Winter storm warning will remain in effect for Central Indiana through Saturday morning

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A winter storm warning that went into effect Thursday afternoon will remain in place for Central Indiana, including Indianapolis, until 7 a.m. Saturday.

Although snowfall has come to an end, dangerous cold and gusty wind resulting in blowing and drifting snow have not let up. The winter storm warning states residents should plan on slippery road conditions, with blowing snow reducing visibility.

Dangerously cold wind chills of minus 25 to minus 35 degrees will be common. Wind gusts as high as 45 mph are expected Friday night.

Indiana winter storm warning:Find warming center hours and locations during winter storm in central Indiana

Hamilton, Hendricks, Morgan, Johnson, Shelby and Hancock counties were among those with a heightened "watch" travel status Friday evening, according to the Indiana Department of Homeland Security. That means only essential travel is recommended. Marion and Boone counties had a travel advisory, the lowest level, which means drivers should use caution.

5:05 p.m.: NWS extends winter storm warning through Saturday

The winter storm warning affecting most of Central and Northern Indiana has been extended through 7 a.m. Saturday, according to the National Weather Service. Dangerously cold wind chills, blowing snow and slippery road conditions are expected to continue throughout the night.

2:30 p.m.: How much snow did Indiana get?

Most of Indiana saw somewhere between 1-3 inches of snow in the last 24 hours, according to the National Weather Service, although the high winds have made it nearly impossible to measure the total snowfall.

The following snowfall recordings were gathered from the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow Network, which is a network of volunteers that observes and records their local weather events in a centralized database.

• Indianapolis: 1.3 inches

• Greenwood: 0.18 inches

• Carmel: 0.20 inches

• Fishers: 0.20 inches

• Zionsville: 0.26 inches

• Bloomington: 0.21 inches

Areas further north saw more snow, with users in La Porte reporting nearly 9 inches total. Users in South Bend reported 4.5 inches fell in their area.

Let it snowHow much snow did Indiana get? Here are snowfall totals from across the state

2:00 p.m.: Firefighters face extra challenges in cold temperatures

Pike Township firefighters faced extra challenges due to the extreme cold weather while fighting a house fire Thursday night.

As they battled the fire on Indianapolis’ northwest side around 9:30 p.m., firefighters encountered a frozen fire hydrant, said Jonathan Kempler, division chief and fire marshal with Pike Township Fire Department.

“We encounter frozen hydrants every winter even though hydrants in the Midwest are designed to be dry until they are activated by a firefighter,” Kempler said. “Underground seals can start to leak, and the fire hydrant can start to fill up with water, causing it to freeze when the temperature falls.”

Some firefighters on scene in the 9200 block of Clemson Street also faced issues with their air supply tanks due to the cold.

“Some of the firefighters had their air supplies interrupted due to ice and cold weather and had to switch out some of their equipment,” Kempler said.

“Once we get on scene, we are working out in the elements, so we have to be monitoring for hypothermia and weather-related medical problems,” Kempler said. “We are working with water, which can turn to ice quickly on our vehicles, equipment and protective gear.”

Ice on protective gear and other equipment adds extra weight, which causes extra energy to be exerted when fighting a fire, Kempler said.

No injuries were reported in the fire, according to the department.

"Even though the hydrants are regularly serviced, we have thousands of them in Marion County, so it helps if we have an extra set of eyes to help us out,” Kempler said of how residents can help. “Reporting any leaking fire hydrants throughout the year always helps us out.”

Cold weather and poor road conditions also add to the challenge of responding to calls in the winter as fire crews navigate other motorists on the road, Kempler said.

He also encouraged residents to heed travel restrictions and stay off the roads, when possible, to assist the fire department during winter storms.

12:41 p.m.: NWS points to rare, below-freezing conditions

11:48 a.m.: Solid waste operations cancelled in Indianapolis

11:41 a.m.: Snowplows continue to clear the roads in Indy

11:15 a.m.: ISP asks drivers to slow down

10:50 a.m.: ISP updates on vehicle crashes

Tweets by ISPIndianapolis

10:25 a.m.: IndyGo resumes regular operating routes

10:10 a.m.: Flights cancelled at Indianapolis International Airport

Thirty one flights have been delayed and 110 flights have been cancelled at Indianapolis International Airport on Friday, according to the national flight data aggregator FlightAware. The cancellations were close to evenly split between flights into and out of Indianapolis.

Five flights scheduled for Saturday have already been cancelled at the airport, according to FlightAware.

9:50 a.m.: How much snow did Indianapolis get?

At the National Weather Service office on West Hanna Avenue, meteorologists measured about 1.3 inches of snow from the storm, said meteorologist Matthew Eckhoff.

The snow was difficult to measure due to the high winds, so the meteorologists had to take more of an educated guess than an exact measurement, he said.

The snow total in Indianapolis was lower than predicted in central Indiana as heavier snows shifted further east than anticipated, according to NWS.

9:30 a.m.: Cold temperatures continue, Indy Parks shares info on warming centers

9:20 a.m.: Tips and tricks for dog owners as temperatures remain below zero

Read here:How to get your dog to potty in the snow and cold weather

8:50 a.m.: FedEx reports national service disruption due to storm in Indy

FedEx Express experienced substantial disruptions at its Indianapolis and Memphis hubs Thursday night due to the severe winter weather, according to an update on its website.

Potential delays are possible for package deliveries across the U.S. with delivery commitment dates of Friday and Saturday, according to the company.

Customers can check the service alerts page for updates and track shipments on fedex.com.

UPS service has also been impacted by the storm, according to the company's website.

"Significant weather events across several regions of the U.S. are impacting the UPS Air and Ground network, including UPS hubs in Louisville, Kentucky and Rockford, Illinois," a service alert from UPS reads. "As a result, some delivery and pickup services in these areas will be affected."

The company did not provide specific information when asked if services would be impacted in Indiana and Indianapolis.

"Due to the storm, our situation is fluid and contingency plans are in progress," the company stated. "Safely delivering on our commitments is UPS’s most important priority. Our drivers are trained to safely make deliveries, and if we cannot safely deliver to an area, we will resume service as soon as conditions permit."

Consumers can use UPS My Choice to track their packages, leave special delivery instructions for their driver, and redirect their packages to a nearby UPS Access Point location, according to the company.

7:00 a.m.: Less than 1,000 AES customers remain without power

The Duke Energy outage map shows about 1,600 of their customers throughout Indiana are without power.

6:30 a.m.: NWS warns of frostbite from temperatures below zero

6:15 a.m.: 2,500 AES customers without power

5:50 a.m.: Wind gusts, bitter cold continues into Friday

10:34 p.m. Thursday: The temps in Indy, Muncie, Lafayette, Bloomington and Terre Haute

12:40 a.m.: State troopers respond to crashes

10:20 p.m.: Officials urge drivers to stay off roads

9:30 p.m.: Large outage hits 3k customers on southeast side

AES Indiana is experiencing a large outage on the southeast side of Indianapolis. There are 3,089 customers without power. AES Indiana crews are responding to this outage.

7:35 p.m.: Power outage on far east side affects over 800 people

Power outages on the far east side of Indianapolis are affecting over 800 people near the area between 42^nd and 38^th streets. AES Indiana is estimating that power will be restored around 10 p.m.

View where more outages are in Indianapolis at https://myaccount.aesindiana.com/outages/outagemap.

7:15 p.m.: Jackknifed semi blocks all northbound I-465 lanes

A jackknifed semi has blocked all lanes of traffic on northbound Interstate 465 between East 56^th and East 71^st streets near Lawrence, according to the Indiana Department of Transportation. Traffic will be delayed for an estimated hour and half in that area.

7:05 p.m.: Around a dozen departing flights canceled Thursday night

Around a dozen departing flights from the Indianapolis International Airport are now canceled due to the weather Thursday night. Among all flights going in and out of Indianapolis, there have been a total of 32 canceled flights.

6:35 p.m.: Semi crash blocks three left lanes on northbound I-465

A crash on northbound I-465 between I-70 and the Sam Jones Expressway involving a semi has blocked the three left lanes. Delays in that area are expected for the next hour, according to the Indiana Department of Transportation.

5:34 p.m.: Power outage on far east side affects 960 customers

AES Indiana reports that around 960 customers are without power on the far east side of Indianapolis, between 30^th and 38^th streets, due to a fallen wire. Crews are working now to restore the power.

View where more outages are in Indianapolis at https://myaccount.aesindiana.com/outages/outagemap.

4:50 p.m.: Crash involving semi on I-70 stops all lanes of traffic

All lanes are blocked on I-70 after a crash involving a semi-trailer spilled its load between Mount Comfort Road and 400 west, according to the Indiana Department of Transportation.

Expect to see delays and slow traffic in this area for the next hour and a half.

4:04 p.m.: Indy Snow Force Viewer app is live with road-clearing updates

The Indy Snow Force Viewer map is now live with updates on where streets are being plowed and salted in the Indianapolis area. Residents can check the app at https://maps.indy.gov/IndySnowForceViewer for regular updates on where roads have been treated recently.

3:30 p.m.: Friday trash services in Carmel suspended

Republic Services will suspend trash and recycling services for Friday, according to the City of Carmel. Trash and recycling will instead be picked up on Monday.

Moving into next week, residents should plan to set out carts on their normal service day with the understanding there may be a one-day delay while Republic Services catches up on each route, according to the city.

Winter storm in Indiana:When will my road be plowed in Indianapolis?

2:34 p.m.: Indianapolis Airport reporting some flight delays, cancellations

2:15 p.m.: Indianapolis Public Schools cancels athletic events Thursday night and Friday

1:40 p.m.: Indianapolis Public Library locations closing

1:10 p.m.: Travel advisories issued in counties near Indianapolis

Hendricks, Shelby and Hancock counties have issued travel advisories, while Hamilton County has issued a travel watch.

What does this mean:

• Advisory: 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.

• Watch: 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.

• Warning: The highest level of local travel advisory, means that travel may be restricted to emergency management workers only. During a warning local travel advisory, individuals are directed to:

  • Refrain from all travel

  • Comply with necessary emergency measures

  • Cooperate with public officials and disaster services forces in executing emergency operations plans

  • Obey and comply with the lawful directions of properly identified officers.

1 p.m.: IMPD reminds residents to bring pets inside as cold temperatures approach

12:30 p.m: Carmel closing Christkindlmarkt due to winter storm

The Carmel Christkindlmarkt will close Thursday afternoon and all day Friday due to the forecasted winter storm that is expected to bring snow, high wind gusts and below-zero wind chills to Central Indiana in the coming days.

In a tweet Wednesday afternoon, the Christkindlmarkt account stated the decision to close the Christmas market Friday was made "after carefully reviewing the upcoming weather with our staff and the City of Carmel."

A tweet Thursday afternoon stated the market would close at 3:30 p.m. today.

The Christkindlmarkt is still open Christmas Eve from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and closed on Christmas Day.

12:20 p.m.: Indy DPW crews working extended shifts to keep roadways clear

The city's department of public works is asking residents to:

• Avoid unnecessary travel tonight as roads are being pre-treated following rain to prevent freezing.

• Look for flashing amber lights which indicate plow trucks on the road.

• Stay at least three car lengths away from plows to avoid snow clouds and flying salt.

Indianapolis residents can view Snow Force progress via https://maps.indy.gov/IndySnowForceViewer/… to see which streets have been plowed and how recently.

11:15 a.m.: Frostbite a concern as winter storm approaches

The Richard M. Fairbanks Burn Center at Eskenazi Health is warning about the danger of frostbite. Frostbite often mirrors burn injuries and can result in life-long skin damage.

"Staying inside is the best thing we can all do during times like these,” said Brett Hartman, D. O., burn center medical director.

If you must go outside, everyone should always wear a hat, a scarf or knit mask to cover the face and mouth, sleeves that are snug at the wrist, mittens (they are warmer than gloves), water-resistant coat and boots, and several layers of loose-fitting clothing.

Frostbite causes skin to become cold and red, then numb, hard and pale. Additional symptoms include a tingling sensation, followed by numbness on the affected area. Frostbite will make skin hard, pale and cold, and feeling may be lost in those areas.

11 a.m.: Call 2-1-1 to find a warming shelter

Warming centers will be open across the state for those in need of a safe and warm place to stay. Indiana 211 is a resource for updated locations and hours of warmings centers as many of the locations people may seek shelter could be closed due to the holidays.

10:50 a.m.: NWS warns, 'don't fixate on snow'

9:55 a.m.: Handful of Indianapolis International Airport flight cancellations reported, how to check

9:35 a.m.: NWS says storm will bring high winds, extreme wind chill

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana winter storm 2022: Updates from Indianapolis