Heavy Snow — Owen, Indiana

2024-02-16 · Owen, Indiana

Event narrative

Snowfall ranged from 4.0 to 5.2 inches, with criteria snowfall generally across southeastern parts of the county. A Travel Watch was issued for the county due to the impacts of snow on road conditions.

Wider weather episode

Surface low pressure crossed from the southern Plains to the Tennessee Valley on the 16th, while Gulf moisture overran this system's warm frontal zone, resulting in an overall moderate snowfall across most of the Midwest. Accumulating snow within central Indiana was organized into two periods: initially a morning to midday band of fluffier snow focused over north central Indiana that brought light to moderate snowfall amounts; and a secondary, more intense burst of snow through late day and early evening hours that brought at least brief 2 inch per hour rates to mainly central and southern counties. Total snowfall was generally 4 to 6 inches, with 7.0 inch reports in both Daviess County and Tipton County, and slightly lower amounts along the middle Wabash Valley and towards the Ohio Valley.

Criteria (now 5.0 inches) was reached in 33 of central Indiana's 39 zones, although only 4 of the far north-central counties received criteria snow throughout the entire zone. Impacts were led by major traffic delays during the late day/early evening burst, which were greatest in and near Indianapolis. During mainly the 300 PM to 700 PM time frame, 130 crashes resulted in 13 injuries, while 27 motorists were either stuck or disabled in the snow. One fatality occurred from an accident on Interstate 65 near mile marker 106 in Marion County. Across the state of Indiana, authorities responded to 363 crashes and 190 vehicles stuck or disabled.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1163333. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.