2025 off to an icy start, agencies makes up for Dec. snow response
When people hear about impending severe weather in the Midwest, they may hesitate to take it seriously. Dramatic fluctuations in weather are common, and predictions can often be downplayed or exaggerated. For example, residents of Indiana were warned to expect “near-whiteout conditions” from a mid-December snowfall that ultimately resulted in nothing more than mere flurries.
Last weekend, however, some areas of the state received six to 10 inches of snow accumulation thank to Winter Storm Blair, which swept the nation. By the end of Monday, Central Indiana experienced snowfall amounts between eight and 9.4 inches, marking the highest accumulation from a winter storm since 2022.
Sunday into the middle of this week, Indiana Department of Transportation equipment and personnel were on the roads continuing to remove snow and treat state roads for ice. Local municipality street services also worked through the nights before, during and after the storm.
On Monday, almost all schools and churches were closed, and many businesses followed suit. Some of these closures extended into Tuesday – and beyond for some (here’s looking at you, Evansville!). More than 200 flights were canceled at Indianapolis International Airport on Monday alone, adding to the 40 cancelations from Sunday night. Numerous packages were lost or delayed. In short, residents of Indiana started the week facing a chaotic winter scene of ice and snow.
Outgoing Governor Eric Holcomb (R) activated an Indiana National Guard Highway Assistance Team on Sunday. The team is comprised of 122 Hoosier Guardsmen from National Guard armories in Bedford, Edinburgh, Evansville, Indianapolis, New Albany, Shelbyville, and Washington. The units remained in service until Tuesday assisting stranded motorists and individuals facing weather-related emergencies.
The Indiana State Police also did everything they could to keep Hoosiers off the roads – particularly I-64, I-69, and U.S. 41, which were opaquely iced with snow. Plows struggled to keep up as the snow fell, resulting in dangerous conditions. ISP Sgt. Todd Ringle told Indianapolis Business Journal staff that “it’s snowing so hard, the snow plows go right through and then within a half hour the roadways are completely covered again.” Wind was also a factor in this phenomenon.
So, How Bad Was It?
Before Monday’s snowfall even hit the ground, Sunday’s precipitation caused more than 100 crashes in Indianapolis alone, including over 20 slide-offs.
Sgt. John Perrine tweeted ISP’s response numbers for 30 hours between Sunday and Monday: 210 crashes, 111 slide-offs, 145 motorist assists, and 88 traffic hazards. This grab-bag of road incidents spanned across Marion, Hamilton, Hancock, Shelby, Johnson, Hendricks, and Boone Counties. As the ISP PIO put it, “Indianapolis District troopers have been very busy” during and after the snowstorm.
As reported by the Indiana Department of Homeland Security, 25 counties in Southern Indiana imposed a travel warning, which means only emergency services and first responders should be on the roads. Another 24 Hoosier counties were under a travel watch, meaning road conditions are bad enough that they’re considered a public safety threat.
On Monday, several counties, including Posey County and Vanderburgh County, would escalate to a State of Emergency as large swaths of citizens were left without power. The Indiana Department of Homeland Security activated its State Emergency Operations Center on Sunday.
Last Saturday, ahead of the snowstorm, Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett (D), accompanied by National Weather Service and Indianapolis Department of Public Works officials, hosted a press conference reminding residents about the Winter Storm Warning in effect in Marion County and a city ordinance stating that residents, businesses, and property owners must clear a five-foot-wide path in the snow along all sidewalks on their property to ensure safe passage for pedestrians.
This proactive response may be, in part, due to the onslaught of complaints of underreactions from INDOT and Indianapolis DPW during the last snowstorm . . . as well as critical media reports.
As previously mentioned, airports canceled or delayed dozens of flights due to safety concerns. Picture this true story: the Jacksonville Jaguars football team, forlorn, sitting in the Indianapolis International Airport for seven hours after suffering a defeat to the Indianapolis Colts (indoors) at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Snowstorm Avengers, Assemble!
Despite the winter storm, IndyGo buses continued operations throughout the storm, seeing an opportunity to assist commuters who usually rely on their cars to get them to work. “Leave the driving to us, leave your car behind so that you’re not having to worry about others slipping and sliding into you,” advertised IndyGo Public Affairs Officer Carrie Black.
Maintaining operations worked well for IndyGo, with a surge of riders using their buses to get to downtown Indianapolis . . . although WXIN-TV’s Russ McQuaid did tell Indianapolis viewers about one IndyGo articulated bus he saw in which the front half went in one direction, while the rear half seemingly had a different direction in mind.
Tow truck drivers also did their part during the snow event. Several crews were on the roads throughout Monday, assisting the Indiana State Police in aiding stranded motorists.
So – if you recall from our first December issue, both INDOT and Indy DPW were under fire for a perceived lack of response to the December 2 snowfall (which was a dusting compared to this week’s snowstorm). No fewer than 168 crashes occurred in the Indianapolis district alone that day in December despite only an inch of snow sticking to the ground – compare that to Monday’s 100 crashes. and one can understand why motorists were concerned and confused as to why INDOT and DPW hadn’t stepped in before the winter event.
INDOT explained why the roads were so dangerous on December 2, as it’s actually a little unprecedented: “Due to higher-than-forecast precipitation rates and accumulation amounts … crews pivoted to utilizing rock salt on impacted areas mid-to-late afternoon and throughout the overnight hours. While accumulations were light … traffic allowed the light snow to melt from friction and then refreeze from sub-freezing temperatures .… Our crews were on the road around 3:00 PM … and remained active during and after the entire snow event.”
Critical citizens were unable to decide who to blame: INDOT, DPW, or maybe motorists panicking in the face of unexpected conditions in the first real storm of the season . . . or maybe all three. WISH-TV in Indianapolis spoke with an out-of-state driver fixing a flat tire at a gas station during the storm. He described driving in the snow as “feel[ing] like the Matrix … everything is kinda moving in slow motion.”
Regardless, the two agencies were held accountable for the crashes in the court of public opinion.
This time, Indy DPW released an explicit plan ahead of Blair’s arrival to combat the storm. Crews first prioritized plowing the “major arteries,” as Indy DPW spokesperson Auboni Hart framed it, such as Keystone Avenue and Fall Creek Parkway. After that, less-traveled roads that serve as connectors to high-traffic streets are plowed.
Notably, despite the recent winter storm’s harshness, there have been very few publicly voiced complaints aimed at INDOT or DPW, implying an appropriate degree of preventative measures and solid operational performance.
Bear in mind as well that after three relatively mild winters – particularly last year – the sate effectively saw more snow in one day than during all of the 2023-24 winter season.
DPW did face a bit of backlash for not clearing low-traffic roads and neighborhood streets in a timeframe nearby residents would have preferred, but they did disperse 3,628 tons of salt, plowed 32,357 miles of road, and logged over 5,600 labor hours. DPW also reminded residents that they are responsible for clearing their own sidewalks, driveways, and mailboxes.
All INDOT districts emphasized frequent, precise updates on their Facebook pages in a bid to directly communicate with concerned parties. The comments on those posts are friendlier, too – think “thank you” and “great work!” instead of “Is INDOT asleep?!”
Days out, INDOT public relations director Sidney Nierman is still cautioning drivers to remain vigilant. Crews have cleared main roads, but there’s plenty more work to do with many Hoosier cities dealing with nine inches of snow.
“We can only do so much. Mother Nature is Mother Nature, but we are going to put in those preventative measures to do the best that we can ahead of time,” Hart tells WTHR-TV’s Anna Chalker. DPW crews will be deployed until next weekend to ensure all affected roads get addressed.
Unfortunately, the skies aren’t finished. Forecasts predict more snow this Friday and Saturday accompanied by the coldest temperatures this season so far. While precipitation isn’t estimated to be 10 inches like last time, one to as many as four inches are predicted for the Indy metro.
Snowstorm Redux?
With that being said, remember what happened in December. If the roads melt slightly (not likely given forecasted temperatures) and then re-freeze in the expected cold temperatures, we could be facing ice-rink terrain once again. Roads are still recovering from the snowstorm, with trucks just now beginning to plow very rural streets, creating another factor.
The possibility that the snow forms into an icy sheet is in play, but based on INDOT and Indy DPW’s recent response, salt and sand trucks may consider that on a preemptive basis this time out of the (salt) barn.