A weather sign displays a temperature reading well below zero at a business on State Street in Columbus after a winter storm on Friday.
9:30 A.M. UPDATE
Bartholomew County’s travel status has been downgraded from a travel alert to an advisory level. Roads remain slick in areas and a few remain closed due to snow drifts, emergency services director Shannan Cooke said. Overall, roads are clear and passable, but drivers should continue to use caution when traveling and allow extra time for travel and extra time for stopping.
ORIGINAL STORY
Bitter cold and icy roads will pose hazards to holiday travelers, Bartholomew County officials warned Friday ahead of what are traditionally some of the busiest travel days of the year, the days before Christmas.
Columbus awoke to bone-chilling cold Friday that was expected to linger through most of the holiday weekend, and officials warned that conditions were unlikely to significantly improve right away. The conditions Friday were slick and icy, especially on secondary roads, and dangerously cold.
At midday Friday, the temperature was -2 degrees with a windchill of 25 degrees below zero. Officials said the bitter cold was the biggest concern as the storm didn’t dump as much snow as had been forecast over Bartholomew County. However, the extreme cold also means that road de-icing agents don’t work well.
“If residents travel, we are stressing that they be prepared in the event that they become caught out in these conditions,” said Shannan Cooke, director of emergency services for Bartholomew County.
He said travelers should carry an emergency kit that includes jumper cables, extra blankets, bottled water, snacks, sand or kitty litter for traction and a phone charger.
The bitter cold weather can result in frostbite within minutes, so anyone venturing outside should dress in layers and protect exposed skin.
Cooke said the county’s travel status was at a watch level on Friday, for essential travel only.
Roads throughout the county were passable with caution, Cooke said.
“There are some slick spots and blowing and drifting, but not to the degree that we expected since the heavier snowfall fell to the east of us,” Cooke said, noting the greater danger was the extreme cold.
“These conditions will be with us through Sunday morning before we start to rise out of this deep dive in temperature,” he said.
On Friday, officials declared a travel watch, asking motorists not to travel unless absolutely necessary. Cooke said several crashes and slide offs had been reported on county roads before the travel watch was issued.
The intersection of 16th and Washington streets in Columbus was ice-covered on Friday as bitter cold made de-icing agents ineffective.
Haw Creek was partially frozen in Columbus on Friday morning after a winter storm passed through.
Most secondary streets in Columbus remained snow- and ice-covered and slick Friday after a winter storm on Friday.
Canada geese hunker down on the partially frozen Haw Creek alongside a Cummins Inc. building on Central Avenue in Columbus on Friday after a winter storm blasted the area with arctic cold.
