NWS: New Year’s Eve Snow Expected
INDIANAPOLIS — Light snow and cold temperatures are expected to move into central Indiana starting New Year’s Eve, with the best chances for accumulation north and northeast of Indianapolis, according to the National Weather Service.
Casey Crosby, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Indianapolis, said snow will begin developing later this afternoon across northern Indiana, reaching areas north of Lafayette and Kokomo sometime between 4 and 5 p.m.
“For the Indianapolis area, snow should start after about 7 p.m. and continue through around midnight or possibly 1 a.m. on New Year’s Day,” Crosby said.
Forecasters expect the highest snowfall totals north of Interstate 74, while areas south of that corridor may see little to no accumulation. The Indianapolis metro area could receive a trace to up to 1 inch of snow, Crosby said.
“The better chances for accumulating snow are to the far north and east,” he said. “Places like Noblesville and Anderson, and points north of there, could see around an inch, and as you get closer to Muncie and Kokomo, totals could reach an inch and a half, maybe up to 2 inches at most.”
Despite the snow, temperatures will be milder than recent cold snaps. Highs on New Year’s Day are expected to reach around the freezing mark, rather than the teens or 20s seen earlier this winter.
A warming trend is forecast heading into the weekend, with highs climbing into the 40s and possibly the low 50s early next week. Crosby said another weather system is likely later next week, though its exact timing remains uncertain.
“Nothing looks super cold right now,” he said. “It’s early January, so we still have a long way to go, but we’re not locked into a really cold pattern at the moment.”
So far this season, Indianapolis has recorded about 15.5 inches of snow. The seasonal average is roughly 25 inches, leaving about 10 inches needed to reach normal snowfall totals.
