NEWS

After snowstorm, concerns turn to possible flooding

John Russell and Justin L. Mack
Allison Brady, 9, Indianapolis, enjoys the blast of snow from her father Peter Brady's snowblower as he clears their sidewalk on Nottingham Drive, just west of Westfield Boulevard on the Northside after about 10 inches of snow fell overnight on Sunday, March 1, 2015. Their next-door neighbor and friend Gabby Deer, 8, and Allison's brother, Alex, watch from behind a tree.

Get ready for a few wet, sloppy days and maybe some river flooding.

First, a blanket of snow Sunday covered driveways, rooftops and roads across the city. Then temperatures climbed, melting much of the mess.

Now, the National Weather Service is warning about rapid melting and river flooding through Tuesday, with some light rain that could make things treacherous.

One problem is the fairly deeply frozen ground that is expected to hinder the absorption of melting snow and any rainfall in coming days, the weather service said. As a result, any rainfall is expected to quickly run into rivers and streams.

As of Sunday evening, up to 14 inches of snow had fallen on parts of Central and Southern Indiana. Snowplows were on the roads, but a winter storm caught some drivers and residents off-guard Sunday.

The Indiana State Police responded to more than 600 calls for service from Saturday night through Sunday afternoon. Officials said there were 224 property damage crashes and 45 personal injury crashes across the state, as well as 237 slide-offs.

Even two State Police cars were struck during the storm in Indianapolis. That resulted in one arrest for operating while intoxicated and another arrest for driving with a suspended license.

Snow began falling Saturday night, and 5.9 inches fell Sunday, according to the National Weather Service. That broke the previous mark for March 1 of 5.5 inches, set in 1963.

The National Weather Service said the average March snowfall for Indianapolis, which is 2.6 inches, was surpassed in the first five hours of the month.

According to the Indy Snow Force, 90 drivers have been plowing snow and applying salt to major thoroughfares and secondary streets since 11 p.m. Saturday. Snow Force drivers will continue snow removal efforts through at least 11 a.m. Monday.

The city's team of private contractors was activated about 11 a.m. Sunday and planned to continue working until early Monday.

"Fortunately, thus far, there have been no fatality crashes investigated by the Indiana State Police during this weather event," according to a State Police news release issued shortly before 4 p.m. Sunday. "At the time of this report, there were no reported road closures."

The good news, if any, is that the dangerously low temperatures associated with the past few snowstorms aren't expected to return. Temperatures are expected to stay above zero Sunday, with a high in the low 30s.

Overnight, the temperature was expected to drop to 13 degrees, and winds were to remain clam, according to the forecast.

No new snowfall is expected Monday morning, and the high temperature should be around 29. Precipitation will return to the area overnight Monday, with as much as 1 inch of snow and freezing rain possible by Tuesday morning.

According to preliminary data from the National Weather Service, the average high last month was 29.5 degrees, compared with the normal February average of 40.2. The average low was 11, compared with the normal average of 23.9. The average overall temperature was 20.2, compared with the normal average of 32.1. That would tie the 1885 average for the fifth-coldest February recorded in Indianapolis.

Call Star reporter Justin L. Mack at (317) 444-6138. Follow him on Twitter: @justinlmack.