NWS: Central Indiana Set for Milder Mid-February Weather
INDIANAPOLIS — Snow falling across central Indiana early Tuesday was slow to reach the ground as a dry layer of air near the surface caused much of it to evaporate before landing, according to the National Weather Service.
“We had a really strong dry layer near the surface,” said Aaron Updike, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Indianapolis. “It was snowing pretty hard aloft, but a lot of that was evaporating before it could reach the ground.”
That dry air is gradually moistening, allowing snow to begin accumulating east of Indianapolis, with flurries now being observed in the metro area. Updike said the Indianapolis area could see a quick dusting, with totals reaching only a couple tenths of an inch.
After the light snow, conditions are expected to remain dry through midweek. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday are all forecast to be largely precipitation-free, though another brief round of light snow is possible late Friday as a system moves through.
High temperatures on Friday are expected to reach the low-to-mid 30s, around 34 to 35 degrees, before colder air returns for the weekend. Highs are forecast to fall back into the mid to upper 20s.
Looking ahead, next week brings the best chance for more sustained warming. Forecasts show temperatures rising above freezing by Tuesday, with highs potentially climbing into the low 40s.
“That could be the start of a more extended warm-up as we move into the middle of February,” Updike said.
While longer-range forecasts remain uncertain, Updike said the middle of February appears less harsh than recent weeks, with the possibility of several milder days. However, he cautioned that additional bursts of winter weather toward late February or early March are still possible.
“It’s hard to say how much winter we’ll see later on,” he said, “but at least for mid-February, it doesn’t look like it will be quite as brutal as what we’ve had.”
