Winter storm watch in effect starting Wednesday

Tippecanoe, Carroll, Clinton, Montgomery, Fountain, Warren, Vermillion and Parke counties are covered by a National Weather Service winter storm watch which is in effect from 10 a.m. Wednesday until 1 p.m. Thursday.

“This does not mean that some spots won’t see 4″, and some spots see 9” or a bit more, but I believe this will be the amount for most of us.

Similar to the Groundhog Day Blizzard that hit Iowa and Wisconsin a few weeks ago, a major winter storm will affect parts of the Midwest, but only craze the Stateline with light snow.

Hesler said it’s hard to determine the exact direction of the winter storm right now, but once the snow starts sticking to the ground, his teams will be on the roads. The combination of rain, snow and strong winds will combine to make this a potentially high impact event.

Strong northeast winds in excess of 35 miles per hour off of Lake Huron will cause blowing and drifting of snow. “Snowfall totals should be in the 3-6” range for most of Mid-Michigan from this storm.

Stranded motorists are encouraged to remain inside their vehicles and wait for first responders to arrive.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 48.

“We always hope that spring is on the way”, said Urbana Public Works Operations Manager John Collins. “Between 2″ and 5″ of snow is expected around Chicago, with areas southeast of Chicago and into IN seeing 5″ to 8” of snow.

One advantage of what’s been a relatively mild winter is that municipalities have plenty of road salt in reserve, Collins said.

Sunshine and 50s today mark our best weather day we’ll have until the weekend.