Much of Indiana under winter storm watches for snow, sleet and freezing rain - Indianapolis News | Indiana Weather

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A winter storm watch has been issued for much of central and southern Indiana from Saturday evening into Monday evening.

The biggest snowstorm of the weekend will follow a smaller one is expected to affect parts of Indiana Thursday evening and early Friday morning.

Here are details on three separate winter storm watches, issued Thursday afternoon, that include Indiana.

Central Indiana

The National Weather Service in Indianapolis is forecasting 6 inches of snow or more, with potential accumulations of sleet and freezing rain in southern portions of central Indiana.

The storm was expected to make roads slippery and dangerous, and snow on trees could bring down power lines.

The watch says: “People should consider delaying any travel. If travel is absolutely necessary, drive with extreme caution. Consider packing a winter storm kit, including items such as tire chains, jumper cables, flashlight, shovel, blankets and extra clothing. Also carry water, a first aid kit, and anything else that might help you survive in case you get stuck.

The Indiana counties in the watch issued by the Indianapolis Weather Service office are Bartholomew, Boone, Brown, Carroll, Clinton, Clay, Daviess, Decatur, Delaware, Fountain, Greene, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Henry, Howard, Jackson, Jennings, Johnson. , Knox, Lawrence, Madison, Marion, Martin, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Owen, Parke, Putnam, Randolph, Rush, Shelby, Sullivan, Tippecanoe, Tipton, Vermillion and Vigo.

Southeast Indiana

The National Weather Service in Louisville, Kentucky, is forecasting a wintry mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain Saturday evening through Monday afternoon. Snow and sleet amounts greater than 4 inches and significant ice accumulations greater than a quarter inch are expected across the watch area that includes southern Indiana.

Indiana counties in the Louisville Weather Bureau’s monitoring area are Clark, Crawford, Dubois, Floyd, Jefferson, Harrison, Orange, Perry, Scott and Washington. The Louisville Weather Officer’s monitoring also extends to Kentucky.

Southwest Indiana

The National Weather Service in Paducah, Kentucky, says heavy mixed precipitation is possible Saturday night through Sunday evening. Snow and sleet accumulations of 4 inches or more and ice accumulations of a quarter inch or more are possible.

Indiana counties in the Paducah Weather Bureau’s monitoring area are Gibson, Pike, Posey, Spencer, Vanderburgh and Warrick. The watch also includes parts of Illinois and Kentucky.

Declarations

“The Indianapolis Department of Public Works (Indy DPW) is prepared for expected winter weather, including a strong winter system this weekend. Starting tonight, Indy DPW will send more than 80 crew members to begin pre-treating roads, bridges and overpasses across Marion County in preparation for a snow event expected to begin later this evening . Indy DPW crews will operate 12-hour rotating shifts throughout the snow event, which is expected to result in up to an inch of snowfall with a risk of freezing overnight.

“’Our crews are prepared for the weather expected to impact our community this week and will continue to monitor and respond to any changes in the forecast,’ said Sam Beres, acting director of Indy DPW. “In partnership with AFSCME Local 725, we will remain focused on managing road conditions throughout the duration of the expected weather impacts. We remind residents to give our snow plow and truck drivers a break. salt a space to work in complete safety.

“Looking ahead to the weekend, several weather models show the potential for a strong winter system (Sunday morning into Monday morning) that is expected to impact several Midwestern states, including Indiana. Although it is too early to determine the exact path of the system and snowfall totals at this time, Indy DPW is preparing for the possibility of hazardous conditions and significant travel impacts.

“Indy DPW reminds drivers to follow best practices when traveling in winter weather, including:

Stay informed: Before leaving your home, find out about road conditions. Drivers must know the weather and their limitations. Follow it National Weather Service (NWS) and local media to help you stay up to date with the latest conditions and forecasts.

Time and space: Allow enough time to reach your destination safely. Remember to drive below the posted speed limit and leave plenty of space between cars and Indy DPW vehicles. Always watch out for pedestrians.

Carry Extra Resources: Stock your vehicle with additional resources that may be useful. Some resources include water, blankets, device chargers, extra clothing, and salt.

“Indianapolis voters can stay up to date with winter weather events online by following us on Twitter. @IndySnowForce And @IndyDPW. THE Indy Snow Force Viewer will also be enabled for this winter weather event, identifying roads along standard routes that have been recently plowed or salted during a snow event.

“For more information, please visit the Indy DPW Snow Force webpage at: indy.gov/snow“

Indianapolis Department of Public Works

“Indianapolis – The Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana announced today that the mobile food pantry scheduled for Monday, January 6 at The Caring Place on the Far East Side will be canceled due to the threat posed by the impending winter storm.

“It’s never an easy decision to cancel a food distribution,” said Shawna Sims-Caldwell, program director at the Gleaners Food Bank. “With the forecast calling for not only heavy snow accumulation, but also high winds, we felt this was simply not a safe situation for our staff and volunteers, nor for the people we serve. »

“The Caring Place is located at 2901 N. Post Road in Indianapolis and will host the next mobile distribution on January 18 from 10 a.m. to noon. People looking for food assistance ahead of the storm can visit gleaners.org/find help or download the Community Compass app for iPhone or Android.

“Gleaners has no other mobile pantry distributions scheduled for Monday and plans to be open and fully operational on Tuesday, January 7.”

Indiana Gleaners Food Bank