Drifting expected overnight; schools assess travel conditions

County uses downtime to freshen plow efforts

ANDERSON — Madison County snow crews waited all day Tuesday for the heavy snowfall forecasters predicted over the weekend, and prepared for a drifty night.

“We’re waiting to see if this event is going to happen or not,” said County Commissioner Paul Wilson.

Madison County schools were closed Tuesday due to the travel safety concerns.

Meanwhile, some area school corporations' administrators decided late Tuesday night to close schools again. Closings were announced for Frankton-Lapel, South Madison, Daleville and Yorktown school systems, along with Liberty Christian School and Anderson Preparatory Academy in Anderson. As of 11:15 p.m. Tuesday, classes in Madison-Grant, Elwood and Alexandria school districts were scheduled to be on two-hour delay.

Forecasters had predicted since Friday that Anderson would see another six to nine inches of snow fall from Monday night through Wednesday, on top of the approximate seven inches that fell Friday. However, as much as a couple of inches had lightly fallen heading into Tuesday night.

“We’re kind of in a holding pattern right now, waiting to see what this wind brings,” said Frank Dick, of City Emergency Management.

Meteorologist Mike Koch, of the Indiana Weather Service, said another couple of inches of snow would possibly fall overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday, but that heavy winds with gusts up to 35 mph would cause severe drifting.

“It’s more powdery this time; so it’ll be as bad or worse than it was last time,” he said of last week’s overnight drifting.

City and county snow crews used their time during the Tuesday snowfall wisely.

Dick said extra workers for the city street department were sent home to rest in anticipation of having to return early Wednesday to clear drifted streets.

Wilson said county crews — who have been and will remain on 12-hour shifts through the snow removal — used the extra time to touch-up last week’s snow clearing efforts.

“They’re just widening out roads and cleaning up some corners,” he said, adding that they also trucked large piles of snow away.

Wilson said at about 7 p.m. that county officials decided to open the Emergency Operations Center at 9 p.m., after noticing winds kicking up.

“Obviously what they said was coming to pass has already started,” Wilson said.

The center brings together dispatchers from the Madison County Dispatch Center, the County Highway Department and County Emergency Management to help streamline emergency calls during severe weather conditions.

Dick said the two back-to-back snowfalls are quite rare and, for the first time in his four years on the job, forced the city to disperse residential street plows twice.

“Hopefully, this thing will calm down,” he said.



By 11:15 p.m. Tuesday, area closings for Wednesday were announced by the Frankton-Lapel, South Madison, Daleville and Yorktown school corporations, Liberty Christian School and Anderson Preparatory Academy.

The Alexandria, Elwood and Madison-Grant school systems announced two-hour delays for Wednesday’s classes.

Continue to check www.theheraldbulletin.com for updates on school closings and delays.



Weather forecast:

Overnight: drifting from wind gusts up to 35 mph

Wednesday: High of 26 degrees; low of 13 degrees

- Indiana Weather Service



Contact Christina M. Wright, 640-4883, christina.wright@heraldbulletin.com.

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