A Greenwood plow truck scoops up slush left on the side of the road as the driver works to clear Smith Valley Road on Jan. 26, 2023. Daily Journal file photo
Friday’s winter storm dumped an average of 4.5 inches of snow on Johnson County, data shows.
The Smith Valley area in White River Township saw the highest total in the county, with a location 0.8 miles northeast of Smith Valley reporting 5.6 inches. Other areas of the county saw a range of snow totals from 4.4 to 5.6 inches, according to a public information statement from the National Weather Service in Indianapolis.
The snowfall marks the snowiest day Johnson County has seen in at least two years. Other areas of Indiana saw higher totals on Friday, with Elnora in Daviess County reporting 7.1 inches. The highest totals in neighboring counties were 6 inches at Stone Head in Brown County, Traders Point in Marion County and Morristown in Shelby County; 5.3 inches at a location 3 miles southwest of Columbus in Bartholomew County; and 4.8 inches at a location 3.2 miles east-northeast of Paragon in Morgan County, data shows.
As for Johnson County locations, here are the totals reported to the weather service:
- Smith Valley 0.8 miles NE: 5.6 inches reported at 7 a.m. Saturday;
- Greenwood: 5.5 inches reported at 6:59 p.m. Friday;
- Center Grove 1.9 N: 5 inches reported at 7:08 p.m. Friday;
- Greenwood 2.1 ESE: 5 inches reported at 7 a.m. Saturday;
- New Whiteland: 5 inches reported at 7:14 p.m. Friday;
- Whiteland: 5 inches reported at 7:14 p.m. Friday;
- Bargersville: 4.9 inches reported at 10:22 a.m Saturday;
- Smith Valley 2.8 SSE: 4.9 inches reported at 7 a.m Saturday;
- Franklin 1 W: 4.4 inches reported at 7 a.m. Saturday.
Friday’s snowfall caused issues for drivers across Johnson County and the region, with numerous accidents and slide-offs reported.
Indiana State Police troopers responded to more than 130 crashes and 27 calls to help stuck or disabled motorists in the Indianapolis district, with most being reported between 3 to 7 p.m. Friday. Statewide, troopers responded to 363 crashes and 190 motorist assist calls, according to an ISP news release.
Of 130 crashes in the Indianapolis district, 13 had injuries reported and one crash resulted in a fatality. The fatal crash took place just after 11 p.m. Friday on Interstate 65 northbound near the 106-mile marker, between the Southport Road and Keystone Avenue exits in Indianapolis, police say.
