Safety and preparation are the keys to staying safe this winter
Officials talk about winter preparedness, safety, tips. Safety and preparation are the keys. Here are some tips.
A little bit of sun may have shined over Central Indiana Saturday morning, but colder air has already settled in over the region for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend.
Chilly days are ahead, the National Weather Service Indianapolis says. Hoosiers are advised to layer up if they are outside for prolonged periods of time — including if it’s to cheer on the Indiana University Hoosiers football team in Monday night’s championship game against the University of Miami.
“We had a little bit of sun this morning, but the clouds are moving back in,” said Kacie Fuson, meteorologist for NWS Indianapolis. “We’ve got chances for flurries for much of the day.”
Temperatures are expected to top out in the 20s on Saturday and Sunday, with Monday forecasted to be the coldest day of the holiday weekend. Fuson said a high of around 16 degrees is expected. Chillingly, however, it will feel even colder. Wind chills are expected to drop as low as -5 to -10 degrees over the weekend through Monday.
“It makes it feel even colder,” she said. “If you’re spending a lot of time outside, the wind is going to quickly decrease your body temperature because the warmth around you disappears faster.”
More: Extreme cold: Why your house is popping and how to prevent your windows from cracking
The colder weather is expected to linger until mid-week, when the high will be near 40 on Wednesday, before temperatures boomerang. Toward the end of the week, Central Indiana can expect temperatures to drift back to near 30.
For now, Hoosiers, especially those out and about watching and celebrating the championship game, are advised to layer up and stay inside when possible.
“They definitely need to bundle up and try and find a place to watch the game indoors or near a heater,” Fuson said.
What’s the National Weather Service weekend forecast?
According to NWS Indianapolis, the following weather conditions are expected this weekend:
Saturday: Isolated snow showers before 11 a.m., then scattered flurries afterward. It’s expected to be partly sunny, with a steady temperature around 26 degrees. West wind will be around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. The night’s weather is expected to be partly cloudy, with a low around 13 degrees and west wind 9 to 11 mph.
Sunday: A 20% chance of snow after 1 p.m. It’s expected to be mostly sunny, with a high near 25 degrees. West southwest wind 7 to 11 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph. Sunday night weather conditions are expected to be cloudy, then gradually become partly cloudy. There will be a low around 11 degrees, and southwest wind 9 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph.
Monday: It’ll be mostly sunny, with a high near 17 degrees. West wind forecasted to be around 14 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph. Monday night conditions will be mostly clear, with a low around 6 degrees and west wind 6 to 8 mph.
See the rest of the NWS Indianapolis 7-day forecast for Central Indiana.
Contact IndyStar investigative reporter Alexandria Burris at aburris@gannett.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter, at @allyburris and on Bluesky at@allymburris.bsky.social.