It’s no secret that Indiana winters can be rough. Some, though, are rougher than others, thanks to nasty ice storms that occasionally roll through. Here are our picks for some of the absolute craziest winter storms in Indiana history; some of them you may remember – and some of them you might just have to ask the grandparents about!

Here are a few historic ice storms that'll blow you away (see what we did there?):
Mira d'Oubliette/Flickr
1. February 1976
Yeonsang/Flickr
Beginning the night of February 4th and continuing through the early evening on February 5th, this ice storm coated central Indiana in between 1/2 and two inches of ice for a 50-mile-wide damage swath. Trees, power and telephone lines, and some structures were so severely damaged that the scene was compared to that of a tornado. The ice didn't even begin to melt until February 7th.
2. March 1988
Tom Gill/Flickr
Central Indiana was hit yet again by a whopper of an ice storm for a freezing and windy 24 hours from March 3rd to March th4, 1988. Numerous car accidents were caused by icy roads as ice 1/2 to 2 inches thick accumulated on everything in sight. Thousands were without power for days, and schools were shut down for some time. Ask anyone who was a kid at that time, though, and they'll probably tell you how much fun they had.

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3. March 1991
Tom Gill/Flickr
Another March ice storm brought the Midwest to a grinding halt as it coated northern Indiana with up to 3 inches of ice on March 12th and 13th. This storm also brought high winds with it, with gusts of 40 miles per hour recorded. More than 200,000 homes were left without power, some until as late as April. The I-65 halted entirely and four cities were nearly 100 percent shut down. Damage costs from the storm were estimated to be up to $100 million dollars.
4. January 2005
Laurie/Flickr
Once again, central Indiana found themselves subjected to an intense ice storm from January 5th to January 6th. Ice accumulated up to an inch thick on every outdoor surface, crippling many Hoosier communities for as long as a week. More than 150,000 homes were left without power, and over 1,000 people ended up seeking shelter through the Red Cross. Hospitals found themselves forced to go on backup power, and damage was found to be in the millions.
5. January/February 2011
StevenW./Flickr
From January 31st to February 2nd, this strong ice storm moved through central Indiana (again!) with 50 mile per hour winds accompanying it. It coated everything in inches of ice and left more than 80,000 homes with no power. This storm caused significant travel problems, numerous car accidents, and closures for several days as recovery efforts began.
These ice storms were classified as severe. Thankfully, not every snowstorm comes with ice, and not every ice storm ends up being a disaster.
Tom Gill/Flickr
...the ones that do, though, tend to be remembered and told about for decades, if not longer.

Where were you for these incredible events? Have you ever lived through an ice storm in Indiana? Tell us all about your experiences in the comments. Have a particular storm that you’ll never, ever forget? Tell us about it using this form and you might see yours featured someday!

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Ice Storms In Indiana

Tori Jane | October 02, 2021

How often do ice storms occur in Indiana?  

On average, Indiana and its neighboring states will experience 15 severe ice storms in a decade, which comes out to a rough average of 0.66 severe ice storms in a year’s time. They don’t occur every year, of course, but some years are certainly more difficult – with more than one ice storm, for example – than others. Blizzards, however, are much more common, though occasionally Midwesterners will be hit with the snow-and-ice combo storm, which is a double nightmare. Ice storms are more common in northern Indiana than in the rest of the state.  

What was the worst ice storm in Indiana history?  

There have unfortunately been several ice storms throughout the history of the Midwest that one could easily argue were the “worst”, but the one that most often comes up in discussions of worst-of-the-worst ice storms to ever hit Indiana is the devastating 1991 event. On March 12th and 13th of that year, the Hoosier State was coated in anywhere from one to three inches of ice on everything. At least four small towns ground to a halt almost immediately, losing power and drivable roads overnight. This incredible freak event caused about 100 million dollars in damages which, in 1991, was the equivalent of about 200.8 million dollars today. Ask anyone who was alive and living in Indiana where they were and what they did during this historic event and they’ll more than likely be happy to tell you their stories. If you’d like to read more about the epic (and terrifying) ice storm of March 1991, check out this previous article on the subject.  

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