The deadly historic winter storm that moved across the country didn’t leave Marion County untouched. Three deaths in Indianapolis are likely linked to the storm, the Marion County Coroner’s Office said Jan. 27, 2026.
At least 34 other deaths have been reported around the country tied to the storm.
The dangerous freezing temperatures are expected to remain for the rest of the week, with wind chills dipping as low as 25 degrees below zero, according to the National Weather Service in Indianapolis. Frostbite and hypothermia are real threats and experts advise people to bundle up and limit time outdoors.
Travel still isn’t recommended, though the rules have loosened a bit on that front … if you can get your vehicle out of your neighborhood.
Ryan Murphy
The Marion County Coroner’s Office is investigating the apparently weather-related deaths of 61-year-old William Johns Jr., 59-year-old Violet Wells and 69-year-old Ellen Siakotos.
Official causes and manners of death remained pending at the time of publication.
John Tufts
Central Indiana can expect cold, bitter temperatures Tuesday afternoon and evening, according to an updated weather forecast from the National Weather Service in Indianapolis, in which some Hoosiers might see “areas of blowing snow.”
Forecasters said conditions Tuesday afternoon will be mostly cloudy, with a high near 20 and a low of -8. Along with 15 mph winds, some wind gusts could be as strong as 26 mph.
“We’re going to have potentially dangerous wind chills through much of the week and into Saturday,” said NWS meteorologist Greg Melo, adding that Central Indiana is under an Extreme Cold Warning starting 10 p.m. Tuesday and lasting until noon Wednesday.
Dangerous subzero wind chills as low as -25 degrees are possible Tuesday night, which can cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 30 minutes.
Jade Jackson
Indiana State Police said troopers are still seeing a large number of crashes in the Indianapolis district. The numbers have gone up to 407 crashes with 46 injuries that they’ve responded to.
There have also been 178 slide-offs and 604 motorist assists where a vehicle has been stuck or stalled on the roads.
Even Sgt. John Perrine took a fall when slipping on I-70 near downtown while working because of icy conditions.
Jade Jackson
Marion County Emergency Management said an extreme cold warning has been issued by NWS Indianapolis, going into effect until noon Jan. 28.
Schools have started to delay and cancel classes as a result. Keep up with those announcements here.
Ryan Murphy
As freezing temperatures persist and lingering snow blows across the state’s highways, the Indiana State Police continue responding to a high volume of calls for help.
Between noon on Monday, Jan. 26 and noon on Tuesday, Jan. 27, the agency responded to 136 slide-offs, 300 stranded or stuck cars and 342 crashes. One of the crashes was fatal and 49 injured at least one person.
These are higher than usual numbers even for a winter storm, Capt. Ron Galaviz said, in part because the snow affected nearly the entire state.
Galaviz said drivers must continue to exercise more caution than usual.
“It’s still slippery out there,” he said.
State up-to-date with travel conditions at 511in.org and travel advisories at in.gov/dhs/travel-advisory-map
Ryan Murphy
Passengers transiting through the Indianapolis International Airport may continue to experience travel woes on Jan. 27, but timetables are already significantly better than they have been over the past two days.
As of about 1:15 p.m. on Jan. 27, the Indianapolis airport has experienced 47 delays and 38 cancellations on Tuesday, according to flight tracking website FlightAware.
By comparison, there were at least 100 cancellations involving Indianapolis flights on both Sunday, Jan. 25 and Monday, Jan. 26.
Nationwide, flight delays and cancellations have already dropped sharply in the wake of Winter Storm Fern. More than 12,500 flights throughout the U.S. were canceled on Sunday, Jan. 25, compared to just under 2,300 on Tuesday.
John Tufts
With temperatures continuing to dip below freezing, the mounds of snow around the city won’t be going away quickly.
Forecasters, however, are predicting a day next week when temperatures might briefly be warm enough for the snow to start melting. Unfortunately, it won’t last long.
Jen Guadarrama
Indiana State Police PIO Sgt. John Perrine said that I-70 westbound lanes are reopening after crashes snarled traffic there this morning.
Jade Jackson
Branches in Marion, Clarksville, and North Vernon are now open, according to an update from Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles, which also said Boonville is open to serve customers affected by Dale closing.
Original post: The Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles announced that some branches will be closed due to the hazardous weather and travel advisories. It will contact customers with scheduled skills exams and branch appointments to reschedule once they open again. Here is a list of the closed branches:
The Clinton branch will be open in place of the Rockville branch being closed.
Customers can call the BMV’s Contact Center at 888-692-6841 during normal business hours. Some transactions can be completed online at the myBMV website, according to the BMV, which said a list of available transactions can be found here.
Jade Jackson
As of 9 a.m., the Indianapolis Department of Public Works said they’re almost entirely done with routes they announced they would work on in a news conference on Jan. 26. Contractors are set to meet their deadlines of clearing Priority 2 and Priority 3 streets, which are in residential areas.
Officials will be double-checking contractor routes today and tonight.
Since temperatures have warmed up a bit, Indy DPW crews and Snow Force have put down small amounts of salts on the road. They normally don’t drop salt if the temperature is below 15 degrees, because salt stops working at that point.
Jen Guadarrama
Indiana State Police announced that multiple crashes and ice have forced the closure of I-70 westbound at I-465 on the east side. All traffic is being diverted to 465.
No injuries were immediately reported. State police said they’ve responded to hundreds of crashes during this winter storm and have repeatedly asked drivers to slow down and stay off the roads if possible. It’s unknown when the lanes could reopen.
Indiana State Police PIO Sgt. John Perrine said drivers should seek alternate routes and that INDOT trucks were “on the way with lots of salt.”
Marion County remains under a travel watch, which means: “conditions are threatening to the safety of the public. During a “watch” local travel advisory, only essential travel, such as to and from work or in emergency situations, is recommended, and emergency action plans should be implemented by businesses, schools, government agencies and other organizations.”
State up-to-date with travel conditions at 511in.org and travel advisories at in.gov/dhs/travel-advisory-map
Jade Jackson
In the latest update on travel advisories across the state, Marion County remains under a travel watch. A travel watch means that conditions are threatening to the public, so only essential travel is recommended.
The only significant changes to the map since 7 a.m. this morning:
Jade Jackson
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police said officers have been called to 95 slide-offs between 3 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 24, and 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 27. They have responded to 247 car crashes during that time, with most involving property damage.
A travel watch remains in effect in Indianapolis. Only essential travel is advised.
Jade Jackson
In an online post, Indiana State Police said most interstate ramps in the Indianapolis District are covered by ice.
“Use caution when entering and exiting the interstates. Troopers are responding to multiple crashes and slide-offs,” the post stated.
Keep tabs on road conditions online at 511in.org and check travel advisories at in.gov/dhs/travel-advisory-map
Jade Jackson
Indiana State Police’s Indianapolis District 52 public information officer, Sgt. John Perrine has been keeping people up-to-date on road conditions in real time since the snowstorm hit.
As of 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 27, Perrine said that “Roads are improving but still very hazardous.”
Perrine said Indiana State Police in and around the city have seen a total of 264 crashes with 33 injuries, 158 slide-offs, and 529 motorists who needed assistance because they were either stuck in the snow or had broken down vehicles since snow started falling Saturday afternoon.
Keep tabs on road conditions online at 511in.org and check travel advisories at in.gov/dhs/travel-advisory-map
Jen Guadarrama
The city announced that all Indianapolis Public Library facilities would continue to be closed on Tuesday. Its website at indypl.org remains operational.
People looking for options to get out of the cold can find warming centers online at parks.indy.gov/extremeweather and by calling 211.
Jen Guadarrama
Check road conditions, including road closures, crashes and live webcams using Indiana’s online Trafficwise map at 511in.org, or visit our gridlock guide page for live traffic cams and more.
INDOT’s CARS Program provides information about road conditions, closures and width and weight restrictions. The website has a color-coded map of Indiana’s highways and highlights hazardous road conditions and travel delays.
The interactive map also shows road work warnings, closures, roadway restrictions and other information helpful to drivers.
As of 7 a.m. there were 16 Indiana counties in the southern portion of the state still under a travel warning, which restricts traffic to emergency personnel and essential workers.
Jen Guadarrama
If your normal trash collection day is Monday or Tuesday, you won’t receive service until next week.
To get back on track the city opted to skip the typical sliding schedule that pushes everyone’s trash collection back by a day and instead will continue with normal collection starting Wednesday, Jan. 28.
Those who were skipped on Monday and Tuesday will be able to set out bagged trash beside their bins on Feb. 2 and Feb. 3 for collection, if needed.
This new schedule affects DPW and Lakeshore Recycling Systems customers across Indianapolis.
