GARY, Ind. (AP) _ Parts of northwestern Indiana are digging out from as much as 2 feet of lake-effect snow that pounded the area.

The snow band blowing in off Lake Michigan lingered in Lake County longer than expected Tuesday, with 3 inches or more of snow falling an hour at times.

The National Weather Service reports 24 inches of snowfall in Griffith, with 18 inches in Gary and 16 inches in Hammond. But the band of heavy snow was concentrated, with Crown Point in central Lake County seeing only about 3 inches of snow.

Several school districts called off classes Wednesday as snow cleanup continued. Ivy Tech Community College also closed its campuses in Gary and East Chicago.