A winter storm developed across southeastern and eastern portions of Indiana on March 7th and continued into March 8th. Upwards of 11 inches of snow fell in some locations.
Every event with a place to put it; 11 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS IND wrote it up.
A winter storm developed across southeastern and eastern portions of Indiana on March 7th and continued into March 8th. Upwards of 11 inches of snow fell in some locations.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Indianapolis, IN wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 7, 6:20 AM EST, 5 hours 40 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN 620 AM EST FRI MAR 7 2008 .AVIATION...DISCUSSION FOR 12Z TAFS SNOW WILL SPREAD INTO THE SRN AND EASTERN PORTIONS OF INDIANA AS LOW PRESSURE TRACKS TOWARDS THE APPALACHIANS. HEAVY SNOW WILL BE SE OF TAF SITES AND IN FACT GOOD CHANCE KLAF WILL NOT SEE ANY SNOW AT ALL. MODELS SHOW NW EDGE OF SNOW WILL BE NEAR KBMG AND KIND MUCH OF THE FORECAST PERIOD. NAM AND GFS INDICATE SNOW EDGE COULD BRIEFLY ADVANCE A LITTLE FARTHER TO THE NORTHWEST AROUND MIDDAY TODAY AND AGAIN LATE TONIGHT. WINDS WILL ALSO INCREASE SOME LATER TODAY AS LOW PRESSURE MOVES FROM THE GULF INTO THE SE U.S. WILL MENTION GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 25 KNOTS LATER TODAY AND EARLY TONIGHT. && .DISCUSSION...FORECAST FOCUS IS ON IMPENDING WINTER STORM ON FRI/SAT. NAM/GFS/ECMWF ARE IN AGREEMENT WITH THE TRACK OF THE SURFACE LOW SO WILL USE A BLEND. 00Z RUNS SHOW THE TRACK MOVING FROM THE GULF THIS MORNING TO THE VA/NC BORDER BY 12Z SAT. FROM THERE THE SYSTEM CUTS OFF PRECIP IN INDIANA FAIRLY QUICKLY MAIN ISSUE WITH THIS FORECAST IS WHERE TO PLACE HEAVIER SNOW AMOUNTS. THE TRACK OF THE SURFACE LOW WILL BE MORE ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE APPALACHIANS. THE BEST FRONTOGENISIS AND Q VECT CONVRG REMAIN WELL EAST OF THE STATE INTO OHIO. HIGHER QPF ALSO REMAINS MOSTLY OVER OHIO. THAT SAID THE FAR EASTERN/SE TIER OF COUNTIES IN THE IND CWA WILL BE THE MOST LIKELY TO GET HEAVY SNOW AND IT WILL SNOW FOR A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME AS THE H5 LOW BECOMES NEGATIVELY TILTED BY SATURDAY AFTERNOON. WILL UPGRADE THOSE COUNTIES TO A WINTER STORM WARNING. WENT WITH WINTER STORM AS OPPOSED TO HEAVY SNOW ALONE SINCE BLOWING AND POSSIBLY DRIFTING SNOW WILL CREATE HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS. WIND WILL BECOME AN ISSUE LATER THIS AFTERNOON. A COLD NORTH/NORTHEAST WIND AT 15-20 MPH WILL GUST TO AROUND 30 MPH. THIS WILL CAUSE BLOWING SNOW ESPECIALLY OVER EAST/WEST ROADWAYS. SOME DRIFTING MAY ALSO OCCUR IN THE WARNING AREA WHERE MORE SNOW IS EXPECTED TO FALL. FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE WATCH AREA...WILL CONVERT THAT TO A SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW ADVISORY. SOME OF THE AREAS MAY NOT QUITE REACH ADVISORY CRITERIA FOR SNOW ALONE WITH THE CURRENT TRACK OF THE LOW BUT WILL KEEP THEM IN THE ADVISORY AS BLOWING SNOW CONDITIONS WILL BE HAZARDOUS. THE LAFAYETTE AREA WILL OUT OF THE RUNNING FOR HEAVY SNOW BASED ON THE CURRENT FORECAST TRACK. THEY WILL GET SOME LIGHT SNOW BUT AMOUNTS WILL LIKELY REMAIN UNDER ONE INCH AND THEREFORE WILL KEEP THE FAR NW CORNER OF THE CWA OUT OF ANY HEADLINES. AS MENTIONED...THE PRECIP WILL CUT OF PRETTY SHARPLY ON SATURDAY SO HAVE REMOVED POPS FROM THE MAJORITY OF THE CWA BY SATURDAY AFTERNOON. TEMPS TODAY AND SATURDAY WILL BE IN THE 20S. SUNDAY MORNING LOWS WILL BE AROUND 10 DEGREES IN THE AREAS WHERE THERE IS DEEPER SNOW PACK. THE REMAINING PORTIONS OF THE CWA WILL SEE LOWS IN THE 15-20 DEGREE RANGE. SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY...QUIET WEATHER SO FAR FOR THE EARLY PART OF NEXT WEEK. H5 TROF DROPS SOUTH THROUGH INDIANA ON MONDAY BUT WITH LITTLE MOISTURE TO WORK WITH THE MOST LIKELY RESULT WILL BE SOME CLOUDS. A GRADUAL WARM UP WILL OCCUR THROUGH THE WEEK WITH DAYTIME HIGHS EVENTUALLY TOPPING OUT IN THE 50S BY TUES/WED. && .IND WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...WINTER STORM WARNING FROM NOON FRIDAY UNTIL 4PM SATURDAY FOR INZ042-049-057-065-071-072 SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW ADVISORY FROM NOON FRIDAY UNTIL 4PM SATURDAY FOR INZ031-037>041-045>048-052>056-060>064-067>070 && PUBLIC...SALLY AVIATION...JH
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN 412 AM EST FRI MAR 7 2008 INZ021-028>030-035-036-043-044-051-080915- CARROLL-WARREN-TIPPECANOE-CLINTON-FOUNTAIN-MONTGOMERY-VERMILLION- PARKE-VIGO- 412 AM EST FRI MAR 7 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL INDIANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. SOME FLOODING WAS STILL OCCURRING ALONG THE WABASH RIVER. LIGHT SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE LATER THIS AFTERNOON. SNOW AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN UNDER ONE INCH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. RIVER FLOODING WILL CONTINUE ALONG MOST OF THE MAJOR RIVERS IN CENTRAL INDIANA INTO NEXT WEEK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SNOW SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SNOWFALL AMOUNTS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. && MORE INFORMATION...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...HYDROLOGICAL AND CLIMATE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND...AT HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/IND (ALL LOWERCASE) INZ031-037>041-045>048-052>056-060>064-067>070-080915- HOWARD-BOONE-TIPTON-HAMILTON-MADISON-DELAWARE-PUTNAM-HENDRICKS- MARION-HANCOCK-CLAY-OWEN-MORGAN-JOHNSON-SHELBY-SULLIVAN-GREENE- MONROE-BROWN-BARTHOLOMEW-KNOX-DAVIESS-MARTIN-LAWRENCE- 412 AM EST FRI MAR 7 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL INDIANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. A STORM SYSTEM WILL APPROACH INDIANA THIS AFTERNOON. BY SATURDAY MORNING SNOW IS EXPECTED TO ACCUMULATE ANYWHERE FROM 2 TO 5 INCHES. BY THIS AFTERNOON THE WIND WILL INCREASE TO 15 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 30 MPH. THIS WILL RESULT IN BLOWING SNOW AND HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS. RIVER FLOODING WILL CONTINUE ALONG MOST OF THE MAJOR RIVERS IN CENTRAL INDIANA THROUGH TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. SNOW...ALONG WITH BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE INTO SATURDAY EVENING. RIVER FLOODING WILL CONTINUE ALONG MOST OF THE MAJOR RIVERS IN CENTRAL INDIANA INTO NEXT WEEK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SNOW SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SNOWFALL AMOUNTS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. && MORE INFORMATION...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...HYDROLOGICAL AND CLIMATE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND...AT HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/IND (ALL LOWERCASE) INZ042-049-057-065-071-072-080915- RANDOLPH-HENRY-RUSH-DECATUR-JACKSON-JENNINGS- 412 AM EST FRI MAR 7 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL INDIANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. SIGNIFICANT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH TONIGHT. TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED TO REACH OR EXCEED 6 INCHES. WIND WILL INCREASE TO 15 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 30 MPH THIS AFTERNOON. THIS WILL RESULT IN BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW MAKING TRAVEL HAZARDOUS. RIVER FLOODING WILL CONTINUE ALONG MOST OF THE MAJOR RIVERS IN CENTRAL INDIANA THROUGH TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. SNOW IS EXPECTED TO COME TO AN END BY SATURDAY EVENING. BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW WILL CONTINUE INTO SATURDAY NIGHT....MAKING TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS. RIVER FLOODING WILL CONTINUE ALONG MOST OF THE MAJOR RIVERS IN CENTRAL INDIANA INTO NEXT WEEK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SNOW SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SNOWFALL AMOUNTS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. && MORE INFORMATION...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...HYDROLOGICAL AND CLIMATE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND...AT HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/IND (ALL LOWERCASE) SALLY
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
1151 AM EST FRI MAR 07 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1145 AM SNOW 3 S PARAGON 39.35N 86.56W
03/07/2008 M0.5 INCH MORGAN IN TRAINED SPOTTER
FLAKES LARGER IN SIZE NOW.
&&
DTUCEKThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
11 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Six inches of snow was reported near Muncie by a trained spotter.
An observer measured seven inches of snowfall in Rushville.
Snowfall amounts of eight to ten inches were measured in Decatur County. In Greensburg, eight inches of snow was measured. Northeast of Greensburg ten inches of snow was measured.
Snowfall of seven inches was measured in the Columbus area of Bartholomew County.
Snowfall in excess of six inches fell across Jennings County, including in the North Vernon area.
Snowfall amounts of seven and a half to eleven inches fell across Jackson County. Eleven inches of snow was measured in Seymour.
Snowfall amounts ranged from six to ten inches across Lawrence County. A COCORAHS observer reported ten inches in the Mitchell area.
A COCORAHS observer measured six inches of snow in the Nashville area of Brown County.
A COCORAHS observer measured six and a half inches of snow in the Shelbyville area of Shelby County.
Snowfall of six inches fell in the Farmland area of Randolph County.
Snowfall of six inches fell across portions of Henry County.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Indiana in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Indiana, March 2008
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 79184, 79185, 79186, 79187, 79188, 79189, 79190, 79191, 79192, 79193, 79194.