Jan. 2 | Evening Forecast with Chief Meteorologist Ashley Brown INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — After a dry start to Thursday with some sunshine, we’re tracking some light snow accumulation Thursday night into early Friday. Colder air will settle in and we’ll eventually deal with a strong weather system Sunday that brings significant snowfall and ice potential. Thursday night: There is a lot of ongoing talk with Sunday’s system, but we got to focus on what’s in front of us first. Snow with some rain mixed in on the southern end moves through our state tonight into early Friday. Areas along and north of interstate 74 look to get up to 0.5″-1″ of snow. Locally higher amounts up to 2″ cannot be ruled out. Lows will fall into the low to mid 20s. Friday: Be aware for slick spots on untreated roads through your Friday morning commute. We’re in for a bitterly cold day as a breezy northwesterly wind takes shape again and causes us to barely get into the mid 20s. Matter of fact, due to breezy winds that will gust up to 20-30 MPH at times, wind chill values will range from the teens to single digits. Saturday: Bitter air persists into the first week of 2025 despite winds turning much lighter. Highs are going to have a hard time getting into the mid 20s. Wind chill values will be in the single digits to start the day before it goes into the teens. Significant Winter Storm Sunday: All eyes are continuing to monitor what is shaping up to be an impactful winter weather event in our region Sunday into Monday. Confidence is growing with the potential for significant snowfall and icing. A Winter Storm Watch is set to be in effect from Sunday morning into Monday night, and at this rate, we are likely to see upgrades to warnings unless something drastic changes. Right now, we believe areas along and north of interstate 70 will mainly see snow, and some heavy with rates of 1″+ per hour possible. Areas south will face a different issue that also could be significant, and that is mixed precip in relation to sleet and freezing rain. Some snow may mix in at times for these areas, but models continue to pinpoint toward a mixed precip mess south of Indy for now. There is potential for significant icing. Overall, this is going to be a longer duration event for central and southern Indiana. There is uncertainty still in regards to system track, so a shift of even as little as 10-25 miles will make a massive difference on who gets what. We are planning on creating our first official snow maps Friday, but we will say for now that several inches of snow are on the table for central Indiana. Other things to consider are breezy winds with gusts possibly over 30 MPH at times late Sunday into Monday and possible power outages especially south. Please plan and prepare now as significant to major impacts to travel and daily life are very well in play. No need to panic, just be diligent and have a good plan to put in place. 7-Day Forecast: Once this system leaves, arctic air will lock in even further. This also means that whatever snow falls, it is not going anywhere for potentially an extended period of time. Highs are looking to only rise into the teens by midweek next week. We may even have to lower these numbers if we have a big snowpack.