FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) — A weather system that starts with rain and will later switch to snow is expected to hit northeast Indiana and northwest Ohio on Thursday. The WANE 15 weather team has declared Friday a 15 Fury Alert Day.
15 Fury Alert: How much snow are we getting this week?
The timing isn’t great as many will be hitting the roads or taking to the sky to be with family for Christmas.
WANE 15 checked in with officials regarding both forms of transportation ahead of the storm to help people plan ahead.
DRIVING:
Both Indiana State Police and INDOT are monitoring forecasts and preparing to have more personnel on the roads and highways this weekend.
If you can avoid driving, you’re encouraged to do so. For those who are going to travel, you’re reminded to give yourself plenty of extra time to get to your destination safely.
Sergeant Brian Walker advises everyone to first check their cars to make sure they are ready to drive. That includes checking fluids, tire pressure and lights.
He also said it’s important to be prepared for a potential breakdown. Have an emergency kit in your car that includes blankets and/or sleeping bags, bring water and food, have a charged cell phone on hand, and be sure to let your family know your route of travel.
“That should cover your bases, but you need to use a little common sense in your driving and make sure that you get there safely,” Sgt. Walker said.
Sgt. Walker also added that the most important thing is to keep the sides of the roads clear in order for plows to do their jobs. That means you should keep moving and just call 911 if you witness an accident.
He said that anyone who is stuck on the side of the road can best protect themselves by staying in their car with their seatbelt on.
If a car is left on the side of the road, it will be towed within several hours in order to help keep the plows operating efficiently.
Speaking of snow plows, INDOT’s northeast district public relations director Hunter Petroviak told WANE 15 they’re prepared to have yellow trucks out and about 24 hours a day this weekend.
INDOT is still monitoring the forecast and should have a better idea by Wednesday if they’ll need to have all trucks out in full force or not, Pretorviak said.
He urges people to remember that INDOT’s trucks will be moving very slow in order to properly clear the roads.
“If you come across those trucks, please slow down and give them a lot of extra space,” Petroviak said. “The other thing about those trucks is they have a lot of blind spots so they might not be able to see you, and realistically the best place to stay if you’re around a plow is behind it, which makes sense since they’re treating the road that you’re about to drive on.”
He added that there will be a challenge with this weather event because there will be rain first. Anything more than a quarter inch of rain eliminates any salt and brine pre-treatments, so that will be a factor to consider.
Petroviak encourages anyone who does hit the roads to keep an eye on INDOT’s social media channels and to visit their Trafficwise app or website where traffic cameras are available as well as snowplow locations and video feeds to give a better idea of what conditions look like.
FLYING:
Much like if you’re driving, everyone is asked to plan ahead and allow extra time if they’re heading to the airport to depart or pick up.
Scott Hinderman, the executive director of airports, told WANE 15 people can always expect longer lines and delays during holiday travel times.
Factoring in the potential weather can slow things down even more.
Hinderman wants to remind people that the holidays are fun and it’s a joy to see family, so suggests having a good attitude and planning for extra time to avoid any stress.
He said the airport is prepared and will always do its best to, at a minimum, have one runway open for the airlines when the weather gets dicey.
“We aren’t the airlines so we don’t get to control their schedule, but the airport, we have great staff. They take a lot of pride in keeping the airfield open. We’ve done all of our reoccurring training, we got all our equipment up and ready to go, and everybody is kind of monitoring it. Of course, we’re all hoping it doesn’t snow on Christmas Eve or Christmas day, but we are prepared. The team does a phenomenal job. I’d put up our airport snow removal crew against anybody in the country as far as snow removal,” Hinderman said.
He added that there is a bit of a concern when the forecast isn’t promising, but he hopes everyone will spread a little holiday cheer when visiting Fort Wayne International Airport.
While there is still some construction going on around the west terminal, the main curbside pickup and drop-off reopened last month, which should make thinks a bit easier for those traveling this weekend.
