Traffic
Indiana Thanksgiving Travel: Gary, IN Drivers Face Whiteout Dangers
South Bend, IN – Imagine heading east on the Indiana Toll Road for Thanksgiving, approaching South Bend as holiday traffic moves steadily along Interstate 80/90. Suddenly, a wall of blowing snow sweep
By Rachel Monroe · 2026-11-14T11:04:10.596Z
South Bend, IN – Imagine heading east on the Indiana Toll Road for Thanksgiving, approaching South Bend as holiday traffic moves steadily along Interstate 80/90. Suddenly, a wall of blowing snow sweeps across the highway. Semitrailers begin disappearing into the whiteout, brake lights become difficult to see and a routine holiday drive turns dangerous within moments. It's the kind of sudden winter weather Indiana motorists should prepare for as Thanksgiving approaches Thursday, Nov. 26.
According to the National Weather Service NWS , these intense bursts of snowfall, officially called snow squalls and sometimes described as "micro blizzards," can produce gusty winds, near zero visibility and rapidly deteriorating road conditions.
Unlike prolonged winter storms, snow squalls can develop quickly, leaving motorists little time to react.
Indiana Highways Where Sudden Whiteouts Are a Concern Interstate 80/94 through Gary, Hammond and Portage is a major Thanksgiving travel corridor where sudden winter weather can create hazardous driving conditions.
The Indiana Toll Road, carrying I 80 and I 90 through northern Indiana, Interstate 65 between Gary and Indianapolis, and U.S. Highway 30 through Valparaiso and Plymouth also face winter driving risks.
Interstate 69 near Fort Wayne and Interstate 94 near Michigan City are additional routes where heavy snowfall and reduced visibility can threaten travelers.
Motorists traveling through Lake, Porter, LaPorte, St. Joseph, Elkhart and Marshall counties should monitor changing forecasts, particularly when snow showers and gusty winds are possible.
Communities near Lake Michigan face additional hazards from lake effect snow, which can produce intense snowfall and sharply reduced visibility. Lake effect snow bands are not necessarily snow squalls, but both can create dangerous highway conditions.
What Happens When a Snow Squall Warning Is Issued? The NWS issues Snow Squall Warnings when dangerous snow squalls are occurring or imminent.
Warnings typically last 30 to 60 minutes and may activate Wireless Emergency Alerts on compatible mobile phones.
Sudden whiteouts at interstate speeds can increase the risk of multivehicle crashes, particularly when motorists brake abruptly or follow too closely.
What Thanksgiving Travelers Should Do If a Snow Squall Warning is issued, the safest option is to delay travel until conditions improve .
Drivers already traveling should gradually reduce speed, increase following distance, activate low beam headlights and avoid sudden braking.
If visibility deteriorates, safely exit the highway when possible rather than stopping in an active travel lane.
Before departing, motorists should check Indiana 511 for highway conditions and NWS Northern Indiana or NWS Chicago for official forecasts and warnings covering northern Indiana.
This is a Thanksgiving travel preparedness reminder, not a prediction that snow squalls will strike Indiana during the holiday. Recognizing how quickly dangerous winter conditions can develop could help motorists make safer travel decisions as Thanksgiving approaches.