As I mentioned in the forecast post this morning, a shortwave is moving towards the region, and will exit quickly this afternoon. While the weather here has been pretty quiet and subdued, that is not the case in central Indiana and central Ohio. A band of heavy snowfall has formed along a band of frontogenesis in the lower levels of the atmosphere. This Ohio and Indiana snow is a force to be reckoned with today.
Frontogenesis is exactly what it sounds like – the essential creation of a front. This is typically done through the enhancement of a temperature gradient, and it enhances lift in the atmosphere. This morning, this shortwave trough has moved in, created a strong band of this and it is resulting in some very heavy snowfall rates from Indianapolis, Indiana through Dayton, Ohio. This wasn’t a well forecast band, but some higher-resolution models did show this scenario potentially unfolding.
This has created a nightmare on the roads up there, but especially on I-70. I-70 Westbound and Eastbound are closed just outside of Indianapolis because of the Indiana snow. It isn’t getting any better in Ohio near Dayton, either. Check out some of the webcam images. Some of them are pretty freaky.
If you know anyone traveling Westbound or Eastbound on I-70 this afternoon, try to advise them of a different route there. To watch how this event unfolds and continues to play out, be sure to go to the Indiana and Ohio DOT Live Traffic Pages. Keep the folks affected in the accidents in your thoughts and prayers, as well.