Disappointing Snow Totals

Proof that forecasting is not an exact science was prevalent in the most recent storm to hit the area.  Forecasters were predicting up to 12 inches of snow for the area.  Unfortunately, the storm shifted further north and Franklin County received mostly rain.  The rain was heavy too with 1.24" (32mm) falling on Sunday, January 5.  The heaviest rain fell at a rate of 0.53" (13mm) per hour. If that had been snow it would have been 12" (30cm) of snow.  So the forecast was right on the quantity of precipitation, just the wrong type.   Although locally, about 2 inches (5cm) of snow fell in the early evening once temperatures dropped below freezing. Points just to our northwest received up to 15" (38cm) of snow as the snow fell throughout the day.  If you look at the map above, you can see where the heaviest of the snow fell.
The second part of the storm was the wind and cold.  An arctic front moved across the state in the late afternoon and early evening hours Sunday sending temperatures on a nose dive.  The high Sunday was 37F (2C) at 1:39am.  The temperature fell and remained steady at 34F (1C) through the daylight hours on Sunday and then began a steady nosedive in the early evening.  By 11:59pm on Sunday, the temperature had dropped 15F (-9C).  The wind picked up too causing major blowing and drifting of snow in the areas that received the heavy snow earlier in the day.  Interstate 65 was shutdown north of Lafayette due to the blowing snow as well as US31 in the Kokomo area.  Reports of 4 foot (1.2 meter) snow drifts were reported on the new US31 bypass around Kokomo.  Temperatures continued to fall throughout Monday to about -11F (-24C) locally and remained steady throughout the day.  With wind gusts up to 40mph (64kph) windchill values were as cold as -50F (-45C).  Thousands of schools and businesses across the state closed due to the extreme weather.  Temperatures will begin to warm gradually through the week and by Friday, January 10, temperatures could be near 50F (10C).  What a difference a few days makes in Indiana.

...PRELIMINARY SNOW TOTALS...

THE FOLLOWING ARE PRELIMINARY SNOW TOTALS...RANKED FROM HIGHEST TO
LOWEST...RECEIVED AT NWS INDIANAPOLIS THROUGH 645 AM. RANKINGS ARE
NOT NECESSARILY THE FINAL AMOUNT FOR EACH LOCATION.


LOCATION                      SNOWFALL    COMMENTS
                               IN/S/

TIPTON IN                      15.0       1129 PM   1/05
LEBANON IN                     14.0       1138 PM   1/05
WESTFIELD IN                   13.0        649 PM   1/05
FRANKFORT IN                   12.0       1000 PM   1/05
3 NE MANILLA IN                12.0        800 PM   1/05
WHITESTOWN IN                  12.0        516 PM   1/05
2 NE CARMEL IN                 12.0       1000 PM   1/05
ANDERSON IN                    12.0        820 PM   1/05
4 N FRANKFORT IN               12.0        630 PM   1/05
MUNCIE IN                      12.0        854 PM   1/05
2 S CASTLETON IN               11.9       1240 AM   1/06
2 SE BROWNSBURG IN             11.8        947 PM   1/05
2 NE GREENCASTLE IN            11.6        839 PM   1/05
NOBLESVILLE IN                 11.5        904 PM   1/05
6 W LEBANON IN                 11.5        336 PM   1/05
INDIANAPOLIS INT`L AIRPORT IN  11.1        900 PM   1/05
ALEXANDRIA IN                  11.0        600 PM   1/05
GREENWOOD IN                   11.0        709 PM   1/05
BAINBRIDGE IN                  11.0        242 PM   1/05
THORNTOWN IN                   11.0        520 PM   1/05
2 E JAMESTOWN IN               11.0        146 PM   1/05
CRAWFORDSVILLE IN              11.0        730 PM   1/05
2 SW MICHIGANTOWN IN           10.8        420 PM   1/05
AVON IN                        10.5        614 PM   1/05
KOKOMO IN                      10.5        500 PM   1/05
1 N FISHERS IN                 10.1       1131 PM   1/05
3 N BLOOMINGDALE IN            10.0        815 PM   1/05
WEST LAFAYETTE IN              10.0        633 PM   1/05
4 NNE TERRE HAUTE IN           10.0       1220 AM   1/06
1 N TERRE HAUTE IN             10.0        517 PM   1/05
DANVILLE IN                    10.0        239 PM   1/05
CLOVERDALE IN                  10.0        449 PM   1/05
2 SSE BROWNSBURG IN             9.8        337 PM   1/05
LAWRENCE IN                     9.8        646 PM   1/05
CICERO IN                       9.5        241 PM   1/05
INDIANAPOLIS IN                 9.5        739 PM   1/05
GOSPORT IN                      9.5        609 PM   1/05
TERRE HAUTE IN                  9.3        509 PM   1/05
3 SSW ATTICA IN                 9.0        540 PM   1/05
MARTINSVILLE IN                 9.0        630 PM   1/05
4 ESE BEECH GROVE IN            8.8        512 PM   1/05
EAGLE CREEK RESERVOIR IN        8.5        505 PM   1/05
BROOKLYN IN                     8.2        600 PM   1/05
MCCORDSVILLE IN                 8.2        555 PM   1/05
ELLETTSVILLE IN                 8.0        905 PM   1/05
3 NNW YORKTOWN IN               8.0        611 PM   1/05
YORKTOWN IN                     8.0        626 PM   1/05
2 WSW WAVERLY IN                7.8        813 PM   1/05
FISHERS IN                      7.8        251 PM   1/05
BEECH GROVE IN                  7.5        616 PM   1/05
PENDLETON IN                    7.5        607 PM   1/05
3 N BARGERSVILLE IN             6.5        500 PM   1/05
4 NE WAVERLY IN                 6.0        432 PM   1/05
10 NW INDIANAPOLIS IN           6.0        140 PM   1/05
BALL STATE UNIVERSITY IN        6.0        339 PM   1/05
1 SSE BROWNSBURG IN             5.5       1210 PM   1/05
4 SSE GREENCASTLE IN            5.5        145 PM   1/05
1 NW PLAINFIELD IN              5.0        244 PM   1/05
3 NW FISHERS IN                 5.0        153 PM   1/05
3 NW ZIONSVILLE IN              5.0       1244 PM   1/05
8 W FRANKFORT IN                4.0       1207 PM   1/05
1 SE BLOOMINGTON IN             3.5        706 AM   1/06
3 N WEST LAFAYETTE IN           3.3       1206 PM   1/05
7 N SPENCER IN                  3.3       1200 PM   1/05
LAFAYETTE IN                    2.5       1015 AM   1/05
3 S BLOOMFIELD IN               2.0       1100 PM   1/05
BRAZIL IN                       1.3        852 AM   1/05
SEYMOUR IN                      1.2        900 PM   1/05
SHELBYVILLE IN                  1.0        645 PM   1/05
BLOOMINGTON IN                  0.9       1038 AM   1/05
FRANKLIN IN                     0.5        903 AM   1/05
MOORESVILLE IN                  0.5        835 AM   1/05