Michiana

ST. JOSEPH COUNTY — If you didn't have to get out today; good for you! Drivers from the north to the south battled heavy snow this morning and it hasn't stopped since. The drive anywhere Thursday was a messy one. And it only got worse. “I actually came from McKinley by First Source which the main roads aren’t too bad but once you get into the neighborhood roads and stuff like that, it gets a little rough,” Ty Thomsen from Mishawaka said. But it wasn’t long until even the busiest roads were covered.

You cannot see it, smell it, or taste it, but radon could be a problem in your home. Radon is a radioactive gas that is produced from the natural decay of the earth's soil and rock. Radon gas has a tendency to collect in buildings, including homes on all types of foundations.  Do you know the level of radon gas in your home? There is good reason to find out. Long-term exposure to high levels of radon can be dangerous to your health, said John Hatfield, of Certified Home Inspections.

WSBT-TV meteorologist Cari Peugeot said the area should get another two inches of snow Tuesday afternoon and three to six inches Tuesday night. That’s all part of a weather system coming through the Midwest. Then Wednesday, Peugot said, some areas will get lake-effect snow, but that will be scattered. However, Peugot said, the biggest problems will be wind that should pick up late tonight and remain through Wednesday morning. The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for this area through 7 p.m. Wednesday.

SOUTH BEND — In addition to tons of snow, the blizzard that swept through the area this week left in its wake a blanket of cold arctic air stretching across much of the Midwest. According to National Weather Service Meteorologist Mark Steinwedel, the temperature in South Bend hit a frigid 3 degrees above zero Thursday morning before warming up to about 13 degrees later in the afternoon. As for today, the high temperature should climb to about 20 degrees from a low of zero, Steinwedel said, but with a wind-chill factor of between 5 and 10 degrees above zero.

It's not something you expect in Indiana: a magnitude 3.8 earthquake rattled the state Thursday morning. And some people in the area are still shaken up after feeling the ground move beneath them. The US Geological Survey said the 7:55 a.m. quake was centered in Howard County, about 50 miles north of Indianapolis. It was felt as far away as Illinois, Ohio, Kentucky, Wisconsin and Michigan. The last time Indiana residents felt the effects of an earthquake was in August, when an Illinois earthquake shook the ground near Chicago.

Wind chills around Michiana could plummet to between 15 and 20 degrees below zero by early Friday morning. Take extra care if you must be outside and please provide protection for your outdoor pets. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY through 1 p.m. Friday for Berrien and Cass counties. Expect lake-effect snow showers, blowing snow. WIND CHILL ADVISORY through Friday morning for Berrien and Cass counties in Michigan. Fulton, Kosciusko, LaPorte, Marshall, Porter, Pulaski and Starke counties in Indiana.

It's one of the most familiar sights and sounds of the holiday season: The Salvation Army's red kettles and the bells! But one Michiana man is taking bell ringing to a whole new level.

Everyone in Michiana is under a FREEZE WARNING tonight. Temps will dip into the upper 20's to low 30's around the area, allowing widespread frost to develop around daybreak Monday morning. Take note, gardeners!   If you have sensitive plants, be sure to bring them in the garage or throw a bed sheet over them. A freeze warning means sub-freezing temperatures are imminent or highly likely. These conditions will not only kill plants but also crops. The freeze warning remains in effect from 2 a.m. to 9 a.m. Monday.

Now that temperatures are beginning to approach the freezing mark, many wet roads throughout Michiana are beginning to freeze, and it's causing headaches for drivers. According to police dispatchers across the area, bridges and overpasses are the hardest-hit at this time. These areas are notoriously dangerous in icy conditions. Roads are expected to remain slick through Monday morning and police urge drivers to use caution on bridges and overpasses. Please take it slow on the roads and do not travel unless it is absolutely necessary.

The snow and wind that hammered us at times Sunday made for a tricky situation for drivers in Michiana. We've been hearing about accidents all afternoon and evening throughout the viewing area. Police have not confirmed the cause, or if it was related to bad road conditions, but around 6:30 p.m. numerous emergency responders and a medical helicopter were sent to the scene of a crash at U.S. 31 and 2C Road in Marshall County. A county dispatcher told us two patients were taken to the hospital.