South Bend, IN – A powerful lake effect snow event is taking shape across northwest Indiana and southwest Lower Michigan, with totals of 6 to 12 inches expected by Monday morning in the hardest-hit areas. Roads could quickly become snow-covered and slick by late Sunday night, especially in lake-effect-prone counties like La Porte, St. Joseph, Berrien, and Cass.
According to the National Weather Service Northern Indiana, confidence is growing in a high-impact snow band developing downwind of Lake Michigan beginning Sunday evening. The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) is activating its first #INDOTWinterOps call-out at midnight, with crews monitoring road conditions and plow deployments on standby. Motorists are urged to check 511in.org or the TrafficWise app for live road updates before traveling.
Travel conditions will vary sharply over short distances. Drivers should expect rapidly changing visibility and snowfall rates, especially near the lake shore. INDOT is warning that bridges and ramps will freeze first — slow down, leave early, and allow extra stopping distance. With winds blowing snow back onto cleared roads, whiteout conditions could develop quickly in rural areas.
Residents should bring pets indoors, charge phones, and top off heating fuel before the storm hits. The heaviest snowfall is expected overnight into early Monday, with some locations possibly exceeding a foot of snow.
More advisories could be issued as conditions evolve — stay weather aware through Monday morning.
