3-1-18 Fort Wayne INDOT Update: Tracking rain/snow mix for portions of the district this afternoon. N.

Video (5:00):

Good Thursday afternoon!

We’re watching today’s system begin to work off to the east. As we mentioned in the morning update, some backside snow could develop in far Northeast Indiana. Given current temperature and radar trends we think any potential accumulation will likely be limited to Steuben County in the Fort Wayne district with isolated grassy accumulations in Lagrange, Dekalb and Noble counties. 

Here’s a look at the current radar:

You can see that some snow is starting to mix in on the Michigan/Indiana border. However, given surface temperatures well above freezing and roads at nearly 40 degrees, no accumulation on roadways has occurred at this point. We do believe that snow could mix in and come down heavy enough to coat grassy areas and elevated surfaces at times, but for the most part roadways will likely remain wet. Models have really backed off on the overall snow totals for Northeast Indiana from the morning runs as the system progresses a little faster than modeled preventing intensification necessary for cooling and snow in the Fort Wayne district. However, we still would not rule out slushy accumulation of less than one inch in and around Steuben County. Here’s a look at the latest HRRR model: 

However, the model is trying to spit out an inch of snow by 1PM, which will obviously not happen given current temperatures and observations. We still wouldn’t rule out snow becoming more prevalent on the backside of the precipitation shield later this afternoon and into the evening and the HRRR does show this potential well. The heaviest precipitation should pass the area by 4-5PM EST, with scattered rain/snow showers until about 9/10PM EST. Some very light accumulations are possible, but temperatures will still be marginal throughout the duration of the event.

Note, temperatures don’t start to fall below freezing until around 10PM tonight, so any snow that briefly accumulates on pavements, could easily melt away. Winds will be quite gusty throughout the afternoon and into the overnight hours which will help dry pavements, but watch for some spotty slick spots especially on elevated surfaces after temperatures fall below freezing overnight. 

If you have any questions do not hesitate to reach out! Have a wonderful rest of your Thursday!