A cold front was located to the west of the area. Unstable conditions and weak convergence allowed for isolated thunderstorm development.
Every event with a place to put it. 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 IWX wrote it up.
A cold front was located to the west of the area. Unstable conditions and weak convergence allowed for isolated thunderstorm development.
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 Northern Indiana wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 31, 2:56 PM EST, 1 hour 34 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA 356 PM EDT TUE MAY 31 2011 .SHORT TERM... TONIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY NIGHT FOCUS REMAINS ON SEVERE THREAT ACROSS THE AREA INTO THIS EVENING AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT AND UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM MOVING THROUGH THE PLAINS. REMNANTS OF NEBRASKA CONVECTION STILL HOLDING TOGETHER IN SOME FASHION ACROSS EASTERN WISCONSIN INTO ILLINOIS. THIS AREA WILL LIKELY RE-INTENSIFY AS IT ENCOUNTERS THE GENERALLY UNCAPPED...MODERATELY UNSTABLE ATMOSPHERE ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA. THE MOST FAVORABLE AREA FOR SEVERE WEATHER INTO THIS EVENING REMAINS GENERALLY ACROSS THE NORTH/NORTHWEST HALF OF THE AREA CLOSER TO THE BEST APPROACHING DYNAMICS. WATCH IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR MOST OF THE CWA. FOR FURTHER DETAILS...SEE LATEST MESOSCALE AND WATCH DISCUSSIONS. CONVECTION WILL SHIFT OUT BY MIDNIGHT WITH COOLER AND LESS HUMID AIR ARRIVING. SKIES SHOULD CLEAR OUT...ESPECIALLY ON WEDNESDAY AND WEDS NIGHT WITH MORE SEASONABLE TEMPS. && .LONG TERM... THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY... EXTENDED PERIOD WILL FEATURE A RE-AMPLIFICATION OF THE UPPER RIDGE OVER THE REGION AS ENERGY STREAMING IN FROM THE PACIFIC WILL CONTINUE TO RE-ENFORCE UPPER TROUGH OVER THE WESTERN US. SFC HIGH PRESSURE WILL MOVE INTO EASTERN GREAT LAKES ON THURSDAY AND ALLOW EASTERN EDGE OF WARM FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH LOW PRESSURE OVER THE HIGH PLAINS TO APPROACH THE AREA. CANT RULE OUT THE POSSIBILITY OF SCT ELEVATED CONVECTION AHEAD OF THE FRONT AS FAIR AMOUNT OF MOISTURE AND ASCENT INDICATED ON 310K SFC...SO WILL KEEP LOW CHANCE POPS GOING FOR THU AFTN. FOCUS THEN SHIFTS FURTHER TO THE NORTHWEST WHERE GOOD SETUP FOR MCS IN THE NORTHERN PLAINS/WESTERN GREAT LAKES THU NITE. STRONG THETAE GRADIENT COMBINED WITH NW/SE ORIENTATION OF THICKNESS PATTERN SUGGESTS NE CWA MAY GET CLIPPED BY THIS SYSTEM AFTER 06Z FRI. BUILDING UPPER RIDGE BRINGING STRONGLY POSITIVE HEIGHT ANOMALIES TO THE REGION WILL BRING A RETURN OF 85-90F TEMPS GOING INTO THE WEEKEND. COLD FRONT EXPECTED TO MOVE THROUGH THE AREA ON SATURDAY NIGHT BUT PARENT SFC LOW WELL INTO CANADA AND GULF MOISTURE CUT OFF SO EXPECT A DRY FROPA. DRIER AIRMASS BEHIND FRONT AND NOT QUITE AS WARM...BUT STILL ABOVE NORMAL TEMPS CAN BE EXPECTED SUN-TUE. && .AVIATION... VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED THROUGH MOST OF THE PERIOD WITH ONLY FLY IN THE OINTMENT BEING CONVECTIVE POTENTIAL LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...MAINLY AT KSBN. HAVE LEFT PREVIOUS TIMING ALONE IN THE 22 TO 01Z TIME FRAME FOR KSBN AND LEFT ONLY CB MENTION AT KFWA. WILL MONITOR TRENDS AS CONVECTION DEVELOPS AND ADJUST TAFS AS NEEDED. && .IWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... IN...NONE. MI...NONE. OH...NONE. LM...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR LMZ043-046. && SHORT TERM...FISHER LONG TERM...LOGSDON AVIATION...FISHER
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA 404 PM EDT TUE MAY 31 2011 INZ003>009-012>018-020-022>026-032-MIZ077>081-OHZ001-002-004-015- 012015- LA PORTE-ST. JOSEPH IN-ELKHART-LAGRANGE-STEUBEN-NOBLE-DE KALB-STARKE- PULASKI-MARSHALL-FULTON IN-KOSCIUSKO-WHITLEY-ALLEN IN-WHITE-CASS IN- MIAMI-WABASH-HUNTINGTON-WELLS-GRANT-BERRIEN-CASS MI-ST. JOSEPH MI- BRANCH-HILLSDALE-WILLIAMS-FULTON OH-DEFIANCE-PAULDING- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...MICHIGAN CITY...LA PORTE...SOUTH BEND... MISHAWAKA...ELKHART...GOSHEN...LAGRANGE...TOPEKA...ANGOLA... KENDALLVILLE...LIGONIER...AUBURN...GARRETT...KNOX...NORTH JUDSON... WINAMAC...FRANCESVILLE...PLYMOUTH...BREMEN...ROCHESTER...WARSAW... WINONA LAKE...COLUMBIA CITY...SOUTH WHITLEY...FORT WAYNE... MONTICELLO...BROOKSTON...LOGANSPORT...PERU...WABASH... NORTH MANCHESTER...HUNTINGTON...BLUFFTON...OSSIAN...MARION...NILES... BENTON HARBOR...ST. JOSEPH...BUCHANAN...DOWAGIAC...CASSOPOLIS... STURGIS...THREE RIVERS...COLDWATER...HILLSDALE...BRYAN... MONTPELIER...WAUSEON...ARCHBOLD...DEFIANCE...PAULDING...ANTWERP 404 PM EDT TUE MAY 31 2011 /304 PM CDT TUE MAY 31 2011/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST OHIO... NORTHERN INDIANA AND SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED INTO THIS EVENING. A FEW OF THESE STORMS WILL LIKELY BECOME SEVERE WITH DAMAGING WINDS AND ISOLATED LARGE HAIL. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT EDT /11 PM CDT/. HOT AND HUMID CONDITIONS WILL CAUSE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING HEAT INDICES TO RISE TO BETWEEN 90 AND 95 DEGREES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY MORE THUNDERSTORMS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE THURSDAY INTO EARLY THURSDAY NIGHT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. && STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES...OR CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT WEATHER.GOV/IWX INZ027-033-034-OHZ005-016-024-025-012015- ADAMS-BLACKFORD-JAY-HENRY-PUTNAM-VAN WERT-ALLEN OH- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...DECATUR...BERNE...HARTFORD CITY... MONTPELIER...PORTLAND...NAPOLEON...OTTAWA...PANDORA...VAN WERT... DELPHOS...LIMA 404 PM EDT TUE MAY 31 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST OHIO AND NORTHERN INDIANA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE MAINLY THIS EVENING. SOME STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS AND ISOLATED LARGE HAIL. HOT AND HUMID CONDITIONS WILL CAUSE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING HEAT INDICES TO RISE TO BETWEEN 90 AND 95 DEGREES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY MORE THUNDERSTORMS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE THURSDAY INTO EARLY THURSDAY NIGHT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. && STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES...OR CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT WEATHER.GOV/IWX LMZ043-046-012015- NEW BUFFALO MI TO ST JOSEPH MI-MICHIGAN CITY IN TO NEW BUFFALO MI- 404 PM EDT TUE MAY 31 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE NEARSHORE WATERS OF SOUTHEASTERN LAKE MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING. SOME STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE AND PRODUCE WIND GUSTS TO 50 KNOTS AND LARGE HAIL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THURSDAY INTO EARLY THURSDAY NIGHT. && STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES...OR CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT WEATHER.GOV/IWX/?N=MARINE
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
505 PM EDT TUE MAY 31 2011
INZ003-004-312130-
LA PORTE IN-ST. JOSEPH IN-
505 PM EDT TUE MAY 31 2011
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING TOWARD EXTREME NORTHWESTERN MARSHALL
AND ST. JOSEPH COUNTIES IN NORTH CENTRAL INDIANA...AND EASTERN LA
PORTE COUNTY IN NORTHWEST INDIANA...
AT 503 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR NORTH LIBERTY...OR 12 MILES SOUTHEAST OF LA
PORTE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH.
PENNY SIZE HAIL...WINDS GREATER THAN 40 MPH AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO
GROUND LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.
LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...
SOUTH BEND AND GULIVOIRE PARK...
MISHAWAKA...GEORGETOWN AND ROSELAND...
CRUMSTOWN...
INDIAN VILLAGE...
GUSTY WINDS MAY CAUSE SMALL OBJECTS SUCH AS TRASH BINS TO BLOW
AROUND. STAY AWAY FROM HIGH OBJECTS OUTDOORS SUCH AS TREES.
SEEK SHELTER INDOORS UNTIL THIS STORM HAS PASSED.
A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT EDT
WEDNESDAY MORNING/1100 PM CDT TUESDAY EVENING/ FOR NORTHERN INDIANA
AND SOUTHERN MICHIGAN AND NORTHWESTERN OHIO.
LAT...LON 4176 8625 4163 8607 4147 8644 4148 8646
4147 8647 4146 8648 4154 8660
TIME...MOT...LOC 2105Z 235DEG 46KT 4154 8648PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
516 PM EDT TUE MAY 31 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0514 PM HAIL 3 N NORTH LIBERTY 41.58N 86.43W
05/31/2011 E0.25 INCH ST. JOSEPH IN TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
EVENT NUMBER IWX1100982
BENTLEYThe Northern Indiana radar (KIWX), 60 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:31 UTC.
2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Law enforcement officials reported several trees down in and around South Bend and Mishawaka. One of the trees fell onto a car.
Fire department officials reported power lines and poles down near the intersection of Campeau Street and Northwood Drive.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Indiana in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Indiana, May 2011
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: 318146, 318149.