Wind, not snow, concern with Winter Storm Elliott

Dec. 23—GOSHEN — It's not the snow, but the wind that's problematic during Winter Storm Elliott.

"Since day one I've been saying we need to stop focusing on snowfall," said Elkhart County Emergency Management Agency Director Jen Tobey. "The true emergency now is wind chill, the windspeed, and zero visibility when we're out traveling."

Lake effect snow predictions have decreased, with just 3 to 5 inches now expected over the weekend, but with wind speeds or gusts remaining around 45 to 55 miles per hour. As of 11 a.m., the highest gust recorded in the area was 48 miles per hour at the Goshen Airport, while Fort Wayne detected 51 miles per hour and Benton Harbor detected 48 also, but Southern Michigan was seeing snowfall at 4-6 inches, and as much as 9 inches in other places.

"While we were plowing the main runway this morning, we were experiencing winds from the west at 32 mph, with gusts up to 48 mph," said Randy Sharkey, director of operations at Goshen Airport. "The visibility at times was one quarter of a mile with blowing snow."

National Weather Service Meteorologist Lonnie Fisher said while the temperature was at -7 at 11 a.m., the wind chill would stay below -25 to -35 throughout today and into the nighttime hours.

He explained that blizzard conditions are not a result of continued snowfall but rather a result of wind and cold. Blizzards must have 1/4 of a mile visibility with wind speeds sustained or gusts at 35 mph for at least three hours or more. Snowfall amounts do not factor in.

Deteriorating road conditions, however, have reached a critical point and will likely continue to deteriorate as the storm continues. Elkhart County issued a travel advisory of orange around 11 a.m.

Indiana State Police informed the public as early as 4 p.m. Thursday not to contact 911 or dispatch centers for information on road conditions.

"The volume of calls is expected to increase for emergencies and phone lines need to stay open," the department explained in a press release.

People wanting to check road conditions are asked to visit 511in.org, download the INDOT Trafficwise app on a smartphone, or call 1-800-262- ROAD (7623).

Tobey said fewer people were on the roads than anticipated Thursday night.

"I very much want to thank the citizens," she said. "The reports that we're getting are that there weren't a lot of people on the road last night and those that were driving slow and safe."

Tobey also said that while only six crashes were reported, only one crash, on C.R. 18, resulted in a fatality.

"Be cognizant of the roadways that you're traveling," Tobey added. "If you're out in the county and you have wide-open roadways, slow down and anticipate drifting. Remember that the snow is on top of the ice."

A travel advisory was issued for Cass County, Michigan, ahead of the weekend. At 9:40 a.m. Friday, the Cass County Sheriff's Department had already notified that the advisory would be in effect from midnight to 1 p.m., coinciding with expected blizzard conditions provided by the National Weather Service and due to conditions becoming "treacherous" and in many places "impassable," with blowing snow drifts reducing visibility and low temperature creating other hazards. In Noble County, many vehicles were stuck and roads deemed unpassable, including parts 150 East and U.S. 33, while Benton Harbor experienced a 15-car pileup.

Goshen's wind chill sat at -34 at 11 a.m. Despite that, Tobey said conditions have remained safe for the majority of those staying home.

"Luckily we didn't see as much ice formation as we thought, so I have not had a lot of power outages," she said. "But depending on how long we have this wind and how high this wind gets we could see some power outages, so people should still have their own family plans."

Dani Messick is the education and entertainment reporter for The Goshen News. She can be reached at dani.messick@goshennews.com or at 574-538-2065.