Alert archive / Indiana / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2012

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 129, NWS Louisville, KY

March 15, 2012Orange County, Indiana

NWS Louisville, KY issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Mar 15, 2012, 3:46 PM EDT for Orange County, Indiana. It was in force for 29 min. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued: Mar 15, 2012, 3:46 PM EDT (19:46 UTC)
Expired: Mar 15, 2012, 4:15 PM EDT
In force: 29 min
Issued by: NWS Louisville, KY
Area: Storm-based polygon
Hail: 1.0 in
Wind: 50.0 mph

County Orange County, IN

The radar

The Louisville radar (KLVX), 81 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:47 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.

What was reported inside it

Time	Report	Where	Remark
Mar 15, 4:01 PM EDT	HAIL 0.5	French Lick, IN

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

Did it verify

Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this severe thunderstorm warning while it was in force. That is not proof nothing happened: reports are thin where few people live.

Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
Mar 15, 3:06 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	SPC	6 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Lincoln, IL (KILX), launched 12:00Z, 7.8 hours before the alert went out and 253 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 1579 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -52 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 821 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 25 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 142 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 117 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

140 
WUUS53 KLMK 151946
SVRLMK
INC117-152015-
/O.NEW.KLMK.SV.W.0129.120315T1946Z-120315T2015Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY
346 PM EDT THU MAR 15 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LOUISVILLE HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  WESTERN ORANGE COUNTY IN SOUTH CENTRAL INDIANA...

* UNTIL 415 PM EDT

* AT 343 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED 
A   SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HALF DOLLAR SIZE HAIL.  
THIS   STORM WAS LOCATED NEAR FRENCH LICK MUNICIPAL AIRPORT...MOVING 
EAST   AT 20 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL ALSO IMPACT...
  PAOLI...
  ABYDEL...
  YOUNGS CREEK...
  BRAXTONS SIDING AND PINE VALLEY...
  WOODLAWN GROVE...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE...CALL TOLL
FREE AT...1...8 7 7...6 3 3...6 7 7 2...WHEN YOU CAN DO SO SAFELY.

&&

LAT...LON 3867 8641 3843 8642 3839 8668 3840 8668
      3859 8669
TIME...MOT...LOC 1946Z 250DEG 19KT 3851 8662
WIND...HAIL <50MPH 1.00IN

$$

SCHOETTMER

1 follow-up statement

842 
WWUS53 KLMK 152014
SVSLMK

SEVERE WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY
414 PM EDT THU MAR 15 2012

INC117-152024-
/O.EXP.KLMK.SV.W.0129.000000T0000Z-120315T2015Z/
ORANGE IN-
414 PM EDT THU MAR 15 2012

...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR WESTERN ORANGE COUNTY WILL
EXPIRE AT 415 PM EDT...

THE STORMS THAT PROMPTED THE WARNING HAVE WEAKENED AND ARE NO LONGER
SEVERE. HOWEVER STRONG STORMS REMAIN IN THE AREA. THESE ARE CAPABLE
OF PRODUCING PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.

TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE...CALL TOLL
FREE AT...1...8 7 7...6 3 3...6 7 7 2...WHEN YOU CAN DO SO SAFELY.

LAT...LON 3867 8641 3843 8642 3839 8668 3840 8668
      3859 8669
TIME...MOT...LOC 2014Z 250DEG 19KT 3856 8644

$$

SCHOETTMER

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.

NWS Louisville, KY wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at Mar 15, 3:15 PM EDT, 31 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 15, 3:15 PM EDT, 31 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY
315 PM EDT THU MAR 15 2012

.Short Term (Tonight through Friday Night)...
Updated at 315 PM EDT Mar 15 2012

...Severe thunderstorm watch for pulse storms/hail...

In the wake of a convective complex that crossed southern Indiana
earlier this morning, cumulus cloud development has been suppressed
until recently. However, the atmosphere has become quite unstable
and scattered to numerous thunderstorms have developed over
southwest IN and central KY and will spread over the entire area by
late afternoon. Given the strong instability across the region and
weak shear, severe pulse storms are expected and will continue and
thus, SPC has given our entire area a severe thunderstorm watch.
Expect this to continue through the late afternoon and early evening
hours. Storms will lose their strength with sunset but scattered
convection will continue through the overnight hours most likely.

For tonight through Friday night, the Lower Ohio Valley will remain
within a very mild and moist early summer-like pattern. Several
disturbances that are hard to nail down the timing will move across
the region. Scattered thunderstorms are quite possible at any time
from tonight through Friday night. For Friday, feel that the best
chance of convection will lie south of the Ohio River.

Expect overnight lows tonight not far from 60, and highs Friday in
the upper 70s.

.Long Term (Saturday - Thursday)...
Updated at 300 PM EDT Mar 15 2012

Persistent and anomalous pattern will continue for much of the
week.  Deep SW flow will keep things unsettled for the first part of
the weekend, so will continue to carry a chance POP for Saturday
afternoon. The upper ridge over the Deep South will amplify Sunday
and into the early part of next week, gradually shutting off our
rain chances. Slight chance Sunday and then a dry forecast Mon-Wed.
A bit more uncertainty creeps in around Day 7, as the models show a
deep trof over the Rockies closing off into a deep upper low over
the Southern Plains by Wednesday. ECMWF brings this feature far
enough east for precip to return on Thursday, while the GFS is about
a day slower. The forecast reflects a compromise and will include a
chance POP for Thursday, but reality will be all or nothing
depending on which solution verifies.

Temps will run 20-25 degrees above climo both day and night through
the period.

&&

.Aviation (18Z TAF Issuance)...
Updated at 100 PM EDT Mar 15 2012

Unseasonably warm and humid weather will very likely spark scattered
to numerous thunderstorm by mid to late afternoon. In this early
summer-like pattern, trying to pinpoint when a specific storm will
impact a specific TAF site will be challenging. Feel that
thunderstorms will begin to affect BWG and SDF as early as 19z, and
LEX an hour or two later. Expect that thunderstorms will be most
numerous
from 20z through 02z early Friday, then diminish in coverage.
However, isolated to scattered thunderstorms are possible at any
time Friday as well.

Southwest winds will average around 10kt this afternoon, then
diminish to around 5kt from the south tonight. Friday afternoon,
expect southwest winds around 10kt.

Ceilings will stay VFR outside of any thunderstorms. Gusty winds and
low visibilities and ceilings will occur within any thunderstorm.

&&

.LMK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
IN...NONE.
KY...NONE.

Short Term.......JSD/AL
Long Term........RAS
Aviation.........JSD

Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 15, 2:32 PM EDT, 1 hour 14 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY
232 PM EDT THU MAR 15 2012

INZ076>079-083-084-089>092-KYZ023>043-045>049-053>057-061>067-
070>078-081-082-161530-
ORANGE IN-WASHINGTON IN-SCOTT IN-JEFFERSON IN-DUBOIS IN-
CRAWFORD IN-PERRY IN-HARRISON IN-FLOYD IN-CLARK IN-HANCOCK KY-
BRECKINRIDGE KY-MEADE KY-OHIO KY-GRAYSON KY-HARDIN KY-BULLITT KY-
JEFFERSON KY-OLDHAM KY-TRIMBLE KY-HENRY KY-SHELBY KY-FRANKLIN KY-
SCOTT KY-HARRISON KY-SPENCER KY-ANDERSON KY-WOODFORD KY-
FAYETTE KY-BOURBON KY-NICHOLAS KY-NELSON KY-WASHINGTON KY-
MERCER KY-JESSAMINE KY-CLARK KY-LARUE KY-MARION KY-BOYLE KY-
GARRARD KY-MADISON KY-BUTLER KY-EDMONSON KY-HART KY-GREEN KY-
TAYLOR KY-CASEY KY-LINCOLN KY-LOGAN KY-WARREN KY-SIMPSON KY-
ALLEN KY-BARREN KY-MONROE KY-METCALFE KY-ADAIR KY-RUSSELL KY-
CUMBERLAND KY-CLINTON KY-
232 PM EDT THU MAR 15 2012 /132 PM CDT THU MAR 15 2012/

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL
INDIANA AND CENTRAL KENTUCKY.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE DEVELOPING ACROSS SOUTHERN INDIANA AND
CENTRAL KENTUCKY. STRONG INSTABILITY WILL ALLOW SOME STORMS TO
BECOME STRONG OR SEVERE...ESPECIALLY WEST OF INTERSTATE 65. THE MAIN
THREAT WILL BE LARGE HAIL...WITH A LESSER POSSIBILITY OF ISOLATED
DAMAGING WINDS. BRIEF HEAVY RAIN AND LIGHTNING WILL ACCOMPANY ANY
THUNDERSTORM.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED AGAIN ON FRIDAY AS MULTIPLE
UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES CONTINUE TO CROSS THE REGION. THE MAIN
THREATS WITH THESE STORMS ESPECIALLY DURING THE AFTERNOON AND
EVENING HOURS WILL BE HAIL...GUSTY WINDS...AND BRIEF HEAVY
RAINFALL.

ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE FRIDAY NIGHT
THROUGH SUNDAY AS WE REMAIN IN A WARM...MOIST...SLIGHTLY UNSTABLE
ATMOSPHERE. THE BEST CHANCE FOR STORMS WILL BE SATURDAY AFTERNOON
AND EVENING AS AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE MOVES OVERHEAD. LOCALLY
HEAVY RAIN AND SMALL HAIL WILL BE THE MAIN THREATS FROM THE
STORMS. ALL THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE LIGHTNING.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT ANY HAIL OR DAMAGING WINDS THIS
AFTERNOON OR EVENING.

JSD/RS/AL

In the hours before

Local storm report, Mar 15, 3:32 PM EDT, 14 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY
332 PM EDT THU MAR 15 2012

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0328 PM     HAIL             4 E DUBOIS              38.45N  86.73W
03/15/2012  E0.50 INCH       DUBOIS             IN   EMERGENCY MNGR

&&

EVENT NUMBER LMK1200399

MRC

Local storm report, Mar 15, 3:33 PM EDT, 13 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY
333 PM EDT THU MAR 15 2012

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0333 PM     HAIL             DUBOIS                  38.45N  86.80W
03/15/2012  E1.50 INCH       DUBOIS             IN   AMATEUR RADIO

&&

EVENT NUMBER LMK1200400

MRC

Local storm report, Mar 15, 3:37 PM EDT, 9 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY
337 PM EDT THU MAR 15 2012

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0330 PM     HAIL             7 SW HODGENVILLE        37.50N  85.83W
03/15/2012  E0.50 INCH       LARUE              KY   LAW ENFORCEMENT

&&

EVENT NUMBER LMK1200401

MRC

Local storm report, Mar 15, 3:39 PM EDT, 7 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY
339 PM EDT THU MAR 15 2012

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0330 PM     HAIL             7 SE HODGENVILLE        37.50N  85.65W
03/15/2012  E0.50 INCH       LARUE              KY   LAW ENFORCEMENT

&&

CORRECTED LOCATION

EVENT NUMBER LMK1200401

MRC

Special weather statement, Mar 15, 3:40 PM EDT, 6 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY
340 PM EDT THU MAR 15 2012

KYZ029-030-152015-
BULLITT-JEFFERSON-
340 PM EDT THU MAR 15 2012

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH HALF INCH HAIL IN THE LOUISVILLE
METRO...

AT 338 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR VALLEY STATION...AND MOVING EAST AT 30 MPH.

OTHER ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING OVER THE LOUISVILLE
METRO...AND WILL MOVE EAST-NORTHEAST ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH 430 PM.

HEAVY RAIN WITH RAINFALL RATES OF AROUND ONE INCH PER HOUR REDUCING
VISIBILITIES TO LESS THAN ONE MILE...AND HALF INCH HAIL...ARE
EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.

* THIS STORM WILL ALSO IMPACT...
  VALLEY STATION...
  ST. MATTHEWS...
  SHIVELY...
  PROSPECT...
  PLEASURE RIDGE PARK...
  LOUISVILLE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AND HUNTERS HOLLOW...
  LOUISVILLE BOWMAN FIELD...
  THIXTON...
  FISHERVILLE AND ROUTT...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM...SEEK SHELTER INDOORS AND STAY
AWAY FROM WINDOWS. STAY TUNED TO NOAA ALL HAZARDS RADIO...
WEATHER.GOV/LOUISVILLE ON THE INTERNET...OR LOCAL MEDIA FOR LATER
UPDATES AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

&&

LAT...LON 3834 8557 3834 8558 3826 8541 3812 8543
      3808 8555 3808 8561 3800 8595 3809 8590
      3816 8591 3823 8585 3827 8583 3829 8578
      3827 8574 3829 8568 3838 8564
TIME...MOT...LOC 1939Z 250DEG 26KT 3812 8583

RAS

Local storm report, Mar 15, 3:45 PM EDT, 1 minute before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOUISVILLE KY
345 PM EDT THU MAR 15 2012

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0344 PM     HAIL             6 SSW FRENCH LICK       38.47N  86.66W
03/15/2012  E1.25 INCH       ORANGE             IN   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

EVENT NUMBER LMK1200402

MRC

The office that day

Everything else NWS Louisville, KY issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Mar 14, 8:19 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LMK	Dubois	26 min
Mar 14, 8:44 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	LMK	Dubois	31 min
Mar 14, 9:16 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	LMK	Orange	29 min
Mar 14, 11:13 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	LMK	Floyd	32 min
Mar 14, 11:26 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LMK	Clark, Floyd	34 min
Mar 15, 5:36 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	LMK	Dubois	24 min
Mar 15, 5:57 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	LMK	Dubois	33 min
Mar 15, 7:18 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	LMK	Orange	57 min
Mar 15, 7:27 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	LMK	Scott, Washington	63 min
Mar 15, 8:00 AM EDT	Special Weather Statement	LMK	Jefferson	60 min
Mar 15, 2:15 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	LMK	Crawford, Perry	60 min
Mar 15, 2:50 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	LMK	Dubois	40 min
Mar 15, 2:56 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LMK	Dubois	34 min
Mar 15, 3:06 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LMK	Harrison	24 min
Mar 15, 3:27 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LMK	Crawford, Dubois, Orange	33 min
Mar 15, 3:58 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	LMK	Scott, Washington	62 min
Mar 15, 3:59 PM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	LMK	Crawford, Dubois, Orange	2 hr
Mar 15, 4:08 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	LMK	Washington	37 min
Mar 15, 4:19 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LMK	Clark, Jefferson, Scott, Washington	26 min
Mar 15, 4:50 PM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	LMK	Clark, Jefferson, Scott	115 min
Mar 15, 5:07 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LMK	Perry	38 min
Mar 15, 5:44 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	LMK	Floyd, Harrison	46 min
Mar 15, 6:11 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	LMK	Floyd, Harrison	34 min
Mar 15, 6:28 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	LMK	Clark, Floyd	32 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Indiana, 2012 Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2012

Sources

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