FARMERSBURG, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) – According to area officials, the Wabash Valley will remain under a Winter Weather Advisory until 7 p.m. Wednesday.
The area is expected to receive an additional 1 inch of snow accumulation. Officials urge residents to be prepared for hazardous conditions that could impact the evening commute.
A winter storm that rolled into the Wabash Valley overnight did not immediately cause major traffic problems for most counties as of 7 a.m. but there were a few minor wrecks or slide offs reported.
Calls to 17 county emergency dispatch offices around the region in both Indiana and Illinois indicated there were slide offs in Knox, Martin and Clay counties. No information on injuries was immediately available. Indiana State Police Sgt. Matt Ames said as of noon, the organization had handled 3 property damage accidents and 4 slide offs.
As of 12:30 p.m., most counties in the immediate area of Indiana are under a Travel Advisory, including Vermillion, Parke, Vigo, Clay, Sullivan, Knox, Greene, and Martin County. According to INDOT an advisory is “The lowest level of local travel advisory, means that routine travel or activities may be restricted in areas because of a hazardous situation, and individuals should use caution or avoid those areas.”
Owen County is under the higher, watch level of advisory. INDOT defines a watch as “Means that conditions are threatening to the safety of the public. During a “watch” local travel advisory, only essential travel, such as to and from work or in emergency situations, is recommended, and emergency action plans should be implemented by businesses, schools, government agencies, and other organizations.”
Daviess County is the only Wabash valley county as of 9:30 a.m. not under an advisory. Local EMA officials said that could change if conditions worsen, but at the time, there had only been a few slide offs, so no advisory had been put in place. To see the latest information on travel advisories around the state visit the online INDOT map here.
When it comes to Illinois, the state has an interactive map showing conditions organized by road. Use the below graphic to look at the latest conditions around the state.
The storm began hitting most of the area as rain early Wednesday morning, with most of the region transitioning to snow or a snow/rain mix by 6:30 a.m. As of 7:30 reports of slushy roads were widespread.
Many schools were closed today, with Vigo County schools implementing an e-learning day, one of three allowed during the school year, a decision announced around 5:30 a.m. Wednesday. Indiana State University also canceled on-campus classes and closed university offices Wednesday.
Indiana State Police Sgt. Matt Ames told WTWO Anchor Dana Winklepleck that drivers should slow down and use caution if driving Wednesday. On Tuesday, Vigo County Emergency Management Agency, Mayor Duke Bennett and Vigo County Commissioners declared a Winter Storm Travel Advisory that will take effect at midnight (2400) on Tuesday night, Jan. 24, and will last until noon (1200) Wednesday, Jan. 25.
For the latest WTWO forecast, click HERE.
