Winter Storm Slams Montgomery County

A massive 2,000-mile snowstorm is moving across the US and dumping multiple inches of snow and ice across the Midwest.

The National Weather Service is currently predicting snow showers to continue through Thursday night, with total accumulation reaching 2-4 inches and temperatures holding steady around 19 degrees. As we move into the weekend, the snow will stop falling Thursday night but low temperatures, cloud cover, and gusting winds will pervade through Friday, with highs on the day predicted to be near 18 degrees before falling into single digits at night. On Saturday, the gusting winds will continue, but the NWS is forecasting clear skies and highs reaching 19 degrees.

County Commissioner John Frey commented that, “Each snow event is unique and our Highway Director Jake Lough utilizes the best available information through a weather application that predicts pavement temperatures. He also communicates with Emergency Management Administration-Homeland Security (EMA-HS) Director Shari Harrington, Central Communications Center (CCC) Director Sheri Henry, Commissioner Jim Fulwider, and City Street Superintendint Scott Hesler regarding their plans and the conditions. Travel advisories are determined in a collaborative effort between this team along with Mayor Barton. We want to thank our highway crews, EMA-HS staff, the Sheriff’s Office, [and] CCC for working during the storm to keep our residents safe.”

County Administrator Tom Klein followed up on his comments, saying, “We are currently under Travel Advisory Orange, which means conditions are threatening to the safety of the public. During a “watch” local travel advisory, only essential travel, such as to and from work or in emergency situations, is recommended, and emergency action plans should be implemented by businesses, schools, government agencies, and other organizations.” More information on travel advisories, road conditions, and other county announcements can be found on the Montgomery County Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/mocoindgov.

Crawfordsville Fire Chief Scott Busenbark reported that the fire department has responded to a small number of calls related to the smell of gas, but otherwise only slide offs and a jack-knifed semi-truck on the highway. Chief Busenbark also urged residents to “Stay off the roadways unless it is absolutely necessary in this weather.”

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s office is reporting they have not received any calls for major accidents or suspicious behavior. Minor incidents involving stuck vehicles have been sporadically reported, but otherwise streets and roads have remained quiet.

No officials from Mayor Barton’s office or the City and County Street and Highway departments could be reached.