Southwest St. Joe County more likely to see snowfall; strong winds set for South Bend

Jordan Smith, South Bend Tribune
·2 min read

SOUTH BEND — There's a mild chance of lake-effect snow accumulating on some area roads Monday evening, primarily in southern St. Joseph County and north-central Indiana, according to the National Weather Service.

Forecasters say the southwest corner of St. Joe County has a 30-40% chance of receiving 2 or more inches of snow after 6 p.m. Monday. The odds lower for middle and northern portions of the county, with South Bend below a 10% chance.

Plymouth and Knox are the closest cities with higher chances of snow, though the predicted area could well shift by the next forecast this afternoon, according to Chris Roller, a meteorologist analyzing northern Indiana.

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But strong winds, with gusts up to 35 mph, are likely for the South Bend area. Lakeshore areas of Berrien and LaPorte counties have an elevated risk of gusts up to 45 mph.

"We'll have some colder air come in tonight, especially between the 8 p.m. and 2 a.m. timeframe. We'll have to watch for some stronger snow bands that may form," Roller said.

"With as warm as the lake is, it probably will take some time away from the lake before it actually begins to accumulate," he added. "That's why it's as far south as it is."

High temperatures in the area are forecast to hover in the low- to mid-40s over the next few days. The lows Monday night and Tuesday morning could drop to the low 30s. Snow is unlikely to fall after Tuesday morning as temperatures trend upward, Roller said.

A warm front is predicted to move in this weekend, possibly pushing highs into the low 70s.

The average date on which the first inch of snow is measured in South Bend is Nov. 16, according to the NWS. The most recent abnormally early snowfall occurred in 1994, when an inch accumulated on Sept. 25.

Email South Bend Tribune city reporter Jordan Smith at JTsmith@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jordantsmith09

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: South Bend weather: First 2022 lake-effect snow could be coming