Thanks to the snow, schools close, travel proves difficult



Dave Hawk/The News-Dispatch A tow-truck operator prepares to winch a car out of the snow along East Michigan Boulevard near Michiana Resources shortly before 8 a.m. Wednesday. The driver of the car slid on snow-covered pavement into the ditch.
Published: Thursday, February 11, 2010 4:18 AM CST
MICHIGAN CITY — Schools were closed and many highways and streets were snow-covered and slippery Wednesday as an early morning band of snow passed through the area.

The heaviest snow came in a swath from the northwest that shifted from west to east, socking Porter County between 4 and 6 a.m., then hitting Michigan City and La Porte County. The band of snow moved east of Michigan City by around 8 a.m.

Near white-out conditions caused traffic to slow during the height of the storm. The snow was driven by sustained winds of 15 to 20 mph from around 2 a.m. to 1 p.m., with gusts up to 30 mph between 7 and 8 a.m., according to the Weather Underground Web site.

Accumulations for the two-day snow event appeared to fall short of the forecast of a foot of fresh snow, but drifting made it difficult to keep streets, roads, driveways and sidewalks clear.

Many area schools were closed again for a second day Wednesday due to the snow. Closed were public and parochial schools in Michigan City, as well as La Porte, Westville, South Central, LaCrosse and Wanatah schools, Duneland Schools and St. Patrick School in Chesterton, all Purdue University-North Central facilities and Ivy Tech campuses in Michigan City and Valparaiso. The Senior Center in Michigan City was closed, and Meals on Wheels was not delivering in Michigan City and Westville.

La Lumiere Schools started one hour later, and New Buffalo, Mich., schools opened two hours late.