1/19-1/20 Lake effect snowfall totals

By: Emmett Twomey X

Posted: Jan 20, 2024 7:26 PM EST

Snowed in

Taken by Bonnie L. in Michigan City (1/19)

Accumulating snow

Taken by Kelly in Long Beach, IN. (01/19)

Snow end in sight

Taken by Mitchell M. in Kingsford Heights, IN. (01/19)

Car covered in snow

Taken by Emma K. in La Porte, IN. (01/19)

Almost two and a half feet of snow

Taken by Jeff M. in Pinola, IN. (01/19)

Whiteout conditions

Taken by Amy S. in La Porte County (01/20)

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- The past 48 hours have featured no shortage of snow for LaPorte County and surrounding areas.

After system snow moved through Michiana early Friday morning, a long band of lake effect snow running north to south along Lake Michigan developed around 7 a.m. ET.

Radar image of lake effect snow. The band took on a snake-like appearance due to mesoscale vortices most likely formed from the strong winds and the thermal gradient between the cold upper air and the warmer lake waters.

The lake effect snow remained concentrated over LaPorte county for the first half of Friday, resulting in just under three feet of snow observed in Michigan City and generally decreasing values further inland.

LaPorte County snowfall totals National Weather Service - IWX

The snow shifted further east during the second half of Friday as wind direction changed aloft, becoming more concentrated over St Joseph (IN), Berrien, Cass, Elkhart, and St. Jospeh (MI).

During the middle of the day on Friday, the Indiana Toll Road announced a "Winter Weather Ban" from the Illinois state line to St. Joseph (IN) county.

Travel was extremely hazardous in LaPorte County with numerous accidents, lane closures, and cars/semi-trucks that had been run off the road by snowfall.

At some points, Michigan City Municipal Airport and other observation sites close by reported visibility less than a quarter mile in total for consecutive hours.

Travel impacts and visibility issues continued into Saturday, with many reporting near whiteout conditions and slick surfaces that forced drivers to slow down.

While the worst of the lake effect snow is now over, some areas of Michiana will continue to receive snow for the first half of Saturday night.

The last of the current lake effect will be eliminated by building high pressure on Sunday.