A massive winter storm left most people snowed in their homes in the northern half of Indiana on Wednesday as wind-whipped drifts up to 9 feet high piled up.

The storm dumped as many as 18 inches of snow in areas to the north of Indianapolis, including 17 inches in Lafayette. In Clinton County, drifts of 6 to 9 feet immobilized the area.

As many as 9 inches fell in the Indianapolis area. Snow totals to the south were substantially less, but road crews there battled sleet and ice.

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Slideshow: Winter Storm Belts Indiana

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Travel restrictions remained in effect in dozens of Indiana counties Wednesday. Those counties included Blackford, Boone, Carroll, Cass, Clinton, Delaware, Fountain, Grant, Hancock, Hendricks, Henry, Howard, Jay, Madison, Miami, Montgomery, Morgan, Randolph, Shelby, Tippecanoe, Tipton, northern Vermillion, Warren, Wayne and Wells.

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Map Of Counties Under Travel Restrictions

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Restrictions are different, depending upon the county. In some of the counties, all but emergency travel is restricted. In some counties, drivers could be fined or towed for violating the restrictions.

Some of the restrictions were lifted late Wednesday and early Thursday, but others remained in effect.

Plow trucks remain out in full force, but all roads, except in far southern portions of the area, were still slick and hazardous. Most schools and several businesses were closed both Tuesday and Wednesday, which helped to cut down on the volume of traffic on the roads in central Indiana and kept the number of crashes down.

Snow drifts clogged numerous intersections and on- and off-ramps to interstates in several counties.

Indianapolis Responds To Winter Storm

Indianapolis' Department of Public Works said it could take as many as three days to clear snow from side streets in the city. Because temperatures remain well below freezing, crews are not getting help from the weather in clearing the snow.

DPW had all of its 82 trucks on the road and placed scrapers on trash trucks. Additionally, they called on some private contractors to work on getting the roads cleared.

Mayor Bart Peterson said he was pleased with the efforts of road crews on Tuesday, but acknowledged that there are challenges in the days ahead.

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Video: Mayor Peterson: Digging Out Neighborhoods Could Take Days

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"The secondary roads, the neighborhood roads -- that's what we're working on now," Peterson said. "There's a lot more to be done to be able to get people to the main thoroughfares. It's going to take a couple of days of concerted work. We're not going to get much help from Mother Nature, because the temperatures are going down."

Peterson, who canceled all of his scheduled meetings and appearances to focus on the storm, visited salt crews at the DPW garage.

State Responds To Winter Storm

Some of the worst conditions in central Indiana are in Howard County, where several roads were rendered completely impassable because of towering snow drifts.

County roads were closed in the Kokomo area as road crews worked feverishly to clear them.

"The snow was packed yesterday ... through slow-moving traffic," said Howard County Sheriff Marty Talbert. "The road is not going to get down to a clean level of pavement. When it's packed ... it basically becomes a sheet of ice."

The Indiana Department of Homeland Security said road conditions in northern Indiana will steadily improve but urged people to heed warnings not to travel.

The Indiana National Guard was called out and the Department of Natural Resources was on standby to patrol highways and find any stranded motorists.

Shelters were available in Lafayette, Noblesville, Anderson, Remington, South Bend, Gary, Lebanon, Delphi, Rensselaer, Fort Wayne, Marion, Muncie, Huntington, Bluffton, Peru and Angola.

About 200 guardsmen were expected to be involved in the effort, dubbed "Operation Blizzard Blast."

INDOT said its full complement of 335 trucks are out in central Indiana. Priority is given to interstates first.

As of 11 a.m. Wednesday, more than 600 closings and delays were reported to 6News, including Indianapolis Public Schools, which closed for all students and staff.

DPW said there are several ways motorists can help keep the roads as safe as possible during the storm:

Stay at work and leave at the time you would normally leave. This helps prevent traffic jams and allows road crews to clear major roads.

Plan to use alternative routes if your normal route becomes impassable.

Drive with caution and be on the lookout for slick spots, especially on bridges and overpasses.

Snow plows should be treated as emergency vehicles, just like a fire truck or ambulance.

At Indianapolis International Airport, many flights were canceled and some people were forced to sleep at the airport. Air travelers were urged to check with their airline to find out the status of their flight.