The National Weather Service has issued a “Winter Storm Watch” for much of Northern Indiana including Marshall County.
Snow will develop Tuesday night into early Wednesday morning. Heavy snow Wednesday night through Thursday with snow amounts of between 6-12 inches possible. In addition, strong north-northeast winds will cause blowing and drifting of snow across roads, especially across east-west roads. A second round of heavy snow is also possible on Thursday, but not certain at this point.
Major travel impacts can be expected with this storm. We will see an increase in the number of slide-offs and accidents. Drifting across roads may result in numerous calls for assistance from drivers who become stranded. Emergency response agencies may also be hindered in their ability to respond due to drifting issues.
Currently Marshall County is still under an “Advisory” level travel advisory. This will most likely be increased as the storm moves through, as road conditions deteriorate, and travel becomes more hazardous. Schools, businesses, and individuals should review their emergency plans and determine when they will need to be implemented. If you do not need to go out once the storm arrives, please don’t. If you must go out, please remember to drive for the conditions. Give yourself extra time to reach your destination. SLOW down and increase your following distance. Make sure you have an emergency preparedness kit in your vehicle. Don’t try to drive down roads with large drifts across them. If you do get stuck, notify the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department to let them know your location so that they can notify the Marshall County Highway Department. Abandoned vehicles make it difficult and dangerous for the snowplow operators to do their jobs.
