Winter storm brings heavy snowfall to Greater Lafayette, Indiana

Editor's note: This blog includes Wednesday's coverage of the storm. Click here for live updates from Thursday's storm coverage.

LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Tippecanoe, Warren, Carroll and Howard counties are in a winter storm warning until 1 a.m. Friday, a period during which travel conditions will degrade to "very difficult to impossible," the National Weather Service advised.

What is it like out there?

What follows is a log of small news snippets from Wednesday's events:

3:00 p.m.

"It's just going to continue to get worse," Tippecanoe Emergency Management Director Smokey Anderson said.

2:30 p.m.

2:30 p.m.

Sagamore Parkway between the two cities is closed because of the weather. Find an alternative route. All roadways are extremely slick and hazardous. NECESSARY TRAVEL ONLY!! If you don't have to be traveling, stay inside,

2:15 p.m.

Indiana State Police photo of crashed semi on southbound Interstate 65 south of the Dayton/Indiana 38 exit.

2:10 p.m.

Lafayette City Hall closed for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Thursday's trash pickup pushed to Friday, and Friday's to Saturday.

2:00 p.m.

Tippecanoe County government offices closed. Will remain closed until Friday morning.

1:45 p.m.

Southbound Interstate 65 closed at the Dayton/Indiana 38 exit because of accident four miles south of the exit.

1:30 p.m.

Lafayette Jeff-McCutcheon basketball Wednesday night is postponed. Marion girls basketball sectional, featuring Harrison vs. Kokomo and McCutcheon vs. Northwestern, postponed until Friday.

1:25 p.m.

Scanner traffic indicates that southbound Interstate 65 at the 164 mile marker has a semi slide off onto a railing of a bridge. The cab is over the bridge, but the driver is out and OK, according to scanner radio traffic from the Indiana State Police. The accident is about four miles south of the Dayton/Indiana 38 exit.

1:15 p.m.

1:00 p.m.

Tippecanoe County Highway Truck rolls onto its side on County Farm Road near Tippecanoe County Road 500 North.

12:15 p.m.

Lafayette police closed Ninth Street and South Street at the hills.

11:30 a.m.

The morning commute produced a few crashes, but no one was seriously injured. Between 6 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., Tippecanoe County Sheriff's Office responded to six slide-offs and five accidents. Lafayette police reported nine property damage accidents, two accidents with injuries and one hit-and-run accident. West Lafayette police during that time responded to three crashes — one of which was a personal injury accident. West Lafayette police also reported two slide-offs and four weather-related assists to motorists.

11:30 a.m.

Cars are having difficulty getting up and down Ninth Street hill. Eastbound traffic on South Street near the Five-Points Hill is becoming dangerous.

11:20 a.m.

Tippecanoe County Sheriff's Office reports that county roads with any hills are slick and hazardous and drivers are having to back down instead of driving up the hills, Tippecanoe County sheriff's Capt. Rob Hainje said. County roads, in general, are slick and dangerous.

11:00 a.m.

The Journal and Courier spoke with, Eric, a postal worker to see how he’s handling with the snow. For him, he found delight in the snow. Prior to his job with the U.S. Postal Service, he was in the Army and served two tours in Afghanistan and one in Kuwait.

For years, it was normal for him to wake up in 100-plus degree weather, so the snow is a nice change of pace. He still serves in the Army Reserves, but the Postal Service is his main job now.

“You know, the snow doesn’t bother me. I love my county and the weather isn’t going to change that,” said Eric.

“Also as long as you dress for the weather and know how to drive in the snow, it really isn’t that bad out here.”

10:30am

The City of Lafayette announced that, due to Winter Storm Landon, the City's trash and recycling pickup route on Thursday has been rescheduled to Friday, and Friday's pickup route has been rescheduled to Saturday of this week.

9:40 a.m.

Tippecanoe Emergency Management Director Smokey Anderson opened up the office. A staff member who lives near White County reported 1 1/2 inches of snow on the ground about 9 a.m., while in the southern part of Tippecanoe County, it was just beginning to snow. Anderson urged people to stay home, if possible, and to look after their neighbors and those who are not in good health.

9:30 a.m.

The Weather Channel broadcasting live from West Lafayette, on the John T. Myers Pedestrian Bridge.

8:50 a.m.

Snow! And so it begins for the next 36 to 48 hours.

7:30 a.m.

No snow, yet. Just rain and sleet that coated roads and sidewalks with a thin layer of ice.

How bad are the roads?

Blowing snow could also drastically reduce visibility.

Stay home, the Indiana Department of Transportation advises, unless you absolutely have to be out in the storm.

Winter Weather Warning in effect

Tippecanoe, Warren, Carroll and Howard counties are in a winter storm warning until 1 a.m. Friday, a period during which travel conditions will degrade to "very difficult to impossible," the National Weather Service advised. Blowing snow could also drastically reduce visibility.

How much snow could we get?

Temperatures are expected to fall to around 27 by 5 p.m. Wednesday. The chance of precipitation is 100%, and daytime snow accumulation could be 5 to 9 inches.

Throughout Wednesday night, the NWS stated, snow could be heavy at times, with a low around 18. New snow accumulation of 3 to 5 inches possible.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Winter storm brings heavy snow, ice to Lafayette on Wednesday