Logansport, Indiana – Dangerous snow squalls swept across parts of Illinois and Indiana early Wednesday, triggering multiple Snow Squall Warnings and creating sudden whiteout conditions and hazardous travel on major highways.
According to the National Weather Service in Northern Indiana, an intense snow squall developed late Wednesday morning and raced southeast at speeds of 35 to 50 mph. The squall produced heavy bursts of snow, wind gusts exceeding 35 mph, and rapidly falling visibility, making travel dangerous within minutes. Portions of Cass, Fulton, Miami, Wabash, White, Pulaski, Starke, Marshall, and Kosciusko counties were placed under a Snow Squall Warning through late morning.
The most significant impacts were reported along Interstate 65 between mile markers 185 and 198, where blowing snow and sudden whiteouts made driving treacherous. Communities including Logansport, Peru, Wabash, Rochester, Monticello, Winamac, and North Judson were directly affected as the squall moved through.
In central Illinois, the National Weather Service in Lincoln and Chicago issued additional Snow Squall Warnings for Champaign, McLean, Woodford, Livingston, Ford, Iroquois, Benton, Jasper, and Newton counties. Wind gusts in these squalls exceeded 50 mph, raising the risk of flash freezing on wet roads and blowing around unsecured objects. Interstates 39, 55, 57, 74, and Indiana’s I-65 saw rapidly deteriorating conditions.
Snow squalls are especially dangerous due to their sudden onset. Visibility can drop to near zero in seconds, leaving drivers little time to react. Officials urged motorists to slow down, turn on headlights, and avoid travel if possible. There is no safe place on a highway during a snow squall, as traction and visibility are lost almost immediately.
Warnings were expected to expire by late morning as squalls pushed southeast, but officials cautioned that additional bursts could redevelop as colder air continues moving through the region.
