Alert archive / Indiana / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1996

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 22, NWS Indianapolis, IN

April 18, 1996Parke County, Putnam County, Indiana

NWS Indianapolis, IN issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Apr 18, 1996, 10:37 PM EST for Parke County, Putnam County, Indiana. It was in force for 53 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Apr 18, 1996, 10:37 PM EST (03:37 UTC)
Expired
Apr 18, 1996, 11:30 PM EST
In force
53 min
Issued by
NWS Indianapolis, IN
Area
Whole counties

Counties Parke County, IN, Putnam County, IN

The radar

The Indianapolis radar (KIND), 64 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 03:40 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

The nearest sounding before it

Lincoln, IL (KILX), launched 00:00Z, 3.6 hours before the alert went out and 143 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, Lincoln, IL at 00:00Z on 1996-04-19Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 637 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, Lincoln, IL at 00:00Z on 1996-04-19The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 124 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
637 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-124 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1032 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
36 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
124 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
156 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.2
Supercell composite
1.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KIND 190338
SVRIND
INC121-133-190430-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
1037 PM EST THU APR 18 1996
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN INDIANAPOLIS HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1130 PM EST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN WEST CENTRAL INDIANA
 
   ...SOUTHERN PARKE COUNTY...PUTNAM COUNTY
 
AMATEUR RADIO OPERATORS REPORT HAIL UP TO GOLFBALL SIZE 15 MILES NORTH
OF TERRE HAUTE...BETWEEN CLINTON AND ROCKVILLE. THIS STORM WAS MOVING
EAST TOWARD MANSFIELD. THE STORM WILL BE NEAR BAINBRIDGE AROUND 1100 PM.
 
WHEN THUNDERSTORMS ARE OCCURRING...PEOPLE SHOULD MOVE INSIDE A
STRONG BUILDING.  DO NOT STAND BY WINDOWS.  DON'T USE TELEPHONES
OR ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES UNLESS IN AN EMERGENCY UNTIL THE STORM
HAS PASSED.  MOTORISTS SHOULD NOT DRIVE INTO LOW WATER CROSSINGS.
 
 
DS
&

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm 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, Apr 18, 5:00 PM EST, 5 hours 37 minutes before
INZ051-060-067-081-082-085>087-190500-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
500 PM EST THU APR 18 1996

...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH FOR PARTS
OF SOUTHWEST INDIANA UNTIL MIDNIGHT EST/CDT...

THE WATCH IS WEST OF A LINE FROM 10 MILES NORTHEAST OF TERRE HAUTE TO
20 MILES EAST OF EVANSVILLE. SOME CITIES IN THE WATCH ARE TERRE
HAUTE...VINCENNES AND EVANSVILLE.

A WATCH MEANS TORNADOES...LARGE HAIL...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND
DAMAGING THUNDERSTORM WINDS ARE POSSIBLE IN AND NEAR THE WATCH AREA.
YOU SHOULD THINK OF WHERE YOU WILL SEEK SAFE SHELTER IF A WARNING IS
ISSUED. THE SAFEST PLACE IN A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT OR IN AN
INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A HOME OR BUILDING.

JUST BEFORE 500 PM...THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING ALONG A COLD FRONT
OVER MISSOURI. THAT COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO MOVE OVER SOUTHWEST
INDIANA LATE IN THE EVENING. SEVERE STORMS ARE NOT LIKELY OVER
SOUTHWEST INDIANA DURING THE EARLY EVENING HOURS.

DS
Special weather statement, Apr 18, 7:57 PM EST, 2 hours 40 minutes before
INZ051-060-067-081-082-085>087-190230-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
750 PM EST THU APR 18 1996

...A TORNADO WATCH COVERS PARTS OF SOUTHWEST INDIANA UNTIL MIDNIGHT
EST/CDT...

THE WATCH IS WEST OF A LINE FROM 10 MILES NORTHEAST OF TERRE HAUTE TO
20 MILES EAST OF EVANSVILLE. SOME CITIES IN THE WATCH ARE TERRE
HAUTE...VINCENNES AND EVANSVILLE.

A WATCH MEANS TORNADOES...LARGE HAIL...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND
DAMAGING THUNDERSTORM WINDS ARE POSSIBLE IN AND NEAR THE WATCH AREA.
YOU SHOULD THINK OF WHERE YOU WILL SEEK SAFE SHELTER IF A WARNING IS
ISSUED. THE SAFEST PLACE IN A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT OR IN AN
INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A HOME OR BUILDING.

THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER NORTH AND CENTRAL ILLINOIS AT 745 PM. THE
STORMS WERE MOVING EAST. THUNDERSTORMS MAY DEVELOP FARTHER SOUTH...
BUT THEY WOULD NOT REACH SOUTHWEST INDIANA BEFORE 1000 PM IF THEY
DO.

DS
Special weather statement, Apr 18, 9:21 PM EST, 1 hour 16 minutes before
INZ051-060-067-081-082-085>087-190400-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
920 PM EST THU APR 18 1996

...A TORNADO WATCH COVERS PARTS OF SOUTHWEST INDIANA UNTIL MIDNIGHT
EST/CDT...

THE WATCH IS WEST OF A LINE FROM 10 MILES NORTHEAST OF TERRE HAUTE TO
20 MILES EAST OF EVANSVILLE. SOME CITIES IN THE WATCH ARE TERRE
HAUTE...VINCENNES AND EVANSVILLE.

A WATCH MEANS TORNADOES...LARGE HAIL...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND
DAMAGING THUNDERSTORM WINDS ARE POSSIBLE IN AND NEAR THE WATCH AREA.
YOU SHOULD THINK OF WHERE YOU WILL SEEK SAFE SHELTER IF A WARNING IS
ISSUED. THE SAFEST PLACE IN A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT OR IN AN
INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A HOME OR BUvILDING.

THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD MOVE INTO THE TERRE HAUTE AREA BETWEEN 1000 PM
AND 1100 PM.

DS
Special weather statement, Apr 18, 10:25 PM EST, 12 minutes before
INZ003>009-012>018-020>026-029>033-035>041-043>049-190900-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
1025 PM EST THU APR 18 1996

...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
WATCH FOR PARTS OF CENTRAL AND NORTHERN INDIANA UNTIL 400 AM
EST/CDT...

THE WATCH IS EAST OF A LINE FROM LA PORTE TO CLINTON IN SOUTHERN VIGO
COUNTY AND WEST OF A LINE FROM ANGOLA TO NEW CASTLE. SOME CITIES IN
THE WATCH ARE INDIANAPOLIS...FORT WAYNE...SOUTH BEND AND LAFAYETTE.

A WATCH MEANS SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...LARGE HAIL...DANGEROUS LIGHTNING
AND DAMAGING THUNDERSTORM WINDS ARE POSSIBLE IN AND NEAR THE WATCH
AREA. YOU SHOULD THINK OF WHERE YOU WILL SEEK SAFE SHELTER IF A
WARNING IS ISSUED. THE SAFEST PLACE IS IN A BASEMENT OR IN AN
INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A HOME OR BUILDING.

AT 1015 PM...THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING ALONG A COLD FRONT
OVER WESTERN INDIANA. THAT COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO MOVE OVER
INDIANA TONIGHT.

SLL

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 19, 12:33 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningINDClay, Vigo42 min
Apr 19, 4:51 PM ESTTornado WarningINDFountain, Parke, Vermillion69 min
Apr 19, 5:40 PM ESTTornado WarningINDParke50 min
Apr 19, 5:55 PM ESTTornado WarningINDPutnam50 min
Apr 19, 6:22 PM ESTTornado WarningINDHendricks68 min
Apr 19, 6:36 PM ESTTornado WarningINDMorgan54 min
Apr 19, 6:54 PM ESTTornado WarningINDJohnson, Marion66 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Indiana, 1996Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1996

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.