Tuesday's blizzard blanketed Muncie in its third largest snowfall in the past 60 years, according to the National Weather Service.
Muncie received between 10.5 and 11 inches of snow, with it getting as deep as 13 inches in nearby Alexandria and Winchester, Logan Johnson, a meteorologist at the NWS in Indianapolis said.
The record was set in 1950 when 13 inches covered the city, and the second most was in 1973 with 12 inches, said John Ogren, chief meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Indianapolis.
The strongest wind gusts on Tuesday were recorded at 41 mph at 2:45 p.m. with visibility dropping less than a quarter mile, which is the shortest distance the equipment can record, he said.
Although Tuesday's blizzard was severe, it was not as devastating as the blizzard that struck Indiana in January 1978, Johnson said.
"The blizzard of '78 was worse," he said. "It affected a much larger area. There was more snow and wind. Storm winds were gusting over 50 mph. The stronger winds and snow caused higher drifts."
In order for a snowstorm to be considered a blizzard, frequent or sustained wind gust speeds must be more than 35 mph and visibility must be less than a quarter mile, Johnson said. The amount of snowfall is irrelevant, he said.
Indianapolis' weather was only considered to be a winter storm, Johnson said. The city received 8.5 inches of snow with the fastest wind gusts recorded at 36 mph and the lowest recorded visibility at half a mile, he said.
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