A significant winter storm remains possible in northeastern Indiana and northwestern Ohio this weekend, according to statements issued this morning by the northern Indiana office of the National Weather Service.

White area indicates county warning area of the northern Indiana NWS office

“Accumulating snow is likely in the area from Saturday night through Sunday night,” the NWS wrote in its daily Hazardous Weather Outlook at 5:12 a.m. today. “At this time, heaviest accumulations are expected across southeastern portions of the area.” The “area” to which the outlook refers above is the 37-county area served by the northern Indiana office (see map at right). So, the outlook is indicating that the current forecast track of the storm would bring, for example, more snow to Fort Wayne than to South Bend.

Meteorologists put additional information in the Area Forecast Discussion the office issued at 4:15 a.m., in which they indicated that a “more significant snow event” is possible Saturday night through Sunday with the “potential for significant snow accumulations,” especially across the southeastern portion of the office’s forecast area (see note above). However, there are still substantial differences in model forecasts regarding where the band of heaviest precipitation will fall.