Updated: Travel advisory declared for Bartholomew County

Updated at 7:30 p.m.

Bartholomew County Emergency Management has set a yellow travel advisory for the county. The lowest level of local travel advisory, yellow means that routine travel or activities may be restricted in areas because of a hazardous situation, and individuals should use caution or avoid those areas.

Brown and Johnson counties have also declared travel advisories tonight.

Previous updates

The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory for our area running through 7 a.m. Tuesday.

A total of 4-7 inches of snow are expected for areas of Indiana south of Interstate 70. Freezing rain or drizzle is expected to mix with bands of heavy snow tonight. You should expect slippery and snow-covered roads for your morning commute.

Sgt. Stephen Wheeles with the Indiana State Police says roads are starting to become slick across southeast Indiana as of 5:30 p.m. and crashes are being reported.

INDOT is reporting that it is having a full call-out of snowplows for area highways. Drivers will be out clearing and treating state highways until conditions improve. They are also reporting that roads were pre-treated yesterday across the district in anticipation of a winter event.

In the Columbus subdistrict, 30 plows were scheduled to start at 5 p.m. Sunday.

INDOT driver safety tips:

• Reduce speed: Allow extra time to reach your destination, be patient as snowplows travel below posted speed limits.
• Safe distance: Do not tailgate and give snowplows plenty of room to work, allow plenty of time to slow down.
• Pay attention: Drive distraction-free, focus on safe driving, be aware of surroundings and changing road conditions
• Know before you go: Check road and traffic conditions at http://indot.carsprogram.org or the INDOT mobile app. County travel advisories can be found on the Department of Homeland Security Website at http://in.gov/dhs/traveladvisory.