Indiana
Much of Indiana under winter storm watches for snow, sleet, freezing rain
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A winter storm watch has been issued for much of central and southern Indiana from Saturday night into Monday night.
The bigger snowstorm will follow a smaller one expected to hit parts of Indiana on Thursday night and early Friday morning.
Here are details on the three separate winter storms watches, issued Thursday afternoon, that include Indiana.
Central Indiana
The National Weather Service at Indianapolis says to expect 6 inches of snow or more, with a potential accumulations of sleet and freezing rain around southern portions of central Indiana.
The storm was expected to bring slick and hazardous roadways, and snow on trees could bring down power lines.
The watch says, “Persons should consider delaying all travel. If travel is absolutely necessary, drive with extreme caution. Consider taking a winter storm kit along with you, including such items as tire chains, booster cables, flashlight, shovel, blankets and extra clothing. Also take water, a first aid kit, and anything else that would help you survive in case you become stranded.”
Indiana counties in the watch issued from the Indianapolis weather service office are Bartholomew, Boone, Brown, Carroll, Clinton, Clay, Daviess, Decatur, Delaware, Fountain, Greene, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Henry, Howard, Jackson, Jennings, Johnson, Knox, Lawrence, Madison, Marion, Martin, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Owen, Parke, Putnam, Randolph, Rush, Shelby, Sullivan, Tippecanoe, Tipton, Vermillion, and Vigo.
Southeastern Indiana
The National Weather Service at Louisville, Kentucky, says to expect a wintry mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain from late Saturday night through Monday afternoon. Snow and sleet amounts of greater than 4 inches and significant ice accumulations of greater than a quarter of an inch are expected in the watch area that includes southern Indiana.
Indiana counties in the watch area from the Louisville weather office are Clark, Crawford, Dubois, Floyd, Jefferson, Harrison, Orange, Perry, Scott, Washington. The watch from the Louisville weather officer also extends into Kentucky.
Southwestern Indiana
The National Weather Service at Paducah, Kentucky, says heavy mixed precipitation is possible from late Saturday night into late Sunday night. Snow and sleet accumulations of 4 inches or more, and ice accumulations of one-quarter inch or more are possible.
Indiana counties in the watch area from the Paducah weather office are Gibson, Pike, Posey, Spencer, Vanderburgh, and Warrick. The watch also includes parts of Illinois and Kentucky.
Statement
“The Indianapolis Department of Public Works (Indy DPW) is prepared for the forecasted winter weather conditions, including a strong winter system this weekend. Starting tonight, Indy DPW will dispatch over 80 crew members to begin pre-treating roadways, bridges, and overpasses across Marion County for a snow event set to start later this evening. Indy DPW crews will operate on rotating 12-hour shifts throughout the snow event, which Indy DPW officials expect to bring up to an inch of snowfall with potential freezing overnight.
“‘Our crews are prepared to address the weather expected to impact our community this week and will continue to monitor and respond to any changes in the forecast’ said Indy DPW Interim Director Sam Beres. ‘In partnership with AFSCME Local 725, we will remain focused on addressing roadway conditions throughout the duration of the expected weather impacts. We remind residents to give our snowplow and salt truck drivers space to work safely.’
“Looking ahead to the weekend, several weather models show the potential for a strong winter system (Sunday AM through Monday AM) that is expected to impact several Midwestern states, including Indiana. While it is too soon to determine the exact track of the system and snowfall totals at this time, Indy DPW is preparing for the possibility of hazardous conditions and significant travel impacts.
“Indy DPW reminds drivers to follow best practices when traveling in winter weather including:
- Staying informed: Before leaving home, find out about the road conditions. Drivers need to know the weather and their limits. Follow the National Weather Service (NWS) and local media to help you stay on top of the latest conditions and forecasts.
- Time and space: Leave plenty of time to reach your destination safely. Remember to drive below the posted speed limit and leave plenty of room between cars and Indy DPW vehicles. Always watch out for pedestrians.
- Pack extra resources: Stock your vehicle with extra resources that may be useful. Some resources include water, blankets, chargers for devices, extra clothes, and salt.
“Indianapolis constituents can stay up to date on winter weather events online by following us on Twitter @IndySnowForce and @IndyDPW. The Indy Snow Force Viewer will also be activated for this winter weather event, identifying roads located along standard routes that have been recently plowed or treated with salt during a snow event.
“For more information, please visit the Indy DPW Snow Force webpage at: indy.gov/snow“
Indianapolis Department of Public Works
Indiana
Bears consider move to Indiana with effort to secure public funding for stadium in Illinois stalled
CHICAGO — The Chicago Bears say they’re mulling a move to Northwest Indiana with their efforts to secure public funding they say they need to build an enclosed stadium in Illinois stalled.
Team president Kevin Warren insisted Wednesday in an open letter to fans that the team still prefers to build a new home on a tract of land it owns in suburban Arlington Heights, Illinois. He also said the Bears are not using the threat to cross state lines as leverage.
“This is not about leverage,” Warren said. “We spent years trying to build a new home in Cook County. We invested significant time and resources evaluating multiple sites and rationally decided on Arlington Heights. Our fans deserve a world-class stadium. Our players and coaches deserve a venue that matches the championship standard they strive for every day.”
Warren did not say where in Northwest Indiana the Bears would look to move.
The letter comes just days before Chicago hosts rival Green Bay in a game with heavy playoff implications. The Bears (10-4) hold a slim lead over the Packers (9-4-1) in the NFC North. In their first season under coach Ben Johnson, they are trying to secure their first postseason appearance since 2020.
“The Bears have called Chicago home for more than a century,” Warren said. “One certainty is that our commitment to this city will not change. We will continue to provide unwavering support to the community. We need to secure a world-class venue for our passionate fanbase and honor the energy you bring every week.”
The Bears’ focus for a new home has fluctuated between a tract of land they own in Arlington Heights to the Chicago lakefront, and then back to the suburb. They have said they plan to pay for the stadium construction on the site of a former racetrack about 30 miles northwest of their longtime home at Soldier Field, though they would need assistance to complete the project.
According to a team consultant report released in September, they are seeking $855 million in public funding for infrastructure in order to build a stadium in Arlington Heights that could host Final Fours and Super Bowls. The Bears were also hoping the Illinois legislature would pass a bill in October that would freeze property taxes for large-scale construction projects such as the stadium, allowing them to begin construction this year. But that didn’t happen.
“For a project of this scale, uncertainty has significant consequences,” Warren said. “Stable timelines are critical, as are predictable processes and elected leaders, who share a sense of urgency and appreciation for public partnership that projects with this level of impact require. We have not received that sense of urgency or appreciation to date. We have been told directly by State leadership, our project will not be a priority in 2026, despite the benefits it will bring to Illinois.”
In September 2022, the Bears unveiled a nearly $5 billion plan for Arlington Heights that also called for restaurants, retail and more, when they were finalizing the purchase of that site 30 miles from Soldier Field. Their focus moved toward building a new stadium next to Soldier Field after Warren was hired as president two years ago to replace the retiring Ted Phillips. The plan to transform Chicago’s Museum Campus got an enthusiastic endorsement from Mayor Brandon Johnson but a tepid reception from Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and state legislators when it was announced in April 2024.
Last spring, the team announced it was turning its attention back to Arlington Heights, citing “significant progress” with local leaders.
Since moving to Chicago in 1921, the Bears have never owned their stadium, whether playing at Wrigley Field from 1921 to 1970 or Soldier Field since then.
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LAFAYETTE, IN — Hopes for a white Christmas are fading quickly in Indiana.
“I know earlier in the month we were thinking we might have a higher chance of a white Christmas,” National Weather Service meteorologist Cody Moore said, “but unfortunately, I have some bad news for you. A lot of long-range guidance has been consistent showing a pattern on Christmas Day featuring much warmer than normal temperatures for the region and the chance for some rainfall.
“It does look like we’ll be above average, temperatures at least in the 40s, maybe 50s,” Moore said on Wednesday, just three days after subzero temperatures pummeled the area.
With still eight days until Christmas, the forecasts closer to Dec. 25 might bump the expected high temps up even into the 60s, Moore said.
Normal temperatures this time of year for Lafayette are 36 for a high and 22 for a low.
“It looks like you might be able to keep your heavy winter jackets in the closet for now,” Moore said.
How will a Christmas with temperatures in the 40s, 50s or even 60s compare to Christmases past?
In 1982, Lafayette’s record-warm Christmas was 64 degrees. Its record cold temperature was 12 below zero in 2000.
So now that the dreams of a white Christmas appear dashed, what about January or February?
The Climate Prediction Center published a three-month forecast in November, and an update is expected in the next couple of days.
But last month, center’s forecast for January, February and March was for Hoosiers to have an equal chance of above and/or below average temperatures.
“We’ll see how that translates with the storm track,” Moore said.
The Climate Prediction Center forecasts warmer than normal temperatures in the southern United States and below normal temperatures in the Northern Plains.
“That puts the storm track right through Indiana, which makes sense because the Climate Prediction Center has Indiana as a bullseye for a pattern favoring above-normal precipitation,” Moore said. Temperatures will decide whether that precipitation falls as rain or snow — or ice or freezing rain.
Reach Ron Wilkins at rwilkins@jconline.com. Follow on Twitter: @RonWilkins2.
Former UConn forward, NBC Sports broadcaster Donny Marshall knows a thing or two about talented UConn guards.
The former Husky played for legendary coach Jim Calhoun and was teammates with the fifth pick in the 1996 NBA Draft, 10-time NBA All-Star Ray Allen. Watching UConn play against Butler on Tuesday night, Marshall said he sees a lot of Allen in reigning Indiana Mr. Basketball Braylon Mullins.
Mullins made the second start of his career against the Bulldogs. The former Greenfield-Central star missed UConn’s first six games of the regular season with an injury, but the 6-foot-6 guard is quickly coming into his own and showing why he’s a projected lottery pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Against Butler, Mullins showed off his sweet jump shot, going 2 for 5 from 3-point range. He finished with 12 points, three rebounds, two assists, two blocks and one steal.
“He’s a scorer,” Butler coach Thad Matta said of Mullins. “He’s got a scorer’s mentality. He gets his shot off quick. They move him around and create some angles for him. Obviously, he’s a heck of a player.”
Mullins did most of his damage in the first half, scoring eight of his 12 points before halftime. The former five-star recruit was the highest-ranked player in UConn’s 2025 class. Butler’s top-ranked recruit, Azavier “Stink” Robinson isn’t the NBA prospect Mullins is, but he held his own after a shaky start to the game.
Robinson has been thrust into the starting lineup with starter Jalen Jackson out for the season with an ankle injury. Robinson looked out of sorts at times in the first half, going scoreless with two assists and a turnover. In the second half, Matta moved him off the ball, giving him catch-and-shoot looks, and opportunities to drive to the basket without worrying about running the offense.
The former Lawrence North star responded with one of the better halves of his career, scoring 10 points on 3 for 6 shooting, including 2 for 5 from 3 to go along with two rebounds, one assist, one steal and one turnover.
Facing a veteran team like UConn, nothing comes easy. UConn’s guards harass ball handlers and getting into an offensive set is not easy. This time last year, Robinson was still in high school and, on most nights, the most athletic player on the court. Playing a UConn team where the goal is a national championship, Robinson was forced to grow, and he did not back down from the challenge in the second half.
“He’s coming along,” Matta said of Robinson. “That’s the first Big East road game of his career against maybe the best team in the country. It tells you how tough he is. He’s resilient. He keeps going.”
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