Northern Indiana – With a winter storm approaching this weekend, the National Weather Service (NWS) in Northern Indiana released a look at the region’s top one-day November snowfall records for Fort Wayne and South Bend. Forecasters say Fort Wayne could approach its historic totals on Saturday as the system moves across the state.
According to NWS, Fort Wayne’s largest one-day November snowfall occurred on November 29, 1942, when 6.2 inches fell. Other top marks include 6.0 inches on November 25, 1950, and 5.0 inches on November 30, 1927. Records for the city date back to 1897. With Saturday’s storm expected to bring several hours of steady snow, forecasters say a top-five finish is possible depending on the track and intensity of the system.
South Bend’s snowfall history looks very different. Thanks to its proximity to Lake Michigan and a higher potential for lake-effect snow in the fall, the city’s top November totals are significantly larger. The biggest one-day event on record brought 18.0 inches on November 2, 1911, followed by 14.6 inches on November 25, 1977. Several other top events exceed 12 inches, reflecting the much stronger lake-effect influence in northern St. Joseph County.
While exact snowfall amounts for this weekend have not been finalized, NWS says the combination of system snow and potential lake-effect enhancement could create hazardous travel conditions, particularly north of U.S. 30 and along the lake shore. Forecasters will continue to refine accumulation expectations as new model data arrives Friday night into Saturday.
Drivers across northern Indiana are encouraged to monitor updates closely, especially if traveling early Saturday or late in the day when bands may intensify.
