The operational GFS run (not the ensemble) gives a big rain changing snow storm to Chicago on Wednesday and Thursday.
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The Indiana Department of Homeland Security reported eight counties in northern Indiana were under travel warnings midday Thursday, meaning only emergency management workers should be on roads.
“This is still a risky situation”, the Indiana Department of Transportation tweeted early Thursday. “The snow’s not blowing as bad”. Indiana State Police headquarters outside Lowell became an emergency shelter for dozens of people stranded overnight when the only road into town was shut down. State police said travelling was “extremely dangerous” and urged people not to venture out unless they had an emergency.
On the IN side of the roadway, state police Sgt. Alan Jamerson estimated as many as 30 vehicles were stranded IN Lake and Porter counties. The South Shore Line suspended rail service to and from Chicago much of the morning because of damage from the storm.
He said a Northern Indiana Public Service Co. conductor failed near a Route 249 bridge in Portage, threatening the railroad’s overhead power distribution system.
The snow stopped in the area about 10 a.m. Moats says most primary roads are in good shape, while secondary roads are improving.
Parsons said the last time service was disrupted for a day was on January 6, 2014, because of subzero conditions and a blizzard.
Firefighters brought some drivers to a warming station, but Matthias stuck it out, telling ABC7 Chicago (WLS-TV) Thursday morning that she was doing fine.
Large waves on Lake Michigan crash against the pier in St. Joseph, Mich., on October 9, 2015.
A couple waits for a bus on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile as a winter storm begins with blowing snow and high winds off Lake Michigan in the greater Chicago and northwest in area Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2016, in Chicago. Outages were reported in Portage, Highland, Lowell, Merrillville, Valparaiso, Wheeler, Gary, Crown Point, Hammond and Porter. The utility says more than 17,000 customers are without power on the Missouri side and 9,000 on the IL side of the metro region. NIPSCO officials said Thursday it may be several days before power is fully restored in northwest Indiana.
Northwest Indiana bore the brunt of Wednesday’s storm. Southern Cook and Kankakee counties got the most snow, between 4 and 7 inches.
Flint could get at least 8 inches. Numerous trucks had jackknifed. “All the east-west roads are just frightful”, he said. The U.S. Route 20 ramps onto I-94 also were closed. She said she was on her way home from work Wednesday afternoon when the snow plow she was following got stuck. That caused a major backup, and forced emergency crews to rescue stranded motorists from their vehicles.
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About a dozen school districts north of Detroit and in the Jackson area already have cancelled classes and after-school activities Thursday due to the storm. He said that at one point, about 31 cars were stuck in one area.
