'Hunker down' weather is on the way

David Kronke, The Tribune-Star, Terre Haute, Ind.
Updated ·3 min read
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Dec. 21—Those dreaming of a white Christmas should have their wishes come true — if high winds don't blow all the snow away by Sunday.

Jesse Walker, WTWO's chief meteorologist, said to expect the worst of a coming winter storm to begin about 5 p.m. Thursday.

"It'll snow through mid- to late- morning on Friday," he said. "But it will still be windy, with gusts of up to 50 miles per hour.

"People ask me how much snow we're going to get. Three inches to six inches — it really doesn't matter, because it'll be a dry snow and get blown all over and reduce visibility.

"This storm will have a lot of elements," Walker added.

Walker advises against attempting to travel from Thursday evening to Friday night.

"Hunker down for 24 to 36 hours," he said. "Saturday and Sunday will be the time for traveling — people will be able to get around better."

Walker said those who live farther north in Indiana and Illinois will see a lot more snow than Terre Haute will.

Friday's high is expected to be in the single digits; weekend highs will not rise above the teens, forecasts predict. The wind chill factor will plummet to subzero temperatures. Not until next Wednesday are temperature expected to rise above freezing.

Terre Haute Mayor Duke Bennett said the city will have a better feel for what's coming sometime Thursday. "The forecast is still not settled," the mayor said Wednesday afternoon.

Twelve trucks are ready to patrol the city, with operators working 12-hour shifts as they clear primary and secondary streets. Friday's high winds likely will cause problems, Bennett said.

"You plow it, and the wind covers it up again," the mayor said. "We'll advise people to stay off the roads. We'll keep hitting them until Sunday." Once the primary and secondary streets are cleared, trucks will move on to neighborhood byways.

Attempts to reach Bryan Driskill of the Terre Haute Streets Department were unsuccessful, as he was preparing the city's trucks to combat the coming storm.

Vigo County Commissioner Chris Switzer also spent Tuesday preparing.

Switzer said he consulted with the highway supervisor, Vigo County GIS director Scott Barbour, Commissioner Mike Morris, and the sheriff's department and the Indiana State Police.

Both Bennett and Switzer said it was not advisable to put material that melts snow on local roads in advance because rain is in the forecast early in the storm and could wash it away before it can be useful.

"A similar storm occurred last year — rain followed by snow," Switzer said. "They did a phenomenal job as soon as that transition started."

The county's trucks are ready to roar into action, he added.

"At this point, it's too uncertain — it could track three different ways, so we're playing it by ear. But everybody's ready for anything that comes."

Reach Services is offering shelter from the extreme temperatures from Thursday to Monday at Pathways Day Center, 504 S. 15th St. Pathways will open Thursday at 5 p.m. and be open 24 hours if/when wind chills hit zero degrees or lower. Meals and snacks will be provided. For more information, call 812-232-6305.

David Kronke can be reached at 812-231-4232 or at david.kronke@tribstar.com.