Numerous showers and thunderstorms along and ahead of a frontal boundary that moved through central Indiana during the morning hours of August the 5th. These storms were aided by an upper level jet that helped to sustain their intensity.
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 IND wrote it up.
Numerous showers and thunderstorms along and ahead of a frontal boundary that moved through central Indiana during the morning hours of August the 5th. These storms were aided by an upper level jet that helped to sustain their intensity. A few scattered severe wind reports were received as these storms moved across the area.
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 Aug 5, 3:20 AM EST, 41 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN 420 AM EDT SUN AUG 5 2012 .UPDATE... AVIATION SECTION HAS BEEN UPDATED BELOW. && .SYNOPSIS... ISSUED AT 332 AM EDT SUN AUG 5 2012 A COLD FRONT WILL EXIT THE AREA TODAY ENDING THE RAIN BY LATE TODAY. HIGH PRESSURE WILL THEN BUILD IN AND PROVIDE DRY WEATHER THROUGH MID WEEK. ANOTHER FRONTAL SYSTEM WILL BRING A RETURN TO CHANCES FOR RAIN LATE WEEK. && .NEAR TERM /EARLY THIS MORNING THROUGH TODAY/... ISSUED AT 332 AM EDT SUN AUG 5 2012 RADAR MOSAIC SHOWS NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE FRONT ACROSS ILLINOIS AND NORTHWEST INDIANA AT THE PRESENT TIME. AN UPPER JET IS HELPING KEEP THESE STORMS GOING OVERNIGHT...ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE NORTH WHICH IS CLOSER TO THE JET. AS THE FRONT/JET MOVE EAST...THESE SHOWERS AND STORMS SHOULD PUSH THROUGH MUCH OF CENTRAL INDIANA. EVEN THOUGH RADAR TRENDS SHOW SOME WEAKENING OF THE CONVECTION ACROSS SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF CENTRAL ILLINOIS...BELIEVE AT LEAST SHOWERS WILL STILL MAKE FROM THERE INTO CENTRAL INDIANA. THUS BASED ON OVERALL RADAR TRENDS AND LATEST RAPID REFRESH MODEL...WILL GO WITH LIKELY POPS BEFORE 12Z...AND THEN NEAR MAV POPS FOR 12Z AND BEYOND. THIS PUTS LOW POPS FAR WEST TO LIKELY POPS EAST AFTER 12Z. WILL QUICKLY DIMINISH THESE DURING THE MORNING AS FRONT MOVES EAST...AND BY 18Z ONLY SOUTHEAST FORECAST AREA WILL HAVE ANY CHANCES FOR RAIN. CLOUDS WILL DECREASE QUICKLY THIS AFTERNOON...ALLOWING A DECENT AMOUNT OF SUNSHINE WEST. THIS SHOULD ALLOW TEMPERATURES TO APPROACH 90 THERE. ACROSS THE EAST READINGS SHOULD REBOUND INTO THE MID 80S. THESE FORECAST HIGHS ARE NEAR THE MET MOS. && .SHORT TERM /TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT/... ISSUED AT 332 AM EDT SUN AUG 5 2012 FOCUS IS ON TEMPERATURES. MODELS ARE IN PRETTY GOOD AGREEMENT SO WILL USE A BLEND. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BRING SOME COOLER AIR IN FOR TONIGHT. SKIES WILL CLEAR BUT WINDS WILL NOT BE COMPLETELY CALM AS THE CENTER OF THE HIGH REMAINS TO THE NORTH...SO COMPLETE RADIATIONAL COOLING WILL NOT OCCUR. A BLEND OF MODEL NUMBERS REFLECTS THIS SCENARIO BEST. SUNSHINE AND DRIER AIR WILL ALLOW FOR A GOOD RISE IN TEMPERATURES DURING MONDAY. THE GROUND WILL STILL BE PRETTY DRY...SO WENT CLOSER TO /BUT NOT AS HIGH AS/ THE MET MOS FOR HIGHS . CONTINUED MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES MONDAY NIGHT WILL ALLOW TEMPERATURES TO GET TO A BLEND OF MODEL NUMBERS. WARM ADVECTION WILL OCCUR ON TUESDAY AHEAD OF A WEAK COLD FRONT. WITH SUNSHINE AND A DRY ATMOSPHERE AND A DRY GROUND...TEMPERATURES SHOULD RISE TO NEAR OR EVEN ABOVE THE MET MOS /SIMILAR TO A BLEND OF MODEL 2 METER TEMPERATURES/. THE WEAK FRONT WILL TRY AND MOVE IN TUESDAY NIGHT...BUT NO MOISTURE AND LITTLE FORCING WILL KEEP CONDITIONS DRY. && .LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... ISSUED AT 332 AM EDT SUN AUG 5 2012 MODELS INDICATE THERE MAY A COOL DOWN OR AT LEAST TO NEAR OR SLIGHTLY BELOW TEMPERATURES TOWARDS THE END OF 7 DAY PERIOD. THE HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM WHICH HAD DOMINATED OUR WEATHER DURING THE LATER PORTIONS OF THE SHORT TERM WILL BEGIN TO MOVE OFF TO THE EAST WEDNESDAY. A STRONG UPPER RIDGE WILL REMAIN OVER THE WESTERN U.S. AND THIS ALLOW AN UPPER TROUGH TO DIG INTO THE GREAT LAKES BY FRIDAY. THERE ARE SOME DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MODELS AND THE GFS SEEMS TO BE A FAST OUTLIER IN DIGGING THE UPPER TROUGH INTO THE GREAT LAKES AND THUS BRINGING THE COLD FRONT TOO QUICKLY OUR WAY. THE CANADIAN IS 12 TO 18 HOURS SLOWER AND WILL TREND SOMEWHAT IN THAT DIRECTION. WITH A SLOWER COLD FRONT AND ARRIVAL OF THE UPPER TROUGH WILL KEEP ALL BUT FAR SOUTHEAST SECTIONS DRY THURSDAY. THEN IT LOOKS LIKE BEST CHANCES OF PRECIP WILL BE THURSDAY NIGHT AND EARLY FRIDAY. DRY AND COOLER WEATHER WILL BE THE RULE FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY. WILL CONTINUE TREND OF RAISING ALL BLEND MAX TEMPERATURES A FEW DEGREES ESPECIALLY WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY DUE TO A COOL MOS BIAS AND DRY GROUND. MODELS INDICATE THAT THE 850 MB THERMAL RIDGE WILL ALSO EXTEND INTO SOUTHERN INDIANA WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. WILL GO A LITTLE CLOSER TO ALL BLEND TEMPERATURES FRIDAY AND SATURDAY AS 850 MB WILL BE QUITE A BIT COOLER...BUT MOS NUMBERS MAY STILL BE A BIT TOO COOL. && .AVIATION /DISCUSSION FOR THE 05/09Z KIND TAF UPDATE/... ISSUED AT 420 AM EDT SUN AUG 5 2012 MINOR TWEAKS MADE TO KIND TAF PER OBSERVATIONS. ALSO SLOWED DOWN ARRIVAL TIME OF THUNDERSTORMS A LITTLE. NO OTHER CHANGES NEEDED AT THIS TIME. PREVIOUS AVIATION DISCUSSION FOLLOWS... AN AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING ACROSS ILLINOIS WILL SPREAD ACROSS CENTRAL INDIANA LATE TONIGHT EARLY SUNDAY MORNING AS A COLD FRONT MOVES ACROSS OUR REGION. RAPID REFRESH MODEL INDICATES THUNDERSTORMS COULD REACH KLAF BY 07Z-08Z AND KIND AND KBMG A FEW HOURS LATER WITH MOST LIKELY OCCURRENCE TOWARDS 10Z-13Z PERIOD. A PERIOD OF MVFR CEILINGS MAY OCCUR FROM SHORTLY BEFORE SUNRISE TO MID MORNING. AFTER MID MORNING VFR CONDITIONS WILL BE THE RULE THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST PERIODS AS DRIER AIR BEHIND THE COLD FRONT SPREADS IN FROM THE NORTHWEST. THERE WILL BE A GRADUAL DECREASE IN CLOUDS DURING THE DAY SUNDAY WITH MOSTLY CLEAR CONDITIONS BY SUNDAY EVENING. WINDS WILL BE FROM THE SOUTHWEST 8 KNOTS OR LESS OVERNIGHT AND THEN BECOMING NORTHWEST UP TO 12 KNOTS BY MIDDAY SUNDAY AND THEN DIMINISH SOME SUNDAY NIGHT AS THEY BECOME NORTHERLY. && .IND WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...50 NEAR TERM...50 SHORT TERM...50 LONG TERM....JH AVIATION...NIELD/JH
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN 419 AM EDT SUN AUG 5 2012 INZ021-028>031-035>039-043>047-051>055-060-061-060830- CARROLL-WARREN-TIPPECANOE-CLINTON-HOWARD-FOUNTAIN-MONTGOMERY- BOONE-TIPTON-HAMILTON-VERMILLION-PARKE-PUTNAM-HENDRICKS-MARION- VIGO-CLAY-OWEN-MORGAN-JOHNSON-SULLIVAN-GREENE- 419 AM EDT SUN AUG 5 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL INDIANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. OUTLOOK: THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE TODAY. HAZARDS: GUSTY WINDS...HEAVY RAIN...SMALL HAIL...LIGHTNING. TIMING: CHANCES FOR STORMS WILL DIMINISH THROUGH THE DAY...ENDING BY 200 PM. DISCUSSION: A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH CENTRAL INDIANA TODAY. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THE FRONT. HIGH PRESSURE WILL PROVIDE DRY WEATHER TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. OUTLOOK: THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. LIGHTNING IS A THREAT FROM ANY STORM. DISCUSSION: A COLD FRONT WILL BRING CHANCES FOR STORMS LATE IN THE WEEK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED. && MORE INFORMATION...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...HYDROLOGICAL AND CLIMATE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND...AT HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/IND (ALL LOWERCASE) INZ040>042-048-049-056-057-062>065-067>072-060830- MADISON-DELAWARE-RANDOLPH-HANCOCK-HENRY-SHELBY-RUSH-MONROE-BROWN- BARTHOLOMEW-DECATUR-KNOX-DAVIESS-MARTIN-LAWRENCE-JACKSON-JENNINGS- 419 AM EDT SUN AUG 5 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL INDIANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. OUTLOOK: THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE TODAY. HAZARDS: GUSTY WINDS...HEAVY RAIN...SMALL HAIL...LIGHTNING. TIMING: CHANCES FOR STORMS WILL DIMINISH THIS AFTERNOON...ENDING BEFORE 800 PM. DISCUSSION:A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH CENTRAL INDIANA TODAY. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THE FRONT. HIGH PRESSURE WILL PROVIDE DRY WEATHER TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. OUTLOOK: THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. LIGHTNING IS A THREAT FROM ANY STORM. DISCUSSION: A COLD FRONT WILL BRING CHANCES FOR STORMS LATE IN THE WEEK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED. && MORE INFORMATION...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...HYDROLOGICAL AND CLIMATE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND...AT HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/IND (ALL LOWERCASE)
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
347 AM EDT SUN AUG 5 2012
INZ028-029-035-050845-
FOUNTAIN-TIPPECANOE-WARREN-
347 AM EDT SUN AUG 5 2012
...STRONG THUNDERSTORM ADVISORY FOR NORTHERN FOUNTAIN...TIPPECANOE
AND WARREN COUNTIES UNTIL 445 AM EDT...
AT 346 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR WILLIAMSPORT...OR 17 MILES NORTHEAST OF
DANVILLE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.
HAIL UP TO ONE-HALF INCH IN DIAMETER AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE
EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN.
LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...
LAFAYETTE...
WILLIAMSPORT...
WEST LAFAYETTE...
ATTICA...
RAINSVILLE...
PINE VILLAGE...
SHADELAND...
PURDUE UNIVERSITY...
DAYTON...
BATTLE GROUND...
IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A
STURDY BUILDING.
TORRENTIAL RAIN...WHICH MAY FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS SUCH AS DITCHES AND
UNDERPASSES...IS ALSO LIKELY. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE ON A FLOODED
ROADWAY.
&&
LAT...LON 4057 8678 4056 8675 4054 8671 4035 8671
4018 8750 4032 8754 4047 8753 4048 8752
4048 8710 4057 8709
TIME...MOT...LOC 0747Z 245DEG 37KT 4031 8737
JHSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
447 AM EDT SUN AUG 5 2012
INZ021-029>031-036>039-045-046-050930-
BOONE-CARROLL-CLINTON-HAMILTON-HENDRICKS-HOWARD-MONTGOMERY-PUTNAM-
TIPPECANOE-TIPTON-
447 AM EDT SUN AUG 5 2012
...STRONG THUNDERSTORM ADVISORY FOR CLINTON...CARROLL...BOONE...
WESTERN HAMILTON...NORTHERN HENDRICKS...HOWARD...EASTERN
MONTGOMERY...NORTHERN PUTNAM...EASTERN TIPPECANOE AND TIPTON COUNTIES
UNTIL 530 AM EDT...
AT 446 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM DELPHI TO 12 MILES
SOUTHWEST OF FRANKFORT TO 10 MILES NORTH OF GREENCASTLE...AND MOVING
EAST AT 60 MPH.
HAIL UP TO ONE-HALF INCH IN DIAMETER AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE
EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN.
LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THESE STORMS INCLUDE...
FRANKFORT...
KOKOMO...
LEBANON...
BROWNSBURG...
ZIONSVILLE...
TIPTON...
CARMEL...
ROACHDALE...
COLFAX...
CARPENTERSVILLE...
BAINBRIDGE...
ROSSVILLE...
NEW ROSS...
CAMDEN...
FLORA...
THORNTOWN...
GROVELAND...
ADVANCE...
JAMESTOWN...
NORTH SALEM...
IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A
STURDY BUILDING.
TORRENTIAL RAIN...WHICH MAY FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS SUCH AS DITCHES AND
UNDERPASSES...IS ALSO LIKELY. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE ON A FLOODED
ROADWAY.
&&
LAT...LON 4057 8636 4057 8586 4036 8586 4020 8597
3993 8611 3992 8633 3981 8633 3970 8701
4020 8684 4067 8674 4068 8637
TIME...MOT...LOC 0847Z 270DEG 52KT 4058 8661 4020 8669
3979 8683
JHThe Indianapolis radar (KIND), 40 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 09:00 UTC.
5 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A large tree was reported down blocking a road in this location due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
An outbuilding was damaged in southwest Lebanon due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
One tree was downed and another was partially down due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
Numerous trees were reported down between 46th and 49th Streets and College and Keystone Avenues due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts. Much of the area was also without power.
Trees were reported down near the intersection of Spiceland Road and County Road 400 South.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Indiana in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Indiana, August 2012
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: 410325, 410326, 410327, 410328, 410329.