It's warmer, but the commute still comes with hazards: Slick spots, fog, flash flooding

Katie Wiseman, Indianapolis Star
Updated ·2 min read

While the Winter Weather Advisory issued earlier this week expired early, another Hazardous Weather Outlook has been issued by the National Weather Service Indianapolis for much of Central Indiana, warning about the potential for slippery roads, flash flooding and dense fog.

Counties included in the Hazardous Weather Outlook include Carroll, Warren, Tippecanoe, Clinton, Howard, Fountain, Montgomery, Boone, Tipton, Hamilton, Madison, Delaware, Randolph, Vermillion, Parke, Putnam, Hendricks, Marion, Hancock, Henry, Morgan, Johnson, Shelby, Rush and Decatur.

Freezing rain could cause slick spots through mid morning, so slow down and drive carefully. NWS Indianapolis shared a post about stopping distances in different weather conditions on X, formerly known as Twitter.

There is also a "significant fog risk" expected this evening into tonight.

What to know about the fog across Indiana

A Dense Fog Advisory will be in effect from 5 p.m. Tuesday to 10 a.m. Wednesday.

Affected counties include Carroll, Warren, Tippecanoe, Clinton, Howard, Fountain, Montgomery, Boone, Tipton, Hamilton, Madison, Delaware, Randolph, Vermillion, Parke, Putnam, Hendricks, Marion, Hancock, Henry, Vigo, Clay, Owen, Morgan, Johnson and Sullivan.

Visibilities as low as a quarter mile are expected and the fog could persist into Wednesday morning.

"Drive slow and safely if traveling in foggy conditions," NWS Indianapolis said on X.

What is ice jam flooding?

Days two through seven of the outlook bring the potential for ice jam flooding along area rivers throughout the rest of the week.

According to the Hydrologic Outlook, these ice jams can cause rises on area rivers with little warning. Warming temperatures, snowmelt and multiple rounds of precipitation on frozen ground will bring the risk for breakup ice jam flooding to central Indiana this week.

In these circumstances, flooding can develop quickly as ice collects and obstructs the river channel, allowing water and more ice to build up behind it with the potential to produce flooding upstream of the jam until it finally breaks free. After breaking free, water levels upstream can quickly drop, while downstream river levels can increase rapidly. Flash flooding is a threat from breakup jams.

Monitor the weather in your area for any possible flood watches or warnings.

Indianapolis weather radar

Katie Wiseman is a trending and breaking news intern at IndyStar. Contact her at klwiseman@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @itskatiewiseman.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana road conditions: Slick spots, dense fog, flash floods possible