During the morning of January 17th, a developing low pressure system tracked northeast across the southern Great Lakes and the associated cold front triggered a line of storms in the abnormally warm, moist airmass. The storms caused some small hail and damaging winds resulting mostly in downed trees across southern portions of the area.
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.
During the morning of January 17th, a developing low pressure system tracked northeast across the southern Great Lakes and the associated cold front triggered a line of storms in the abnormally warm, moist airmass. The storms caused some small hail and damaging winds resulting mostly in downed trees across southern portions of the area. A few flooding reports were received as well.
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 Jan 17, 6:00 AM EST, 16 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN 600 AM EST TUE JAN 17 2012 .UPDATE... THE AVIATION SECTION HAS BEEN UPDATED BELOW. && .SYNOPSIS... A COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO PUSH THROUGH CENTRAL INDIANA THROUGH THIS MORNING AND DROP TO THE SOUTH OF THE AREA BY THIS AFTERNOON. IN THE WAKE OF THIS SYSTEM...HIGH PRESSURE IS EXPECTED TO BUILD INTO THE AREA FOR THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK. A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO MOVE ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES AROUND THURSDAY. ANOTHER AREA OF LOW PRESSURE WILL MOVE INTO THE OHIO VALLEY TOWARDS THE END OF THE WEEK. A COLD FRONT MAY MOVE INTO THE AREA EARLY NEXT WEEK. && .NEAR TERM /TODAY/... AS OF 230 AM THIS MORNING...SHORT RANGE MODEL DATA AND LATEST OBSERVATIONS INDICATE THE COLD FRONT WILL BE CLOSE TO THE NORTHWEST BORDER ZONES BY 171200Z. THIS IS MUCH SLOWER THAN WHAT WAS ORIGINALLY DEPICTED IN THE MODELS. WIDESPREAD SCATTERED SHOWERS...AND A FEW EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS ARE CURRENTLY OVER THE FORECAST AREA. MORE WIDESPREAD CONVECTION LIES TO THE SOUTH OF THE AREA (WHERE BETTER INSTABILITY LIES) AND OFF TO OUR NW AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT. THE MORE ORGANIZED LINE OF CONVECTION WILL MOVE ACROSS CENTRAL INDIANA BETWEEN 11-17Z TODAY...BUT EXPECT ACTIVITY TO WEAKEN AS IT PUSHES EASTWARD. THE PRE-COLD FRONTAL AIRMASS WILL HAVE LIMITED MOISTURE CONTENT WITH HEATING/DESTABILIZATION OTHERWISE LIMITED BY THE PREVALENCE OF CLOUD COVER/SHOWERS TODAY. THIS LOW-TOPPED CONVECTION WILL TEND TO BE ROOTED JUST ABOVE A SHALLOW/MARGINALLY MOIST BOUNDARY LAYER. STILL...STRONG CONVECTIVE WIND GUSTS ARE POSSIBLE...AS IS EVIDENCED UPSTREAM...WITH GUSTS UP TO 40 TO 50 MPH. WILL MENTION THIS IN THE HWO ALONG WITH HEAVY RAINFALL AND SMALL HAIL. TEMPERATURES CONTINUE TO PROVE CHALLENGING...AS OF THIS HOUR THE SW CORNER OF THE FORECAST AREA HAS WARMED TO NEAR 60 DEGREES! KIND ITSELF HAS HELD STEADY AT 57 FOR THE LAST FEW HOURS. WITH THE COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE DELAYED UNTIL LATER TODAY...EXPECT THESE WARM TEMPS TO REMAIN STEADY THROUGHOUT THE MORNING...AND FINALLY BEGIN TO START FALLING BY THE AFTERNOON...FIRST BEGINNING ACROSS THE NW. THE SLOWER TIMING OF THIS FRONT HAS ALSO IMPACTED OUR CHANCES FOR SNOW OR A RAIN/SNOW MIX THIS AFTERNOON. HELD OFF ON MENTIONING -SN ACROSS THE NW COUNTIES AND -RAIN/SNOW MIX FOR CENTRAL INDIANA UNTIL LATE THIS AFTERNOON. (20-21Z TIMEFRAME) MOISTURE WILL BE EXTREMELY LIMITED BY THEN AND ONLY CHANCES ARE ONLY GOOD FOR 20-40%...SO SNOWFALL ACCUMULATION WILL BE NIL TO A FEW TENTHS AT MOST. OF COURSE EVERYTHING IN THIS DISCUSSION HINGES ON THE SPECIFIC TIMING OF THE FRONTAL PASSAGE AND IS SUBJECT TO UPDATES BASED ON LATEST TRENDS. && .SHORT TERM /TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT/... WENT WITH A DRY...AND COOLER FORECAST AFTER 00Z WED AS CAA SWEEPS OVER THE REGION...EXCEPT FOR THE FAR NE COUNTIES WHERE SOME -SN OR FLURRIES MAY LINGER BEFORE DEPARTING TO THE NE AS THE UPPER TROUGH SHIFTS AWAY. AGAIN...MOISTURE IS LIMITED AND NOT EXPECTING MUCH SNOWFALL ACCUMULATION ABOVE A FEW TENTHS OF AN INCH. FORECAST THEN REMAINS DRY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT AS SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE MOVES THROUGH. NEXT A PESKY WEAK CLIPPER SYSTEM IS PROGGED TO PASS THROUGH THE GREAT LAKES ON THURSDAY. OPERATIONAL MODELS AREN/T SHOWING TOO MUCH ASSOCIATED WITH THIS FEATURE...HOWEVER THE MAJORITY OF THE ENSEMBLES SUGGEST POTENTIAL FOR SOME LIGHT ACCUMULATING SNOWS FOR PARTS OF THE AREA. AS A RESULT...WILL KEEP CHANCE POPS GOING FOR ON THURSDAY FOR LIGHT SNOW...WITH MINOR ACCUMULATION OF A FEW TENTHS OF AN INCH POSSIBLE. && .LONG TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... STUCK CLOSE TO ALLBLEND INITIALIZATION. MODEL GUIDANCE GENERALLY SUGGESTS TWO SYSTEMS TO IMPACT THE AREA DURING THE LONG TERM...ONE EARLY IN THE PERIOD AND ANOTHER TOWARD THE END OF THE WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. UNCERTAINTY REMAINS REGARDING HOW COLD IT WILL BE AND THUS PRECIP TYPE FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT...ALTHOUGH SNOW APPEARS FAIRLY LIKELY AT SOME POINT IN THE FORECAST AREA. THE LATTER SYSTEM IS LIKELY TO BE ALL RAIN AS THERMAL PROFILES WARM SIGNIFICANTLY BY THEN. ASIDE FROM THE LARGER SCALE DETAILS...SIGNIFICANT TIMING AND PLACEMENT DISCREPANCIES EXIST...THUS THE REASON FOR LITTLE DEVIATION FROM INITIALIZATION. && .AVIATION /DISCUSSION FOR THE 17/12Z TAFS/... MVFR MUCH OF THE DAY AS LOW PRESSURE AND ASSOCIATED FRONTAL BOUNDARY PASSES THROUGH THE AREA. CONVECTIVE COMPLEX WILL IMPACT MAINLY IND/BMG...BUT BE NEAR HUF/LAF DURING THE FIRST COUPLE HOURS OF THE PERIOD. MAY SEE SOME BRIEF RECOVERY TO VFR AFTERWARDS AT SOME SITES...BUT CEILINGS SHOULD QUICKLY COME BACK TO MVFR. COLD FRONT WILL PASS THROUGH THE SITES AROUND MIDDAY TODAY...WITH A QUICK TRANSITION TO WEST/NORTHWEST WINDS WITH SOME RATHER STRONG GUSTS...PERHAPS AS HIGH AS 35KT. SOME SNOW SHOWERS BEHIND THE FRONT CANNOT BE RULED OUT...BUT WILL JUST HOLD ONTO A VCSH MENTION AT THIS TIME...AS DEEP MOISTURE BEHIND THE FRONT WILL BE LACKING IN OUR AREA. WINDS WILL REMAIN GUSTY THROUGH THE DAY AND INTO THE EVENING...BEFORE RELAXING LATE TONIGHT. CEILINGS WILL ALSO BREAK UP LATE TONIGHT AS WELL. && .IND WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...SMF NEAR TERM...SMF SHORT TERM...SMF LONG TERM....NIELD AVIATION...NIELD
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN 458 AM EST TUE JAN 17 2012 INZ021-028>031-035>049-051>057-060>065-067>072-181000- CARROLL-WARREN-TIPPECANOE-CLINTON-HOWARD-FOUNTAIN-MONTGOMERY- BOONE-TIPTON-HAMILTON-MADISON-DELAWARE-RANDOLPH-VERMILLION-PARKE- PUTNAM-HENDRICKS-MARION-HANCOCK-HENRY-VIGO-CLAY-OWEN-MORGAN- JOHNSON-SHELBY-RUSH-SULLIVAN-GREENE-MONROE-BROWN-BARTHOLOMEW- DECATUR-KNOX-DAVIESS-MARTIN-LAWRENCE-JACKSON-JENNINGS- 458 AM EST TUE JAN 17 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL INDIANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. OUTLOOK: THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY EARLY TODAY. LATER THIS AFTERNOON THERE IS A CHANCE SOME OF THE PRECIPITATION MAY CHANGE OVER TO LIGHT SNOW OR A LIGHT RAIN/SNOW MIX. HAZARDS: LIGHTNING AND STRONG WIND GUSTS UP TO 45 TO 50 MPH EARLY TODAY...IN ADDITION TO VERY HEAVY RAINFALL AND SMALL HAIL. LIGHT SNOW THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. TIMING: THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THROUGH 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON. THERE IS A CHANCE FOR LIGHT SNOW STARTING THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY EVENING. LITTLE TO NO SNOW ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED. DISCUSSION: A COLD FRONT WILL BRING RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH EARLY TODAY...AND POSSIBLE SNOW SHOWERS OR A RAIN/SNOW MIX LATER TODAY THROUGH THIS EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. OUTLOOK: SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE ON THURSDAY...AND FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT. DISCUSSION: SEVERAL STORM SYSTEMS WILL PUSH THROUGH CENTRAL INDIANA DURING THE WEEK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO CALL IN WITH ANY THUNDERSTORM RELATED REPORTS. && MORE INFORMATION...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...HYDROLOGICAL AND CLIMATE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND...AT HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/IND (ALL LOWERCASE) SMF
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN 353 AM EST TUE JAN 17 2012 INZ021-028>030-035-170945- CARROLL-CLINTON-FOUNTAIN-TIPPECANOE-WARREN- 353 AM EST TUE JAN 17 2012 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM ADVISORY FOR NORTHWESTERN CLINTON...CARROLL... NORTHEASTERN FOUNTAIN...TIPPECANOE AND NORTHEASTERN WARREN COUNTIES UNTIL 445 AM EST... AT 351 AM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 9 MILES SOUTHWEST OF WEST LAFAYETTE...OR 11 MILES WEST OF LAFAYETTE...MOVING EAST AT 55 MPH. HAIL UP TO ONE-HALF INCH IN DIAMETER AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE... LAFAYETTE... WEST LAFAYETTE... DELPHI... SHADELAND... PURDUE UNIVERSITY... BATTLE GROUND... DAYTON... MULBERRY... ROSSVILLE... FLORA... CAMDEN... BURLINGTON... THIS STORM MAY INTENSIFY...SO BE CERTAIN TO MONITOR LOCAL RADIO AND TV STATIONS...AS WELL AS LOCAL CABLE TV OUTLETS... FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. 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 4038 8638 4024 8727 4044 8723 4069 8639 TIME...MOT...LOC 0853Z 254DEG 50KT 4038 8703 NIELD
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
405 AM EST TUE JAN 17 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0357 AM HAIL 4 W WEST LAFAYETTE 40.44N 86.99W
01/17/2012 E0.25 INCH TIPPECANOE IN TRAINED SPOTTER
DOWNPOUR OF PEA SIZE HAIL LASTED A FEW MINUTES AND
PARTIALLY COVERED THE GROUND.
&&
NIELDPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
412 AM EST TUE JAN 17 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0404 AM TSTM WND GST LAFAYETTE 40.41N 86.87W
01/17/2012 M39 MPH TIPPECANOE IN ASOS
&&
SMFLECHTSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
441 AM EST TUE JAN 17 2012
INZ031-171015-
HOWARD-
441 AM EST TUE JAN 17 2012
...STRONG THUNDERSTORM ADVISORY FOR HOWARD COUNTY UNTIL 515 AM EST...
AT 436 AM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 11 MILES WEST OF KOKOMO...MOVING EAST AT 45 MPH.
HAIL UP TO ONE-HALF INCH IN DIAMETER AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE
EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT
DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.
LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...
KOKOMO...
GREENTOWN...
THIS STORM MAY INTENSIFY...SO BE CERTAIN TO MONITOR LOCAL RADIO AND
TV STATIONS...AS WELL AS LOCAL CABLE TV OUTLETS... FOR ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.
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 8586 4046 8586 4043 8637 4054 8638
4054 8637 4056 8637
TIME...MOT...LOC 0941Z 254DEG 40KT 4052 8627
NIELDSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
555 AM EST TUE JAN 17 2012
INZ052>054-060>062-067-068-171200-
CLAY-DAVIESS-GREENE-KNOX-MONROE-MORGAN-OWEN-SULLIVAN-
555 AM EST TUE JAN 17 2012
...STRONG THUNDERSTORM ADVISORY FOR SOUTHERN CLAY...NORTHWESTERN
DAVIESS...GREENE...NORTHEASTERN KNOX...NORTHWESTERN MONROE...SOUTHERN
MORGAN...OWEN AND SOUTHERN SULLIVAN COUNTIES UNTIL 700 AM EST...
AT 548 AM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 11 MILES NORTHWEST
OF SPENCER TO CHAUNCEY...AND MOVING EAST AT 40 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 AND FREQUENT
DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.
LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THESE STORMS INCLUDE...
SPENCER...
MARTINSVILLE...
BLOOMFIELD...
PAXTON...
DEVORE...
DUGGER...
VICKSBURG...
FREEDOM...
PLEASANTVILLE...
WORTHINGTON...
STINESVILLE...
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 3943 8690 3946 8626 3880 8706 3879 8752
3885 8753 3886 8756 3889 8755 3891 8753
3896 8752 3897 8753 3898 8758 3900 8758
TIME...MOT...LOC 1053Z 263DEG 45KT 3939 8685 3882 8775
SMFThe Indianapolis radar (KIND), 70 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 11:16 UTC.
13 thunderstorm wind, 4 flood, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
A tree or tree limbs were blown down on Sherfield Road due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
Several trees were blown down in this location due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
Siding was removed from the south side of a home in a neighborhood off of Smith Valley Road due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
Trees were reported downed on Boy Scout Road due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
Three trees were blown down along State Route 45 due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts. Two of the downed trees were at the intersection of State Route 45 and Russell Road. The other downed tree was just southwest of town. Two of the three trees looked healthy. Both instances of trees down at State Route 45 and Russell Road hit homes and caused minor roof damage.
Utility lines were downed on County Road 825 East and Hendricks County Road due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
A 62 mph thunderstorm wind gust was accompanied by quarter inch hail.
Tree limbs were reported down in Seymour due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
Standing water was observed in Seymour due to heavy thunderstorm rainfall.
A tree or tree limbs were blown down due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
Heavy thunderstorm rainfall caused 3.5 inches of standing water at the intersection of 3rd and Jordan Streets.
Trees were reported down in this location due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
An estimated thunderstorm wind gust of 60 mph was reported in Bicknell.
Standing water, due to heavy thunderstorm rainfall, was observed in this location.
A telephone pole was reported down at Southwest 3rd and Washington Streets due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts. Pea sized hail was also reported.
A measured 59 mph thunderstorm wind gust was reported in this location.
Water was reported over Highway 7 near Scipio due to heavy thunderstorm rainfall.
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, January 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: 361155, 361740, 361741, 361742, 361743, 361744, 363538, 363539, 363566, 363545, 363569, 363540, 363541, 363542, 363573, 363543, 363546, 363588.