Lake-Effect Snow — Northern La Porte County, Indiana

2024-01-19 to 2024-01-20 · Northern La Porte County, Indiana

Event narrative

Heavy lake effect snow with near zero visibility and intense snowfall rates of 2 to 3 inches per hour developed early on January 19th. This dominant snow band did shift off to the east for a time during the afternoon and evening, before transitioning back west into the area early on January 20th. Snowfall report of 1 to 3 feet were reported, with 35.0' at Michigan City and 28.0' 2 miles northwest of La Porte. Many schools and businesses were closed on January 19th due to the nearly impossible travel. The Indiana Toll Road had to be closed for a time due to a 5 to 10 car pileup, while portions of Intestate 94 had traffic backed up for several hours due to numerous accidents and slide-offs.

Wider weather episode

A band of heavy lake effect snow affected far northwest Indiana early January 19th into early January 20th. Snowfall totals of 1 to 3 feet were common, mainly over La Porte County.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1149415. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.