New Carlisle, the snow capital of Indiana?

By John Paul (jpaul@wsbt.com)

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New Carlisle snow capital of Indiana

Some call New Carlisle, which receives almost 100 inches of snow per year, the unofficial snow capital of Indiana. (WSBT photo)

By WSBT News1

Story Created: Jan 15, 2009 at 6:35 PM EST

Story Updated: Jan 19, 2009 at 6:28 PM EST

NEW CARLISLE — Many students in the WSBT viewing area received a snow day Thursday, including those who live in New Carlisle. But they're no strangers to the snow. In fact, a new article has listed their town as the unofficial snow capital of Indiana.

New Carlisle receives about 100 inches of snow, on average, every year. Accumulations and on and off flurries Thursday put them well on their way to that mark.

Just outside the high school in New Carlisle, snowboarders were on the hills.

"I come out here a lot when there is snow," said Adam Rinehart. "I've been coming out here a lot."

And on the snow-covered baseball diamonds, the first pitch will have to wait.

The rest of the town digs itself out.

"When we get hit, we get hit pretty hard," said Chris Scofield.

Scofield is pretty red in the face, after plowing snow from his driveway for about 40 minutes.

"Just another day in paradise," he said. "This is pretty typical; this isn't very much snow for us."

Maybe not — when you're called the snow capital of Indiana.

"Back in the late 60s and the early 70s, the Jaycees named it the Snow Capital of Indiana," said Judy Lambert.

Lambert, a waitress at the Miller Family Cafe, said the Jaycees of LaPorte claimed they were the state's true snow capital.

So New Carlisle officials gave up the wintry distinction.

"They should've fought it because we are the snow capital!" said Lambert.

WSBT meteorologists say New Carlisle receives nearly 100 inches of snow every year.

"I just moved here, and there's more snow than I'm used to," said Adam Rinehart.

Adam only moved 10 miles from the east, where the typical snow average is 76 inches.

"We're right in the snowbelt," said Scofield.

While Wednesday night's blast of winter blanketed the town, George Miller of the Miller Family Cafe said it doesn't compare to the winter of 1978.

"When that happened the whole town was shut down for days and you had to like dig a tunnel to get into your house," said Miller. "It was really something."

"For three or four days, maybe even longer, semis were lined up on the street," said Lambert. "Coming in and going out on both sides."

With mounds of snow on Route 20, the main road through New Carlisle, it's hard to distinguish the record-breaking snow.

"It was my third time out this week, so far," said Scofield.

Until spring training, the folks here, shoveling and plowing, have one thing on their minds — "warm thoughts."

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