Central Indiana Winter Storm -- February 5, 2010

[AK9R]

Well, the news media is predicting impending doom with this storm. If we do, in fact, get 4-6 inches of snow during the day Friday, the drive home for most daytime workers will be challenging. I'm sure the police, fire, and snow plow frequencies/talkgroups will be very busy.

Here's the Winter Storm Watch issued by the NWS as of Thursday morning:

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
424 AM EST THU FEB 4 2010

...LIGHT ICING AND HEAVY SNOW EXPECTED FRIDAY MORNING TO SATURDAY
MORNING...

.OVERVIEW...SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 4 TO AS MUCH AS 8 INCHES ARE
EXPECTED BY SATURDAY MORNING. LIGHT ICE ACCUMULATIONS FRIDAY
MORNING WILL BE POSSIBLE ALONG AND SOUTH OF THE INTERSTATE 70
CORRIDOR. HEAVIEST SNOWS WILL BE ALONG THE INTERSTATE 70 AND
INTERSTATE 74 CORRIDORS.

A WINTER STORM WILL MOVE INTO INDIANA THURSDAY NIGHT. LIGHT RAIN
OR SNOW WILL BEGIN LATE THURSDAY NIGHT OVER SOUTHWEST INDIANA AND
SPREAD NORTHEAST. SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 70 THE PRECIPITATION WILL
REMAIN A MIX OF RAIN AND SNOW FRIDAY MORNING BEFORE CHANGING TO
ALL SNOW FRIDAY AFTERNOON. NORTH OF THE INTERSTATE 70 CORRIDOR THE
CHANGE TO SNOW WILL OCCUR DURING THE MID MORNING HOURS FRIDAY.
HEAVIEST SNOWS WILL OCCUR DURING THE FRIDAY AFTERNOON COMMUTE INTO
FRIDAY NIGHT...TAPERING TO LIGHT SNOW BY DAYBREAK SATURDAY.

 

[AK9R]

Now, it's a Winter Storm Warning for Central Indiana. Radar shows a large body of precipitation south west of Indianapolis. Bloomington is currently reporting light rain and 33 degrees while Indianapolis is reporting overcast and 35 degrees. The temperature is going to play a huge factor in whether any particular area gets rain, freezing rain, sleet, or snow as the day plays out.

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
424 AM EST FRI FEB 5 2010

...WINTER STORM EXPECTED OVER CENTRAL INDIANA...

.OVERVIEW...SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 4 TO 9 INCHES ARE EXPECTED BY
SATURDAY MORNING. THE HEAVIEST SNOWS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS
THE EAST PARTS OF CENTRAL INDIANA...INCLUDING THE CITIES OF
MUNCIE...TIPTON...NOBLESVILLE...INDIANAPOLIS...BLOOMINGTON...
BEDFORD...SHELBYVILLE AND COLUMBUS.

THE STORM IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN AS A WINTRY MIX OF PRECIPITATION
THIS MORNING. AS COLDER AIR FILTERS INTO THE STORM...THE WINTRY
MIX IS EXPECTED TO CHANGE TO ALL SNOW FROM NORTH TO SOUTH DURING
THE AFTERNOON HOURS. THE HEAVIEST SNOWFALL IS EXPECTED TO BE FROM
THE LATE AFTERNOON HOURS TODAY THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS TONIGHT.
SNOW IS EXPECTED TO END ON SATURDAY.

BY FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY...NORTHEAST WINDS MAY GUST UP TO 35
MPH...RESULTING IN BLOWING AND DRIFTING OF THE NEW SNOW.

THE AFTERNOON RUSH HOUR ON FRIDAY WILL LIKELY BE DIFFICULT DUE TO
SNOWFALL.

 

[AK9R]

The Indianapolis NWS office has posted a Winter Storm web briefing with projected snow falls and storm tracks here:

Web Briefing

And the forecasters and blogging about the storm here:

Winter Storm Blog

From the projections, the Indianapolis metro area and areas to the east, southeast, and south of Indianapolis will get a total of 5 to 8 inches of snow.

 

[W9NES]

Thank You W9RXR for the link for the update from NWS Indianapolis

 

[AK9R]

Here are some traffic and road condition links:

Marion County
Central Indiana Public Website

Indiana
Indiana DOT Traveler Information

 

[CaseyF1]

Multiple accidents in noble county as of 6:36 PM, several rollovers and police are only responding to PI incidents. Head on collision @ highway 3 and main street in kendallville. Rollover at 500E and US 6.

 

[jerk]

I-65 north of Scottsburg up to the Columbus area is currently a mess, many slide offs.
ISP District 43 was extremely busy

 

[GTO_04]

Many roads in northern Hamilton County are impassible due to blowing and drifting snow.

GTO_04

 

[AK9R]

Hendricks County Dispatch was very busy last night with numerous slide-offs and property damage accidents. I drove around on the county roads between Brownsburg and Pittsboro yesterday around 7pm. Lots of drifting though nothing I couldn't get through with my Ford Expedition.

I did find one accident--a pick-up truck had gone off the road and struck a tree--no injuries.

An eastbound CSX train came apart between Brownsburg and Pittsboro blocking two road crossings. Speculation is that a build-up of snow at a road crossing caused the separation. The conductor had to walk back to the break and talk the engineer through recoupling the train and pumping up the air brakes. Luckily, a track department person was in the area and drove to the rear of the train to give the conductor a ride back to the head end which was just west of Northfield Drive.

Through the night, I also noticed lights flickering a few times. I heard some reports on the railroad frequencies about Avon Yard temporarily losing power. I'm not aware of any widespread power outages.

IP&L has a power outage map for Indianapolis at:
OutageMap

Cinergy (Duke) has a power outage map for Indiana at:
http://www.duke-energy.com/externaldata/midwestoutages/maps/PSImap.htm

Both maps currently show small outages in the area.

Here's a link to the Indiana Department of Homeland Security county travel restriction map:
http://www.in.gov/dhs/files/travel-advisory-map/

Looks like several counties have implemented travel restrictions.

Indianapolis NWS cancelled the Winter Storm Warning at 4:23am today. They have now issued a Winter Weather Advisory in effect until 1pm today:

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
423 AM EST SAT FEB 6 2010

...BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW WILL BE THE MAIN PROBLEM THIS MORNING...

.OVERVIEW...ACCUMULATING SNOWS WERE BEGINNING TO MOVE OUT OF
CENTRAL INDIANA. ANOTHER HALF INCH TO AN INCH ARE POSSIBLE OVER
SOUTHEAST INDIANA EARLY THIS MORNING. BUT LITTLE OR NO ADDITIONAL
SNOW IS EXPECTED ELSEWHERE.


THE MAIN PROBLEM NOW WILL BE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW AS WIND
GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 30 MPH MAY OCCUR AT TIMES THIS MORNING. SNOW
FALL FROM THIS STORM HAS RANGED FROM ABOUT 10 INCHES OVER EAST
CENTRAL INDIANA TO ABOUT 6 INCHES IN THE INDIANAPOLIS METRO AREA
TO A COUPLE OF INCHES IN OUR FAR SOUTHWEST.

THE WINTER STORM WARNING HAS BEEN DOWNGRADED TO A WINTER WEATHER
SINCE THE ACCUMULATING SNOWS HAVE JUST ABOUT ENDED. HOWEVER THE
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY WILL BE IN EFFECT THIS MORNING FOR BLOWING
AND DRIFTING SNOW.

 

[W9NES]

Hendricks County Communications lost power in Plainfield and power was out from Plainfield to Danville last night during the storm 2-5-2010.Hendricks County could only use a couple of Talkgroups becuase of the power outage.Lights were flickering on the North side of Brownsburg off of 56Th street and also my lights were also flickering in the area of 79Th and Michigan Road.

 

[AK9R]

Indianapolis NWS has extended the Winter Weather Advisory until 5pm today due to blowing and drifting snow.

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
1203 PM EST SAT FEB 6 2010

...BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW WILL BE THE MAIN PROBLEM THIS
AFTERNOON...

.OVERVIEW...ACCUMULATING SNOWS HAVE MOVED OUT OF CENTRAL INDIANA.
A FLURRY WILL BE POSSIBLE TODAY...BUT LITTLE OR NO ADDITIONAL
SNOW IS EXPECTED.

THE MAIN PROBLEM NOW WILL BE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW AS WIND
GUSTS IN NEAR 30 MPH MAY OCCUR. SNOW FALL FROM THIS STORM HAS
RANGED FROM ABOUT 10 INCHES OVER EAST CENTRAL INDIANA TO ABOUT 6
INCHES IN THE INDIANAPOLIS METRO AREA TO A COUPLE OF INCHES IN OUR
FAR SOUTHWEST.

UNTREATED AND UNPLOWED ROADS...PARTICULARLY IN RURAL AREAS MAY BE
SNOW COVERED DUE TO BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW.

THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY WILL BE IN EFFECT THIS AFTERNOON FOR
BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW.

THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO PUSH FURTHER EAST LATE THIS
AFTERNOON...ALLOWING GUSTY WINDS TO SUBSIDE. THIS SHOULD BRING AN
END TO THE BLOWING AND DRIFTING OF THE SNOW.

I've not been out yet today, but the sunshine on my street seems to be doing a fair job of melting the ice and snow where the street has been plowed. However, Hendricks County public safety agencies are still dealing with lots of slide-offs on streets and roads that have not been sufficiently plowed or treated with salt. Drivers beware!

 

[W9NES]

Sat 2-6-2010. 3:49PM National Weather Service in Indianapolis has issued at Winter Storm Watch for Central Indiana for Monday Thru Tuesday with possible acculation of up to 7 inches of snow can be expected in the watch area.*Get all your scanners ready to hear all the action on INDOT and City and county snow removial frequencies*

 

[burner50]

I was stuck for over an hour sitting in traffic about an hour east of Indy trying to go west.


That was fun. Indianapolis during rush hour and a snowstorm.