Gusty snowstorm will keep drivers, road crews on their toes

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - More than 150 snow plows and salt trucks have hit the pavement Tuesday afternoon in an effort to keep Hoosiers safe throughout the steadily falling snow that’s hit the area.

The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) says as of 3:30 p.m. EST, between 150 and 200 trucks are on the roads in the LaPorte District, which covers northeast Indiana.

Heavy snow began falling across the area early Tuesday afternoon. INDOT says many roads are beginning to cover over with snow – especially those in the northern half of WLFI’s viewing area.

WLFI Chief Meteorologist Chad Evans said many county roads may become big problems for drivers overnight.

“Any east-west roads will drift a lot because the wind will be due north and gusty overnight,” Evans said.

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INDOT says, however, it’s ahead of the storm after pre-treating roadways for the past day with salt brine, which is an anti-icing solution. As the storm pushes through, INDOT says it’s prepared for a full call-out of drivers, maintenance workers and dispatchers until roads are clear.

With more than 5,000 lane miles to cover in the district and several inches of snow slated to fall, drivers should absolutely plan for the possibility of slick roads and blowing/drifting snow. You should be particularly careful on bridges, overpasses and ramps, which can turn icy sooner than other surfaces.

Evans reinforced this message when he stressed how strong the winds will be overnight.

“Once we get past 6 o’clock, winds are really going to increase,” Evans said. “Between about 10 p.m. and 2 a.m., we’ll get some gusts over 40 miles per hour, so that’s going to blow the snow around and drift it.”

Evans said the other main factor will be something that happens every day: the sunset.

“(Temperatures) are going to drop between 29 and 30 (degrees Fahrenheit) once we get past dusk,” Evans said. “So with the fact that we won’t have daylight anymore, the snow will stick very well.”

As of mid-afternoon Tuesday, Indiana State Police (ISP) said interstates and U.S., state and county roads were already becoming slick.

“Leave plenty of room between your vehicle and the one in front of you (on your way home Tuesday evening),” ISP said.

Plan ahead on your evening and morning commute by heading to INDOT’s website and staying with WLFI.com for any weather updates.