Indiana, 2010

Winter Weather in Indiana, December 24 to 25, 2010

December 24 to 25, 2010 · NWS PAH · 6 events in 6 counties and zones

A weak low pressure system moved eastward across the Lower Mississippi Valley on Christmas Eve, reaching the Southeast states during the overnight hours. At the same time, a rather strong upper level disturbance moved southeast across the central Plains.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 6 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
2
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
6

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS PAH wrote it up.

A weak low pressure system moved eastward across the Lower Mississippi Valley on Christmas Eve, reaching the Southeast states during the overnight hours. At the same time, a rather strong upper level disturbance moved southeast across the central Plains. This combination of systems resulted in widespread snowfall across southwest Indiana. Average snowfall amounts were right around three inches. Specific snowfall reports included 3 inches at Evansville, Newburgh, and Fort Branch, and 2.5 inches at Petersburg and Boonville. Much of the snow fell in a three-hour window, when visibility dropped to one-half mile and accumulations neared an inch per hour. Roads became slick and hazardous, causing an increase in accidents. A couple of accidents resulted in injuries.

What forecasters said that day

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 Paducah, KY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 24, 6:37 AM CST, 6 hours 23 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 24, 6:37 AM CST, 6 hours 23 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PADUCAH KY
637 AM CST FRI DEC 24 2010

.UPDATE...
THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN ILLINOIS...
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI AND SOUTHWEST INDIANA IS NOW IN EFFECT VS.
NOT GOING INTO EFFECT AT NOON. SNOW IS SPREADING EAST MUCH MORE
RAPIDLY THAN MODEL DEPICTIONS. THE RUC IS THE CLOSEST...BUT ALL
MODEL GUIDANCE HAS FAILED MISERABLY AT CATCHING ON TO THIS LEAD
WAVE OF PRECIPITATION. 1 TO 2 INCH ACCUMULATIONS HAVE ALREADY
BEEN REPORTED WEST OF THE FARMINGTON AREA...AND THE PRECIPITATION
CONTINUES TO PUSH RAPIDLY EAST INTO PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST
MISSOURI AND SOUTHERN ILLINOIS. THE REST OF THE FORECAST MAY
STILL BE SUBJECT TO ADDITIONAL UPDATES...GIVEN THE MUCH FASTER
PROGRESSION OF PRECIPITATION WITH THIS LEAD WAVE.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
MODELS ARE ESSENTIALLY USELESS WITH THE EARLY MORNING
PRECIPITATION MOVING ACROSS SOUTHERN MISSOURI...MUCH FASTER THAN
FORECAST EARLY THIS MORNING. HAVE BASICALLY GONE WITH
SATELLITE...RADAR TRENDS AND PRECIP TYPE BEING REPORTED...TO GAUGE
POPS THROUGH DAYBREAK AND EVEN UP THROUGH 18Z. NEARLY EVERY PRECIP
TYPE IS BEING REPORTED ACROSS THE OZARKS...SO WILL CARRY WHAT
SHOULD BE A LIGHT MIX THIS MORNING INTO PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST
MISSOURI AND SOUTHERN ILLINOIS. RAISED POPS ACCORDINGLY.

THE FORECAST...WITH TIME...SHOULD ADJUST TO PRIOR THINKING...AS THE
MODELS CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE EVOLUTION OF SNOW THIS AFTERNOON
AND EVENING...AS NORTHERN STREAM S/WV DIGS SHARPLY SOUTHEAST FROM
THE UPPER MIDWEST AND INTO THE REGION LATER TODAY AND TONIGHT.
COULD BE A BIT OF A MIX JUST NORTH OF THE TN/AR STATE LINES IN OUR
AREA LATE TODAY PER THE SREF AND MODEL SOUNDINGS. BUT WITH TIME
PRECIP TYPE SHOULD BE SNOW. EXPANDED THE ADVISORY SOUTHWARD TO
INCLUDE ALL BUT OUR SOUTHERN MOST COUNTIES. WE ALSO CUT THE
EXPIRATION TIME BACK TO 6 AM...AS THE BULK OF THE SNOW SHOULD BE
OVER BY THEN. THE GENERAL IDEA IS THE SAME ON AMOUNTS. 2-3
INCHES APPEARS LIKELY ALONG AND NORTH OF ROUTE 13 IN ILLINOIS AND
THE KEVV TRI-STATE. 1-2 INCHES IS EXPECTED ALONG A LINE FROM
MARBLE HILL MISSOURI TO NEAR PADUCAH TO MADISONVILLE KENTUCKY.
AROUND 1 INCH IS FORECAST ALONG THE TN/AR BORDERS WITH KY/MO. OF
COURSE SLIGHT VARIATIONS ON EITHER SIDE OF THESE AMOUNTS IS
POSSIBLE AS WE WELL KNOW IN SNOW SITUATIONS. BASICALLY WENT WITH
10-12:1 RATIOS...AND A BLEND OF HPC/GFS/SREF QPF VALUES. GIVEN
THE PRE STORM PREPARATION...AND WHAT FORECAST TEMPERATURES SHOULD
BE DURING THE EVENT...TRAVEL CONDITIONS MAY NOT BE TOO BAD OVER
THE SOUTHERN 1/2 OF THE AREA. NORTHERN 1/2 MAY BE A LITTLE
DIFFERENT ESPECIALLY ON SECONDARY ROADS.

NOT MANY CHANGES MADE TO SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. JUST MINOR TWEAKS.
UPPER LOW FORECAST TO CLOSE OFF OVER THE OHIO VALLEY REGION WITH
WRAP AROUND MOISTURE YIELDING CONTINUED CHANCE POPS FOR EITHER
LIGHT SNOW OR FLURRIES...ESPECIALLY THE EASTERN 1/2 OF THE AREA.
OVER SE MISSOURI...CHANCES APPEAR SLIM AT THIS TIME. IT WILL BE
COLDER AND BRISK AS WELL CHRISTMAS DAY INTO SUNDAY.

NO CHANGES TO THE LONG TERM PORTION OF THE FORECAST.

&&

.AVIATION...
MID AND HIGH LEVEL CLOUDINESS WILL CONTINUE TO LOWER AND THICKEN
THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS. SOME VERY LIGHT SNOW OR MIXED RAIN AND
SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS MORNING. HOWEVER...THE BETTER CHANCE OF
WINTRY PRECIPITATION WILL OVERSPREAD THE TAF SITES DURING THE
AFTERNOON. BY LATE AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING...SNOWFALL WILL VARY
IN INTENSITY...BUT AT LEAST A FEW HOURS OF IFR CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED. THE DURATION OF IFR CONDITIONS WILL BE SIGNIFICANTLY
LONGER IN THE KEVV/KOWB AREAS...WHERE SOME LIFR CONDITIONS MAY
OCCUR. COLDER TEMPS AND HEAVIER SNOW AT THOSE SITES WILL REQUIRE
MORE ATTENTION TO RUNWAY CONDITIONS.

&&

.PAH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
KY...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 AM CST
     SATURDAY FOR BALLARD-CALDWELL-CRITTENDEN-DAVIESS-HENDERSON-
     HOPKINS-LIVINGSTON-LYON-MCCRACKEN-MCLEAN-MUHLENBERG-UNION
     KY-WEBSTER.

MO...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 AM CST
     SATURDAY FOR SCOTT.

     WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM CST SATURDAY FOR BOLLINGER-
     CAPE GIRARDEAU-CARTER-PERRY MO-WAYNE MO.

IL...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 AM CST
     SATURDAY FOR ALEXANDER-HARDIN-JOHNSON-MASSAC-POPE-PULASKI.

     WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM CST SATURDAY FOR EDWARDS-
     FRANKLIN-GALLATIN-HAMILTON-JACKSON-JEFFERSON-PERRY IL-
     SALINE-UNION IL-WABASH-WAYNE IL-WHITE-WILLIAMSON.

IN...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 AM CST
     SATURDAY FOR SPENCER-VANDERBURGH-WARRICK.

     WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM CST SATURDAY FOR GIBSON-PIKE-
     POSEY.

&&
Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 24, 4:23 AM CST, 8 hours 37 minutes before
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The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Gibson

When
December 24, 1:00 PM CST to December 25, 1:00 AM CST
Where
Gibson forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
38.312, -87.585 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Pike

When
December 24, 1:00 PM CST to December 25, 1:00 AM CST
Where
Pike forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
38.399, -87.232 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Posey

When
December 24, 1:00 PM CST to December 25, 1:00 AM CST
Where
Posey forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
38.022, -87.868 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Warrick

When
December 24, 1:00 PM CST to December 25, 1:00 AM CST
Where
Warrick forecast zone
Injuries
0 direct, 2 indirect
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
38.092, -87.272 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Vanderburgh

When
December 24, 1:00 PM CST to December 25, 1:00 AM CST
Where
Vanderburgh forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
38.025, -87.586 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Spencer

When
December 24, 3:00 PM CST to December 25, 1:00 AM CST
Where
Spencer forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
38.014, -87.008 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Winter Weather
Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Indiana in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in Indiana, December 2010

Sources

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 269008, 269009, 269010, 269012, 269013, 269011.