Alert archive / Indiana / Tornado Warnings in 1991

Tornado Warning 12, NWS Indianapolis, IN

June 15, 1991Kosciusko County, Indiana

NWS Indianapolis, IN issued this tornado warning at Jun 15, 1991, 5:00 PM EST for Kosciusko County, Indiana. It was in force for 30 min. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
Jun 15, 1991, 5:00 PM EST (22:00 UTC)
Expired
Jun 15, 1991, 5:30 PM EST
In force
30 min
Issued by
NWS Indianapolis, IN
Area
Whole counties

County Kosciusko County, IN

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Jun 15, 5:05 PM ESTThunderstorm Wind 0Kosciusko, IN

NCEI Storm Data entries that began inside the alert's area while it was in force. Before 2003 the local storm report archive is thin, so this is the record of what happened rather than what was phoned in. Storm Data before 1996 records only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail.

The nearest sounding before it

Dayton/James M C, OH (KDAY), launched 12:00Z, 10.0 hours before the alert went out and 205 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Dayton/James M C, OH at 12:00Z on 1991-06-15Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2266 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Dayton/James M C, OH at 12:00Z on 1991-06-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 90 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
2266 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-37 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
768 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
20 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
90 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
58 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
2.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
TTAA00 KSBN 152201
TORSBN
INC085-152230-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SOUTH BEND IN
500 PM EST SAT JUN 15 1991
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SOUTH BEND HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  530 PM EST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN NORTH CENTRAL INDIANA
 
   ...KOSCUISKO COUNTY
 
AT 455 PM EST...THE INDIANA STATE POLICE CONFIRMED A TORNADO TOUCHDOWN
NEAR WARSAW INDIANA...31 MILES WEST NORTHWEST OF FORT WAYNE.
 
THE STORM WAS MOVING TO THE EAST AT 25 MPH.
 
TOWNS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE WINONA LAKE AND PIERCETON
INDIANA.
 
IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE IS A
BASEMENT.  GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE.
IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER IN AN INTERIOR ROOM
SUCH AS A CLOSET ON THE LOWEST FLOOR.  USE BLANKETS...PILLOWS...
OR CUSHIONS TO COVER YOUR BODY.  AVOID WINDOWS.
 
SHIELDS

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this tornado warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jun 15, 3:07 PM EST, 1 hour 53 minutes before
INZALL-152100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
305 PM EST SAT JUN 15 1991

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM EST FOR EXTREME
NORTHWEST INDIANA. THE WATCH AREA IS FOR THAT PART OF INDIANA NORTH AND
WEST OF A LINE FROM KENTLAND...TO KNOX...TO LA PORTE.

SOME CITIES INCLUDED IN THE WATCH ARE GARY...RENNSELAER...VALPRAISO...
AND CROWN POINT.

AT 300 PM EST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS WITH
VERY HEAVY RAIN IN EXTREME NORTHWEST INDIANA NEAR CROWN POINT AND
VALPRAISO. ANOTHER THUNDERSTORM WAS JUST NORTH OF MOROCCO...WHICH IS 50
MILES NORTHWEST OF LAFAYETTE. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 35
MPH.

PEOPLE IN EXT_REME NORTHWEST INDIANA SHOULD BE ALERT FOR RAPIDLY
CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE SHELTER IF
THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES.

SBH
Special weather statement, Jun 15, 3:43 PM EST, 1 hour 17 minutes before
INZ009-152100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...WARM SPELL
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
325 PM EST SAT JUN 15 1991

AT 250 PM EST...THE TEMPERATURE AT THE INDIANAPOLIS INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT REACHED 91 DEGREES. THIS IS THE WARMEST TEMPERATURE RECORED AT
INDIANAPOLIS SINCE SEPTEMBER 6 1990 WHEN THE HIGH WAS 92 DEGREES.

THE RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURE IN INDIANAPOLIS FOR TODAY IS 94 DEGREES
SET IN 1952 AND REPEATED IN 1954. THAT RECORD IS PROBABLY SAFE...
ALTHOUGH OUR TEMPERATURE WILL LIKELY RAISE ANOTHER DEGREE OR TWO
THIS AFTERNOON.

SO FAR IN JUNE...OUR DAILY AVERAGE TEMPERATURE IS 72.4 DEGREES...WHICH
IS 2.7 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL AND WE HAVE HAD ABOVE NORMAL HIGH
TEMPRATURES ON ALL BUT 4 DAYS.

TEMPERATURES WILL COOL...AT LEAST TEMPORAIRLY TO MORE NORMAL SEASAONAL
VALUES TOMORROW AND MONDAY WITH HIGHS EXPECTED TO BE IN THE LOWER TO
MIDDLE 80S AND LOWS IN THE MIDDLE 60S.

THE 30 DAY OUTLOOK FOR MID JUNE THROUGH MID JULY CALLS FOR A RETURN
OF THE WARM SPELL WITH CENTRAL INDIANA TEMPERATURES EXPECTED TO AVERAGE
WARMER THEN NORMAL.

CT
Special weather statement, Jun 15, 4:31 PM EST, 29 minutes before
INZALL-152230-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
430 PM EST SAT JUN 15 1991

THERE ARE TWO SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCHES IN EFFECT IN INDIANA UNTIL
9 PM EST. THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WATCHES ARE IN EFFECT FOR THAT PART
OF INDIANA NORTH OF A LINE FROM TERRE HAUTE...TO INDIANAPOLIS...TO
WINCHESTER.

SOME CITIES INCLUDED ARE...GARY...SOUTH BEND...FORT WAYNE...KOKOMO...
LAFAYETTE...AND INDIANAPOLIS.

AT 425 PM EST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS WITH
VERY HEAVY RAIN...GUSTY WINDS AND POSSIBLY SMALL HAIL OVER PARTS OF
NORTHWEST INDIANA. THE THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM SOUTH BEND TO
KENTLAND...WHICH IS 40 MILES NORTHWEST OF LAFAYETTE.

THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH. BY 5 PM EST THE
THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE INTO THE TOWNS OF WOLCOTT AND MONON.

PEOPLE IN NORTHWEST INDIANA SHOULD BE ALERT FOR RAPIDLY CHANGING
WEATHER CONDITIONS...AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE SHELTER IF THREATENING
WEATHER APPROACHES.

SBH
Special weather statement, Jun 15, 4:59 PM EST, 1 minute before
INZALL-152300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
455 PM EST SAT JUN 15 1991

THERE ARE TWO SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCHES IN EFFECT IN INDIANA UNTIL
9 PM EST. THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WATCHES ARE IN EFFECT FOR THAT PART
OF INDIANA NORTH OF A LINE FROM TERRE HAUTE...TO INDIANAPOLIS...TO
WINCHESTER.

SOME CITIES INCLUDED ARE...GARY...SOUTH BEND...FORT WAYNE...KOKOMO...
LAFAYETTE...AND INDIANAPOLIS.

AT 450 PM EST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED A THUNDERSTORM WITH
EXTREMELY HEAVY RAIN...GUSTY WINDS...AND POSSIBLY SMALL HAIL NEAR MONON
INDIANA...WHICH IS 30 MILES NORTH OF LAFAYETTE. THE THUNDERSTORM WAS
MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.

THIS THUNDERSTORM MAY PRODUCE WINDS OF NEAR 50 MPH IN THE LAKE
SHAFER AREA...INCLUDING INDIANA BEACH. PEOPLE AT AND NEAR LAKE SHAFER
SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR GUSTY WINDS...HEAVY RAIN...AND POSSIBLY
SMALL HAIL.

BY 530 PM EST THE STORM SHOULD BE NEAR ROYAL CENTER...OR 35 MILES
NORTHEAST OF LAFAYETTE.

PEOPLE IN NORTHWEST INDIANA SHOULD BE ALERT FOR RAPIDLY CHANGING
WEATHER CONDITIONS...AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE SHELTER IF THREATENING
WEATHER APPROACHES.

SBH

The office that day

Everything else NWS Indianapolis, IN issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 15, 4:36 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningINDMarshall39 min
Jun 15, 5:25 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningINDFulton50 min
Jun 15, 5:39 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningINDKosciusko51 min
Jun 15, 6:33 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningINDCarroll42 min
Jun 15, 6:47 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningINDBenton, Warren43 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Indiana, 1991Every tornado warning in 1991Tornadoes in 1991

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.