Snow is expected to start tapering off Saturday evening after falling at a rate of up to an inch an hour across Indianapolis through the afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.
The NWS prediction had been for 3 to 6 inches of accumulation across Central Indiana, and early reports suggest many areas are hitting the upper end of that prediction: Fishers and Brownsburg both had about 5.5 inches as of about 6:30 p.m., and Franklin was at about 5 inches around 5:30 p.m. Downtown Indianapolis sat at 3.5 inches as of 5:10 p.m.
Up to another inch of snow is possible through the evening, the National Weather Service said in a forecast update just before 7 p.m.
Temperatures also fell today, reaching 12 degrees as of 7 p.m. Wind of 14 mph made it feel like -11 degrees.
The snowfall made driving treacherous across the region, with IMPD reporting 111 crashes in Indianapolis alone as of 5:30 p.m.
The Carmel Christkindlmarkt announced it would close at 7 p.m. Saturday and would be closed Sunday as well. Some churches have canceled Sunday services.
The Indianapolis Public Library system closed at 2 p.m. Saturday due to the weather, as did the Carmel-Clay Public Library. The Indianapolis Zoo said it, too, would be closed to the public.
The National Weather Service’s winter storm warning remains in effect for the region until midnight Saturday.
The region has already seen several rounds of snow accumulation this season, most recently just a day and a half earlier. Melo said Central Indiana’s recent pattern of intermittent snowfall can be attributed to a series of low-pressure systems (pockets of air that are pushed higher into the atmosphere, where they condense and form clouds) that produce snow during winter, followed by high-pressure systems (pockets of air that sink closer to the Earth’s surface) that tend to yield calmer, pleasanter weather.
While it’s too early to tell if Indiana will have a snowier than usual winter, the NWS is expecting an “active early start” to winter, agency meteorologist Greg Melo told IndyStar. And though it doesn’t appear this winter will be significantly colder than most, he said, the most immediate concern to Hoosiers beyond Saturday’s snowfall is staying warm.
“The snow should taper off during the evening hours today,” he said. “Then as we move into tonight and through early Monday morning, really the biggest concern will be the bitterly cold temperatures and wind chills we’re expecting.”
This story will update.
Indianapolis weather radar
Indianapolis weather outlook
Saturday night: Snow likely, mainly before 7pm. The snow could be heavy at times. Cloudy, then gradually becoming partly cloudy, with a low around -1. Wind chill values as low as -15. Northwest wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.
Sunday: Sunny and cold, with a high near 9. Wind chill values as low as -17. West northwest wind 7 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph.
Sunday night: Mostly clear, with a low around -2. Wind chill values as low as -9. West northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 24. South southwest wind 6 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph.
Monday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 17. Southwest wind 5 to 7 mph.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 35. South wind 5 to 8 mph.
Tuesday night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 30. South wind around 9 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Wednesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 43. South southwest wind around 8 mph.
Wednesday night: A 50 percent chance of rain after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 37. South wind 7 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Thursday: Rain likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 51. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Thursday night: A slight chance of rain and snow. Partly cloudy, with a low around 23. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 38.
Weather travel advisories
Weather info you need
🚨 Indiana Weather Alerts: Warnings, Watches and Advisories.
⚡ Indiana power outage map: How to check your status.
💻 Internet outages: How to track them.
🚫 What you should and shouldn’t do when the power is out.
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Where to report power outages and downed lines
- AES Indiana customers: 317-261-8111
- Duke Energy customers: 1-800-343-3525
How to report downed traffic signals or tree limbs blocking a road
If you encounter a downed traffic signal or a limb blocking a roadway, contact the Mayor’s Action Center at 317-327-4622 or online at RequestIndy.gov. When calling after hours, press “2” to be connected.
Indianapolis and Indiana road conditions
Check road conditions, including road closures, crashes and live webcams using Indiana’s online Trafficwise map at 511in.org, or visit our gridlock guide page for live traffic cams and more.
INDOT’s CARS Program provides information about road conditions, closures and width and weight restrictions. The website has a color-coded map of Indiana’s highways and highlights hazardous road conditions and travel delays.
The interactive map also shows road work warnings, closures, roadway restrictions and other information helpful to drivers.
