a prolonged event.
Many parts of northern Indiana were in the snow zone for most of the day Wednesday and were reporting heavy, wet snow blanketing areas north of Indianapolis.
Winds in the range of 30 to 35 mph are expected this morning, through the afternoon, which could affect visibility and road conditions, Cooke said. Motorists are asked to check your county’s travel status at at https://www.in.gov/dhs/traveladvisory/ before attempting to venture out today.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. said school officials were monitoring the weather forecast. All games for Wednesday night were canceled, per a social media post from the district. Practices and extracurriculars were to “remain on schedule until 7 p.m. (Wednesday).”
Learning devices were being sent home Wednesday in the event BCSC called an eLearning day today.
If officials decide to delay or close schools, a decision will be communicated as soon as possible and no later than 5:30 a.m. today, school officials said. Communication will take place via BCSC’s eAlert system, social media and website, as well as local news outlets.
If school is closed, students will take part in eLearning. Meals are not provided during an eLearning day; neither is iCare.
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb urged Hoosiers to use caution as a multiagency response was being mounted to respond to the storm and its aftermath, which he said will likely last three to four days.
Holcomb implored Hoosiers to avoid travel if possible and to “use common sense” if they do venture out onto the roads. He urged residents not to “over do it” when it comes to shoveling, and to check on neighbors, especially if power outages occur.
“We have the resources to weather this storm. What we really need is cooperation. Stay safe,” Holcomb said during a Wednesday news conference.
Indiana Department of Transportation commissioner Joe McGuinness noted that road crews will not be able to pretreat roads as much as they would like due to rain that’s expected to fall just before the snow and ice arrives.
Officials said 54 Indiana National Guard teams will be out to rescue stranded motorists, but Indiana State Police Superintendent Doug Carter called on Hoosiers “to stay off the roads.”
Up to a foot of snow was forecast to fall by late Thursday or early today over much of the northern half of Indiana, with several inches of snow predicted for central Indiana and moderate to heavy ice accumulations forecast over southern Indiana.
