_20130524181521_320_240_20130525050936_60_45.JPG "Explosives located in Sullivan home"){kind=small}
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An INDOT plow truck drives on Interstate 65 near Southport Road on Dec. 26. (WISH Photo)
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Weather conditions improve
Updated: Wednesday, 26 Dec 2012, 9:59 PM EST
Published : Tuesday, 25 Dec 2012, 1:03 PM EST
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) -
9:30 P.M. UPDATE: All lanes of westbound Interstate 74 were closed in Shelby County because of a three-vehicle accident. Injuries were reported with the crash. Traffic was being diverted at the 123-mile marker onto East Michigan Road. The crash was near the 121-mile marker, which is near Middletown. INDOT said as of 9:58 the lanes had re-opened.
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8:15 P.M. UPDATE: The Indiana Hand to Shoulder Center reports handling six injuries related to snow blowers since the storm hit on Wednesday.
Simon Malls announced its properties in Indiana will open at their regular times on Thursday.
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7:15 P.M. UPDATE: The Winter Weather Advisory for Central Indiana has expired.
Hamilton County lowered its travel watch to a travel advisory until 7 a.m. Thursday.
Henry County anticipates its travel status will remain in effect into Thursday morning.
For the latest travel advisories for each county, click here .
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6 P.M. UPDATE: Greenwood has lifted its snow emergency.
Indiana State troopers report black ice in many roads in White County. There have also been a number of slide-offs in Clinton County near the Boone County line. Troopers urge people to stay off the roads.
For the latest travel advisories for each county, click here .
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5:30 P.M. UPDATE: Monroe County officials say roads are passable but still advise people not travel on them.
IUPUI announced it will remain closed on Thursday.
Beech Grove is still urging people to stay off the roads. Beech Grove trash service is operating on a one-day delay. If trash was supposed to be picked up Wednesday, it will be picked up Thursday.
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4:30 P.M. UPDATE: Johnson County Sheriff reports 32 vehicle slide-offs as of 4:15 p.m., and no serious crashes.
Although the blizzard warning was lifted, Indiana State Police officials said roads remain hazardous and drivers should remain at home.
Indiana University's Bloomington campus plans to resume normal operations as of 5 p.m. Wednesday.
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4:15 P.M. UPDATE: Indianapolis snow plows will begin plowing residential streets at 5 p.m. All areas that don't have a neighborhood association responsible for plowing will be plowed, according to the Department of Public Works.
The Indiana Pacers postponed the team's home game against the Chicago Bulls.
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3:30 P.M. UPDATE: The National Weather Service has downgraded the Blizzard Warning to a Winter Weather Advisory for much of Central Indiana.
Forecast 8 Chief Meteorologist Steve Bray said the snow is falling less steadily and winds have died down, improving visibility.
For the latest weather alerts, click here .
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3 P.M. UPDATE: The Emergency Operations Center is scaling back. A majority of the operation is being demobilized.
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department continues to respond to essential traffic accidents only, urging people to exchange insurance information if no one is hurt. That policy will continue until 7 a.m. Thursday.
Between 12:30 and 1:30 p.m. the Marion County Sheriff's Department received 194 calls. Of those, 139 were emergencies and 55 were informational. Two vehicle accidents were reported.
PHOTOS | Animals playing in the snow
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2:30 P.M. UPDATE: Eleven counties have now issued travel warnings, meaning only emergency vehicles should be on the roads. You can check the latest travel info for your area here .
Another heavy snow band was traversing the state, and white-out conditions continued to make travel treacherous. In southern Indiana, snow totals were reaching 12 inches. In central Indiana, totals were mostly 5 to 8 inches. A blizzard warning remains in effect through 7 p.m. Wednesday night.
Indianapolis International Airport was preparing for travelers stranded overnight , distributing padded mats for them to sleep on. Some restaurants at the airport were extending their hours to serve travelers stuck by the weather. You can check the latest flight info here .
Near Lafayette, a second crash closed Interstate 65 close to where an earlier crash had clogged the road Wednesday morning.
Duke Energy was reporting about 250 customers without power, more than 100 of them in Brown County. I&M was reporting no outages. IPL was reporting 20 outages.
PHOTO GALLERY | Viewer pics of snow around the state
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2 P.M. UPDATE: A jack-knifed semitrailer shut westbound lanes of I-465 on the north side. I-65 near Lafayette continued to be a traffic mess.
The Indiana State Police post in Indianapolis has received more than 170 calls with 159 of the calls being reports of vehicle crashes. Officials continue to urge people to stay off of roads.
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1 P.M. UPDATE: Indianapolis Fire Department reports a few of its vehicles have reported getting
stuck in the snow on the way to emergency calls. All were able to be freed, however, and the emergency runs continued.
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department was allowing officers with 4-wheel-drive personal vehicles to use those rather than their patrol cars, to be able to respond to emergencies more effectively.
Wishard Memorial Hospital reported five babies had been born there as of about midday Wednesday.
Duke Energy was reporting more than 1200 customers without power, more than 600 of them in Fountain County and more than 300 in Monroe County. I&M was reporting no power outages. IPL was reporting 27 people without power.
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12:30 P.M. UPDATE: Johnson County emergency officials reported dozens of slide-offs on area roadways. Johnson County is among several that have declared travel warnings, meaning roadways are restricted to emergency vehicles only.
For the latest info about your area, click here .
Ball State University and IU Bloomington were among schools closing completely Wednesday due to the weather. More closings can be seen here .
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NOON UPDATE: Indiana Grand Casino has closed due to the weather. Hundreds of businesses, libraries and more have also closed. See more here.
Forecast 8 meteorologist Pamela Gardner said this is the most snow central Indiana has seen since 2009. The official total in Indianapolis was 7 inches, but elsewhere in the state totals were up to a foot of snow.
IndyGo had altered two routes due to snow. Route 5 was not serving beyond 30th and Clifton streets near Riverside Park. Route 28 was not serving Spring Mill Road and was instead using Meridian Street between 64th Street and Kessler Boulevard. Several other routes were running 15 to 50 minutes late. I ndyGo was tweeting specific delays and updates.
Nine counties remain under travel warnings, meaning roads are restricted to emergency vehicles only. Most of central and southern Indiana had travel advisories or watches in place. For the latest info about your area, click here .
More than 100 Indiana National Guard members had been called out to help with storm report. Ten highway assistance teams were being deployed.
Marion County trash pickup scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday has been delayed. Noblesville trash pickup has been delayed for those two days as well.
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11 A.M. UPDATE: Marion County emergency dispatchers said vehicle accidents made up the majority of their calls from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Wednesday.
The official Indianapolis snow total had reached 7 inches by about 10:30 a.m. But in Greene County to the southwest, totals had hit 12 inches by then.
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10:30 A.M. UPDATE: Southbound Interstate 65 in Tippecanoe County is closed and may be for hours after a crash involving six to eight vehicles, ISP said.
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10:15 A.M. UPDATE: Simon Malls has added its Muncie location to its closures list. More closures can be viewed here .
In the Indianapolis area, about 100 customers were without power. Across the state, Duke Energy was reporting more than 500 without power. I&M reported no Indiana outages.
Marion, Hancock and Shelby counties are among several around the area with a travel watch in place, meaning conditions threaten public safety and only essential travel is recommended. Several counties in the area, including Morgan and Johnson counties, have upgraded to a travel warning, meaning only emergency vehicles are to be on the roads.
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10 A.M. UPDATE: The number of counties restricting travel to emergency vehicles only is up to nine. Check for the latest info in your area here .
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9:30 A.M. UPDATE: Closings continue to pile up. Simon Malls has closed all of its Indianapolis metropolitan area properties. Malls in Lafayette, Muncie and Kokomo remained open as of 9:30 a.m.
The Indianapolis Zoo, the Indianapolis Chidren's Museum and the Indianapolis Museum of Art have all closed for the day. For more closings, click here . For government offices closed, click here .
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9:15 A.M. UPDATE: Several new travel advisories have been issued, including four warnings, meaning only emergency personnel should be on the roads. Check for the latest info in your area here.
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9 A.M. UPDATE: Forecast 8 meteorologist Randy Ollis said the snow that falls today will stick around for at least a week, with cold temps expected to continue.
ISP reports Ind. 37 southbound at the Monroe/Morgan county line was at a standstill, with about 40 cars stuck in the snow. Cleanup was expected to take an hour or two.
Closures continue to be announced. For a list of government offices closed, click here . Other closures are listed here .
INDOT said it had 68 trucks plowing and treating interstates in the Indianapolis metropolitan area. In all, about 180 trucks were out in east central Indiana. The agency urged residents to stay off the roads unless travel was absolutely
necessary. Travel advisories have been issued. Get the latest info for your area here.
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8:30 A.M. UPDATE: The heaviest part of the storm is moving through central Indiana now and will stick around through early afternoon, Forecast 8 meteorologist Randy Ollis said.
A blizzard warning remains in effect for much of the state through 7 p.m. Wednesday.
Power outages in the Indianapolis area are creeping up, with about 50 customers without electricity, IPL said. Across the state, Duke Energy was reporting about 800 without power. I&M was still reporting no outages.
IndyGo reported most buses running on schedule, but more delays were expected as conditions worsen. IndyGo tweets specific delays and updates .
The official snow total at Indianapolis International Airport is 2 inches, but in Elletsville near Bloomington, about 8 inches had already fallen.
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8:15 A.M. UPDATE: More counties are issuing travel advisories. Get the latest advice for your area here .
INDOT reports many highways are difficult to pass. See current conditions here.
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8 A.M. UPDATE: Travel advisories continue to change with the weather conditions.
As of 8 a.m., 13 counties had issued travel advisories, meaning traffic may be restricted and schools and businesses should implement their emergency plans.
Six counties had issued travel watches, meaning conditions threaten public safety. Only essential travel is recommended.
- BEFORE YOU DRIVE | Check current travel advisories for your area
Duke Energy was reporting nearly 800 customers without power, 300 of them in Shelby County. I&M was reporting no outages. IPL was reporting just a few dozen customers without power.
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7:45 A.M. UPDATE: Indianapolis emergency crews were preparing for the worst.
Indianapolis Fire Department is preparing machinery for full 24-hour shifts.
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department was working to help find several hundred homeless people in the city appropriate shelter during the storm. At IMPD and the Marion County Sheriff's Office, 4-wheel-drive vehicles were being put into place.
Animal Care and Control advised people needing emergency shelter for animals to call 327-1397 and leave a message. That line will be checked until 7 p.m. Wednesday.
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A blizzard warning has been issued for almost all of central Indiana for early Wednesday through 7 p.m. Wednesday.
Forecast 8 Chief Meteorologist Steve Bray says that the warning upgrade from winter storm to blizzard is due to the amount of snow and the wind speeds.
Rain, freezing rain and sleet is wrapping around the system.
Wind speeds are expected to be in the 35 mph range with gusts up to 40 mph Wednesday. The combination of the snow and wind will create white-out conditions, visibility at times will be a quarter-mile or less. Expected snow totals could change as the storm moves through.
The precipitation is expected to fall throughout the day Wednesday. By 6:30 a.m., several inches of snow were already on the ground in southern Indiana. Some areas could see 5 to 12 inches. The Indianapolis area will most likely see about 8 to 10 inches. Totals will build quickly from 8 a.m. on, with 1 to 1.5 inches per hour falling at some points.
The combination of ice and wind could lead to downed trees and power lines, so power outages are possible. Stay with the Forecast 8 team on WISH-TV and at the Weather Blog for the latest information.
- ROAD CONDITIONS | Check with INDOT before you drive
Blowing and drifting of the snow will be likely and make the clearing of roadways a challenge, so travel will be difficult.
Roadways in southern Indiana were already difficult by about 7 a.m., INDOT reported. Several counties had already issued travel advisories by 7:30 a.m.
- TRAVEL WARNINGS | Check here for advisories
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