A few isolated thunderstorms developed across the western half of central Indiana during the afternoon hours of the 31st of July. As these storms pushed generally south southeast across the area, a number of severe reports were received, especially large hail reports.
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.
A few isolated thunderstorms developed across the western half of central Indiana during the afternoon hours of the 31st of July. As these storms pushed generally south southeast across the area, a number of severe reports were received, especially large hail reports.
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 Jul 31, 2:00 PM EST, 1 hour 40 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN 300 PM EDT TUE JUL 31 2012 .UPDATE... THE SYNOPSIS...NEAR TERM...SHORT TERM...AND LONG TERM SECTIONS HAVE BEEN UPDATED BELOW. && .SYNOPSIS... ISSUED AT 300 PM EDT TUE JUL 31 2012 A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL EXIT THE AREA TONIGHT ALLOWING HIGH PRESSURE TO BUILD IN FOR MID WEEK. ANOTHER FRONT WILL MOVE IN FOR THE END OF THE WEEK INTO THE WEEKEND...BRINGING A RETURN TO CHANCES OF RAIN THEN. DRY WEATHER WILL RETURN FOR EARLY NEXT WEEK. TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN ABOVE NORMAL FOR THE MOST PART. && .NEAR TERM /LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT/... ISSUED AT 300 PM EDT TUE JUL 31 2012 FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE AREA DURING THE REMAINDER OF THE AFTERNOON AND INTO THIS EVENING. AIRMASS IS STILL TRYING TO RECOVER FROM EARLIER CONVECTION...BUT BEST INSTABILITY WILL REMAIN WEST OF OUR AREA FOR THE MOST PART BECAUSE OF THE MODIFIED AIRMASS. THERE WILL BE SCATTERED CONVECTION AHEAD OF THE FRONT...AND MOST OF THIS CONVECTION SHOULD BE OUT OF THE AREA BY 00Z. LATEST RAPID REFRESH MODEL IS SHOWING SOME LINGERING CONVECTION ACROSS THE FAR SOUTHERN FORECAST HOUR TIL 01-02Z. THUS WILL KEEP SLIGHT CHANCE POPS FOR THE FIRST COUPLE OF HOURS PAST 00Z ACROSS THE FAR SOUTH...BUT WILL GO DRY EVERYWHERE ELSE. SLIGHTLY COOLER AIR WILL MOVE IN OVERNIGHT. A BLEND OF MODELS LOOK GOOD FOR LOWS. && .SHORT TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... ISSUED AT 300 PM EDT TUE JUL 31 2012 FOCUS IS ON CHANCES FOR RAIN LATE IN THE PERIOD...OTHERWISE ON TEMPERATURES. MODELS ARE IN CLOSE ENOUGH AGREEMENT THAT A BLEND CAN BE USED. HIGH PRESSURE WILL PROVIDE DRY WEATHER WEDNESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. A FRONT WILL TRY AND MOVE INTO THE AREA ON THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY. HOWEVER THERE WILL STILL BE ISSUES WITH MOISTURE AND UPPER SUPPORT IS STILL WEAK. THUS WILL ONLY GO LOW POPS THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY. COOLER AIR WILL WORK MAINLY INTO THE NORTHEAST FORECAST AREA WEDNESDAY WITH HIGHS IN THE 80S THERE. HOWEVER 90S STILL LOOK GOOD ACROSS THE WEST. WENT NEAR THE MET MOS MOST AREAS. WARMER TEMPERATURES ALOFT WILL RETURN THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. CLOUDS MIGHT HAVE SOME IMPACT THESE DAYS. DIDN/T GO AS HIGH AS THE NAM WOULD SUGGEST MOST PLACES DUE TO THE UNCERTAINTY IN CLOUDS...BUT STILL KEPT HIGHS IN THE 90S. && .LONG TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/... ISSUED AT 300 PM EDT TUE JUL 31 2012 MODELS HAVE BECOME A LITTLE MORE IFFY ON RAIN AMOUNTS FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY. BUT WITH A WEAK FRONT STALLED TO THE NORTH WILL CONTINUE 20 PERCENT POPS MOST AREAS FRIDAY NIGHT AND 30 PERCENT SATURDAY. SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY WILL BE OUR BEST CHANCE OF STORMS AS A COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE AREA. EXCEPT FOR AN EVENING THUNDERSTORM FAR SOUTH EARLY SUNDAY NIGHT...DRY WEATHER WILL BE THE RULE SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS INTO OUR REGION. ABOVE TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE PERIOD. ALTHOUGH SUNDAY AND MONDAY MAY BE A LITTLE LESS HOT WITH CLOUDS SUNDAY AND SLIGHTLY COOLER AIR MONDAY. WILL GO A FEW DEGREES ABOVE ALL BLEND MAX TEMPERATURES MOST PERIODS TO MASK OUT THE AFFECTS OF THE COOLER GFS. && .AVIATION /DISCUSSION FOR 311800Z TAFS/... ISSUED AT 100 PM EDT TUE JUL 31 2012 VFR THROUGH THE PERIOD. THERE IS STILL A POTENTIAL FOR A FEW HOURS OF THUNDERSTORMS TO OCCUR AT TAF SITES THIS AFTERNOON MAINLY SOUTH OF KLAF. FRONT WILL BE MOVING KLAF SHORTLY AND NOTHING YET OCCURRING ALONG FRONT. FARTHER SOUTH THERE MAY BE A BRIEF PERIOD OF THUNDER AS AIRMASS BECOME MORE UNSTABLE ALLOWING SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP ALONG COLD FRONT. FOR NOW WILL COVER THIS WITH A 2 HOUR PERIOD OF VCTS AT KHUF...KIND AND KBMG. BY 00Z FRONT WILL BE NEAR OHIO RIVER AND QUITE A BIT OF DRYING WILL OCCUR BEHIND FRONT ALLOWING FOR MOSTLY CLEAR CONDITIONS REST OF THE FORECAST PERIOD AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN FROM THE NORTHWEST. WILL NOT MENTION FOG IN TAFS LATE TONIGHT AS GROUND WILL BE DRY. THE ONLY CAVEAT WOULD BE IF THERE IS ENOUGH PRECIP LATER THIS AFTERNOON TO MOISTEN GROUND CONDITIONS. WINDS WILL BECOME WEST 8 TO 10 KNOTS EARLY THIS AFTERNOON AND THEN NORTHWEST BY LATE AFTERNOON AND LIGHT TONIGHT. WINDS WEDNESDAY WILL FROM THE THE NORTH AT 8 KNOTS OR LESS. && .IND WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...50 NEAR TERM...50 SHORT TERM...50 LONG TERM....JH AVIATION...JH
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN 327 PM EDT TUE JUL 31 2012 INZ021-028>031-035>049-051>057-060-011930- 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- 327 PM EDT TUE JUL 31 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL INDIANA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. OUTLOOK: SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS...SOME POSSIBLY SEVERE. HAZARDS: DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...BRIEF HEAVY RAIN AND LIGHTNING. TIMING: THROUGH 800 PM. DISCUSSION: A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA INTO EARLY EVENING...BRINGING SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. OUTLOOK: THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH LATE SUNDAY ACROSS MOST OF THE AREA. DISCUSSION: A FRONTAL SYSTEM WILL PROVIDE ADDITIONAL CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS BEGINNING THURSDAY NIGHT AND CONTINUING THROUGH THE WEEKEND. WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED. HOWEVER...BRIEF HEAVY RAIN AND LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE WITH ANY STORM. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS POSSIBLE INTO EARLY EVENING. && MORE INFORMATION...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...HYDROLOGICAL AND CLIMATE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND...AT HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/IND (ALL LOWERCASE) INZ061>065-067>072-011930- GREENE-MONROE-BROWN-BARTHOLOMEW-DECATUR-KNOX-DAVIESS-MARTIN- LAWRENCE-JACKSON-JENNINGS- 327 PM EDT TUE JUL 31 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHERN SECTIONS OF CENTRAL INDIANA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. OUTLOOK: SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS...SOME POSSIBLY SEVERE.. HAZARDS: DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...BRIEF HEAVY RAIN AND LIGHTNING. TIMING: SEVERE STORMS ARE POSSIBLE THROUGH 800 PM...WITH LINGERING STORMS POSSIBLE THROUGH 1000 PM. DISCUSSION: A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA INTO EARLY EVENING...BRINGING SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. OUTLOOK: THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS MOST OF THE AREA THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH LATE SUNDAY. DISCUSSION: A FRONTAL SYSTEM WILL PROVIDE ADDITIONAL CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS BEGINNING THURSDAY NIGHT AND CONTINUING THROUGH THE WEEKEND. WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED. HOWEVER...BRIEF HEAVY RAIN AND LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE WITH ANY STORM. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS POSSIBLE INTO EARLY EVENING. && 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
419 PM EDT TUE JUL 31 2012
INZ028-029-036-312045-
MONTGOMERY-TIPPECANOE-WARREN-
419 PM EDT TUE JUL 31 2012
...STRONG THUNDERSTORM ADVISORY FOR NORTHERN MONTGOMERY...SOUTHERN
TIPPECANOE AND NORTHEASTERN WARREN COUNTIES UNTIL 445 PM EDT...
AT 418 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 10 MILES SOUTHWEST OF WEST LAFAYETTE...OR 11
MILES WEST OF LAFAYETTE...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 35 MPH.
HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF PENNIES AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE
EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.
LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...
SHADELAND...
NEW RICHMOND...
LINDEN...
THIS STORM MAY INTENSIFY...AND A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN
EFFECT FOR THIS AREA. 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.
&&
LAT...LON 4022 8669 4020 8669 4004 8692 4024 8710
4036 8709 4036 8710 4034 8714 4034 8718
4041 8725 4048 8711 4048 8710 4050 8707
TIME...MOT...LOC 2019Z 313DEG 32KT 4036 8705
HOMANN/DWMSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
423 PM EDT TUE JUL 31 2012
INZ051>053-061-312115-
CLAY-GREENE-OWEN-VIGO-
423 PM EDT TUE JUL 31 2012
...STRONG THUNDERSTORM ADVISORY FOR CLAY...NORTHWESTERN GREENE...
SOUTHERN OWEN AND SOUTHEASTERN VIGO COUNTIES UNTIL 515 PM EDT...
AT 422 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 8 MILES SOUTHWEST OF BRAZIL...OR 9 MILES EAST OF
TERRE HAUTE...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 20 MPH.
HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF PENNIES AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE
EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN.
LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...
SPENCER...
LINTON...
CORY...
CENTER POINT...
SALINE CITY...
BOWLING GREEN...
CLAY CITY...
COALMONT...
JASONVILLE...
PATRICKSBURG...
COAL CITY...
FREEDOM...
WORTHINGTON...
MCCORMICKS CREEK STATE PARK...
SWITZ CITY...
THIS STORM MAY INTENSIFY...AND A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN
EFFECT FOR THIS AREA. 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 3952 8718 3926 8668 3895 8713 3920 8724
3926 8724 3926 8727 3942 8734
TIME...MOT...LOC 2023Z 318DEG 19KT 3943 8722
HOMANN/DWMThe Indianapolis radar (KIND), 76 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:41 UTC.
9 hail, 5 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Trees were reported down on Gloryville Road, one mile southwest of Freedom, due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts. Trees were also down on Parrish Road and Harrington Road near Freedom.
Tree limbs were also reported down with a thunderstorm wind gust estimated at 50 mph.
Trees were reported down across Highway 57 due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts. Marble sized hail was also observed.
An estimated thunderstorm wind gust of 70 mph was observed in this location.
Numerous trees were downed due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts. Power lines were also down on Walnut Street, just north of Bartholomew.
There were reports of trees, limbs, and power lines down between County Roads 900 South and 1000 South on State Route 9 due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts. A flatbed trailer moved into a bean field from a residence. Also, a carport was moved across State Route 9 from a residence.
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, July 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: 405862, 405678, 405863, 405680, 405681, 405682, 405683, 405684, 405864, 405865, 405687, 405688, 405689, 405691.