The season's first big snowstorm is blanketing Indiana, snarling traffic, closing schools and giving skiers a reason to rejoice.
At Ball State University, at least three inches of snow covered parts of campus. The wind chill hit 15 degrees just after 6 p.m. Thursday, according to Ball State's weather station.
A heavy snow warning remains in effect for most of East Central Indiana until 4 a.m. Friday. Up to 5 to 7 inches of snow are expected by storm's end, with locally higher amounts possible, according to the National Weather Service.
Snow was falling at about an inch an hour in the Indianapolis area, and some areas of the city saw a two inches fall an hour, NWS said.
The storm began with freezing rain in Evansville around 10 a.m. By 11 a.m., the sleet had turned to snow.
The snow arrived in Indianapolis shortly before 2 p.m. Nearly 4 inches had fallen at Indianapolis International Airport by 4:40 p.m., said Phil Gray of the weather service's Indianapolis office.
Traffic was at a standstill in many areas.
Indiana State Police reported numerous accidents, and spokesman 1st Sgt. Dave Bursten said travel conditions were so poor that drivers injured in accidents might have to wait an hour or more for help to arrive.
He urged those who weren't injured to exchange insurance information and go home without calling police.
Bloomington and Terre Haute also reported nearly 4 inches of snow by 5 p.m.
At Indianapolis International Airport, about 30 flights had been delayed or canceled by 5 p.m., many because of disruptions in other cities.
''We have, so far, been able to keep up with the weather in terms of keeping the runways clear for departures and landing,'' said airport spokeswoman Patzetta Trice.
Dozens of schools dismissed students early, and community groups and churches canceled events.
The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra discounted tickets to Thursday night's ''Yuletide Celebration,'' hoping stranded commuters might find their way to the performance.
''The show doesn't change, but people will be a little more Christmasy and enjoy the holidays,'' said Kevin Garvey, the symphony's vice president for development and marketing. ''If they can get here, they'll enjoy it.''
Greta Turner, a group sales manager at the Paoli Peaks ski area in southern Indiana, saw the snow as a good omen for the winter skiing season.
Thursday's storm was expected to add as much as seven inches of natural snow to 44 inches of man-made base snow, just in time for Friday's scheduled opening. Turner said the resort expected as many as 3,000 skiers and snowboarders to hit the slopes on opening day.
''I'm looking out my window and all I see is snow,'' she said. ''The atmosphere will be exciting.''
The mood was less cheerful at the Flying J Travel Plaza in Whiteland, about 10 miles south of Indianapolis, where the plaza's lot was filled with drivers who had pulled off the road in near-whiteout conditions.
Dave Dyer, a truck driver from Wisconsin, stopped to refuel his rig before resuming his 580-mile trip from Louisville, Ky., to Wausau, Wis., along Interstate 65.
''It's nasty. If I didn't have to be going where I have to go, I'd pull over and park it,'' he said. ''It's a real heavy, wet snow, and there's a bunch of accidents along the highway.''
At Santa's Lodge in Santa Claus, the day's accumulation wasn't much - only about an inch - but it fell just in time for the inn's ''weekend with Santa'' special.
''In my mind, Christmas with snow is like a perfect Christmas,'' said Elaine Daubenspeck, a front desk clerk. ''Without snow, it's not Christmas.''
Another round of snow is expected Saturday night, NWS said.
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