A car stuck on the roadside along SR 15. (Photo by Deb Patterson)

If you haven’t already noticed, the roads in and around Kosciusko County are a little rough this morning.

Kosciusko County is currently under a advisory level travel advisory, which means roads could be slick and snow covered. “With the wind they’re calling for today, I don’t see it getting any better,” says Ed Rock of Kosciusko County Emergency Management.

As of 9:30 p.m. last night Whitley County is also under a travel advisory. Marshall County Emergency Management announced earlier this morning that Marshall County is under a “watch” travel advisory. County roads are drifted in some spots, and only essential travel is recommended.

The Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department reports that 68 slide-offs/weather-related accidents have been reported in Kosciusko County since midnight Jan. 8. KCSD Public Information Officer Chad Hill states there could be additional slide-offs where police were not notified. Some plow drivers were called out overnight to assist emergency personnel.

(Photo by Deb Patterson)

Kosciusko County Highway Department Superintendent Scott Tilden reports county highway crews have been out since 4 a.m. this morning. Most of the main roads have been serviced by drivers. Crews are expected to hit all roads at least once and main routes several times throughout the day. Tilden reports crews will be working the roads into the evening to accommodate the evening commute.

Tilden said north/south are particularly troublesome as winds are currently coming in from the west. Last night, the east/west roads were given trouble by southwest winds. Most plow drivers are operating with one-way plows. Several drivers have reported drifts as high as five feet, mainly on the west side of roadways. Tilden said some crews have switched to V-shaped plows to deal with the drifts.

Some plow trucks have gone off roadways as a result of hitting drifts, such as the truck that was stuck at CR 900N and CR 200E. Tilden also reports that stranded vehicles can impede snow clearing efforts. Additionally, wrecker services are backed up due to numerous slide-offs, and could take some time getting to stranded vehicles. In summation: drive slow, especially going through turns, use caution or stay off the roads if possible.

Obviously, it’s still cold outside. The National Weather Service is reporting temperatures are presently around nine degrees, which could very well be the day’s high. A winter chill advisory is in effect for Kosciusko, Marshall, Whitley, Wabash and Noble Counties until 1 p.m. today. So make sure you don’t have too much bare skin exposed if you have to go outside.

A stretch of SR 15 near Milford earlier this morning. (Photo by Deb Patterson)

The forecast for Warsaw is calling for high of 10 degrees tomorrow, low of eight degrees. Temperatures are expected to get back in to the 20s by Sunday with highs holding in the high 20s through Tuesday. NWS also reports that recent regional snowfall has been between 2 inches and 6 inches, with the area near Nappanee receiving the largest amounts in Kosciusko County.

Ink Free News will continue to keep you updated on weather and travel conditions, as well as local closings and cancellations. For additional roadway information, Rock recommends the Travel Advisory app from the Indiana Office of Technology, which is available for iPhone and Android.