NWS: Heavy Winter Snow & Wind Chills in Indiana

***Updated at 3:40 p.m.***

STATEWIDE — Heavy winter snow is blanketing Indiana Sunday, leaving people to contend with treacherous roads and a record-breaking deep freeze.

Alexander McGinnis, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Indianapolis, says the state is currently in the thick of a significant weather event, with snowfall rates hitting up to an inch every hour. While the snow is expected to wind down to flurries by this evening, the impact is already historic. The southern third of the state is bearing the brunt, with reports of up to 10 inches on the ground from Bloomington to Washington County. Indianapolis is expected to see at least a foot of total accumulation.

The sheer volume of snow, paired with plummeting temperatures, is creating a unique challenge for road crews. “Given the lower temperatures, salt will not be as effective and snowplows will likely focus on primary roads a little more than usual,” McGinnis explained. “Higher amounts of snow and lower temperatures mean plows probably won’t get to the secondary and tertiary streets until later than usual.”

As the flakes stop falling, the danger shifts from visibility to the “aftermath” of the storm. Matt Eckhoff, also with the National Weather Service, warns that this snowpack isn’t going anywhere. “The snow that’s on the ground now is going to be with us for a while,” Eckhoff said. “It might not melt for potentially over a week. It’s going to be a very cold weather pattern coming up.”

Eckhoff explains that the wind will remain a primary threat. On rural roads and open fields, the wind is expected to push snow back onto recently cleared pavement, creating constant drifting through Tuesday.

The biggest concern for the upcoming work week, however, is the “dangerously cold” start. With a thick snowpack acting as an insulator, temperatures are forecasted to plummet to between 0 and -5 degrees Sunday night. Daily lows throughout the week could dip as low as 10-below zero, with wind chills potentially reaching a life-threatening 25-below.