A weak frontal boundary was located from Indiana northwest into the western Dakotas. A disturbance moved along the front, interacting with surface based CAPE values in the 3000 to 4000 j/kg range and downdraft CAPE values between 1000 and 1500 j/kg to allow for severe thunderstorms to persist across northern Indiana, eventually moving into northwestern Ohio.
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 weak frontal boundary was located from Indiana northwest into the western Dakotas. A disturbance moved along the front, interacting with surface based CAPE values in the 3000 to 4000 j/kg range and downdraft CAPE values between 1000 and 1500 j/kg to allow for severe thunderstorms to persist across northern Indiana, eventually moving into northwestern Ohio. Steep low and mid level lapse rates allowed for strong updrafts to occur, with pockets of hail, heavy rain and damaging winds.
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 Jul 1, 3:47 PM EST, 22 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA 447 PM EDT SUN JUL 1 2012 .SHORT TERM... TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT. PRIME FOCUS CONTS ON ONGOING SVR CONVECTION AND UPDATES WITH CANCLG WW443 IN OVERTURNED/STABILIZED WAKE. PRIME DCAPE/MLCAPE RESERVOIR AND STORM MOTION FAVORING PERSISTENCE WRT COLD POOL MAINTENANCE ACRS SERN CWA. STORMS THAT FIRED ACRS NWRN CWA/SWRN LWR MI IN REGN OF LESSER CAPE...THOUGH OFFSET WITH BETTER SHEAR ENVIRONMENT ALONG PERIPHERY OF MORE RAPID 40-50 KT MID- TROPOSPHERIC FLOW ACRS WCNTL LWR MI INTO LK ERIE. NAM HINTS AT POTNL WAVE LATE TONIGHT RIDING PERIPHERY OF MIDLVL RIDGE WITH STRENGTHENING/VEERED LLJ TOWARD DAYBREAK. HOWEVER...PRIME FOCUS APPEARS TO REMAIN WEST OF CWA WITH ASSOCD GRTR OVERNIGHT MUCAPE RESERVOIR...AND WL KEEP ERLY AM HOURS DRY...THOUGH CONFIDENCE LOW. PRIMARY FOCUS ON SRN GRTLKS REGN APPEARS TO BE ON DIURNAL DRIVEN AFTN/ERLY EVE CONVECTION FOR DY2/3 AS THETA-E RESERVOIR BEGINS TO ORIENT GRDLY MORE SW-NE PER GRDLY BACKING 0-1KM FLOW...WITH MESOBNDRY/LAKE BREEZE FNT/UPSTREAM MESOVORT EJECTIONS CONTG TO ALL PLAY PSBL ROLES IN INITIATION COINCIDENT WITH MAXIMIZED DIURNAL DESTAB. && .LONG TERM... / TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY / ...HOT AND MAINLY DRY WX EXPECTED... AN UPPER RIDGE WILL CONTINUE TO BUILD NEWD INTO THE MIDWEST/GREAT LAKES NEXT WEEK IN RESPONSE TO RENEWED TROUGHING ALONG THE EAST/WEST COASTS. ON TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY THE LOCAL AREA WILL STILL HAVE LOW CHANCES FOR SHOWERS/STORMS ON THE NERN FRINGE OF THIS UPPER RIDGE WITHIN NORTHWESTERLY FLOW ALOFT...WITH THE INSTABILITY AXIS / LOW LVL THETA-E RIDGE STILL "IN THE VICINITY" DURING THIS TIME. THIS WEAK DIFFUSE LOW LVL CONVERGENT BOUNDARY AND EXPECTED DIFFICULT TO TIME LOW AMPLITUDE SHORTWAVES RIPPLING THROUGH THE FLOW WILL LIKELY COMBINE TO FORCE ADDITIONAL CONVECTIVE COMPLEXES ACROSS THE UPPER MIDWEST AND GREAT LAKES THROUGH AT LEAST TUESDAY...LIKELY DEVELOPING ALONG THE NOSE OF A LLJ IN THE UPPER MIDWEST AND THEN ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A RUN AT THE GREAT LAKES AND NORTHERN OHIO VALLEY FOLLOWING CLOSE TO THE SHALLOW QUASI STATIONARY BOUNDARY. THERE ARE TOO MANY MESOSCALE UNCERTAINTIES WRT TO MCS DEVELOPMENT/TRACK/TIMING AND ASSOCIATED COMPOSITE/RESIDUAL OUTFLOWS THAT MAKE FORECASTING POPS/WX IN THIS TYPE OF PATTERN VERY DIFFICULT. AS A RESULT DID NOT MAKE ANY SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO LOW CHC POPS TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY. THIS UNCERTAINTY WITH CONVECTION/CLOUD DEBRIS/OUTFLOWS ALSO MAKES HIGH TEMPS A CHALLENGE WITH NO CHANGES MADE. UPPER RIDGE AND ASSOCIATED STRONG SUBSIDENCE LOOKS TO BUILD IN FOR THE MID TO LATE WEEK PERIOD RESULTING IN MAINLY DRY WX AND TEMPERATURES WELL ABOVE NORMAL...POSSIBLY APPROACHING THE UPPER 90S/NEAR 100 FOR SEVERAL DAYS WITH HEAT RELATED HEADLINES EVENTUALLY POSSIBLE. WILL CONTINUE TO MENTION HEAT/HUMIDITY CONCERNS IN THE HWO FOR NOW. A MORE PRONOUNCED SHORTWAVE CRESTING THE UPPER RIDGE MAY HELP TO SUPPRESS THE RIDGE AND FORCE ANOTHER FRONTAL BOUNDARY SOUTH INTO THE AREA BY NEXT WEEKEND. THIS COULD BRING SHOWERS/STORMS AND POSSIBLY SOME RELIEF FROM THE HEAT BY SOMETIME NEXT WEEKEND OR EARLY THE FOLLOWING WEEK. && .AVIATION/UPDATE... 18 UTC TAFS AND PRIOR/1219 PM ZFP UPDATE. INCRSD UPSTREAM CONVECTIVE ORGANIZATION AMID STRONG INSTABILITY PER RAP/SREF/MODIFIED SNDGS..NOTED EARLIER RAP PROG BIASED NEGATIVELY/UNDERESTIMATING WRT OBS MLCAPE. AT PRESENT POOL OF STRONG 3500-4500 J/KG MLCAPE LAID ACRS NRN INDIANA INTO WRN CWA. DEEP LAYER/EFFECTIVE SHEAR TO MODEST...WITH HIEST VALUES TO REMAIN WELL NORTH/NORTHEAST OF CWA IN ASSOCIATION WITH STRONGER NWRLY MID-TROPOSPHERIC FLOW. STILL MATURING COLD POOL MERGERS ASSOCD W/UPSTREAM CONVECTION TO PROVIDE PRIMARY DMG WIND THREAT LATE AFTN/ERLY EVE ACRS SWRN HALF OF CWA. INITIATION OF NRN IL CONVECTION COMMENCED RAPIDLY AROUND 1430 UTC NEAR KSQI PER OUTFLOW/PSBL GRAVITY WAVE EMISSION FROM ERLIER KOTM CONVECTIVE BEHEMOTH...AND ASSOCD MARKED INCRS SWRLY LLVL FLOW PER KDVN VWP. TIMING CONVECTION WITH BRIEF RESTRICTIONS DOWN INTO IFR MET RANGE WITH FAIRLY HIGH CONFIDENCE...INTO KSBN 19-21 UTC AND ABOUT AN HOUR THEREAFTER INTO KFWA WITH SUB-SEVERE GUSTS/SQUALLS NOTED WITH INIT ISSNC...AND MONITOR CONVECTIVE TRENDS FOR POTN INCRS TO GTE 50KTS GUSTS AS NEEDED. THEREAFTER VFR ANTICIPATED... SAVE FOR PSBL SHALLOW RADIATIONAL BR POTNL NEAR DAYBREAK PER WETTED GROUND/HIGH XOVER TEMPS. && .IWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... IN...NONE. MI...NONE. OH...NONE. LM...NONE. && SHORT TERM...MURPHY LONG TERM...STEINWEDEL AVIATION...MURPHY
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA 1241 PM EDT SUN JUL 1 2012 INZ003-012>018-020-022>027-032>034-OHZ024-021645- LA PORTE-STARKE-PULASKI-MARSHALL-FULTON IN-KOSCIUSKO-WHITLEY- ALLEN IN-WHITE-CASS IN-MIAMI-WABASH-HUNTINGTON-WELLS-ADAMS-GRANT- BLACKFORD-JAY-VAN WERT- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...MICHIGAN CITY...LA PORTE...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...DECATUR... BERNE...MARION...HARTFORD CITY...MONTPELIER...PORTLAND...VAN WERT... DELPHOS 1241 PM EDT SUN JUL 1 2012 /1141 AM CDT SUN JUL 1 2012/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHERN INDIANA AND NORTHWEST OHIO. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON INTO EARLY THIS EVENING. SOME THUNDERSTORMS MAY BE SEVERE WITH ISOLATED DAMAGING WIND GUSTS TO 65 MPH THE PRIMARY THREAT. ADDITIONALLY... BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS AND HAIL UP TO ONE INCH ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. PEAK AFTERNOON HEAT INDEX READINGS ARE EXPECTED TO REACH INTO THE UPPER 90S TO AROUND 100. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS MAINLY DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS OF THE MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY PERIOD. INTENSE HEAT IS ANTICIPATED DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS OF THE TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY PERIOD. .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 INZ004>009-MIZ077>081-OHZ001-002-004-005-015-016-025-021645- ST. JOSEPH IN-ELKHART-LAGRANGE-STEUBEN-NOBLE-DE KALB-BERRIEN-CASS MI- ST. JOSEPH MI-BRANCH-HILLSDALE-WILLIAMS-FULTON OH-DEFIANCE-HENRY- PAULDING-PUTNAM-ALLEN OH- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...SOUTH BEND...MISHAWAKA...ELKHART... GOSHEN...LAGRANGE...TOPEKA...ANGOLA...KENDALLVILLE...LIGONIER... AUBURN...GARRETT...NILES...BENTON HARBOR...ST. JOSEPH...BUCHANAN... DOWAGIAC...CASSOPOLIS...STURGIS...THREE RIVERS...COLDWATER... HILLSDALE...BRYAN...MONTPELIER...WAUSEON...ARCHBOLD...DEFIANCE... NAPOLEON...PAULDING...ANTWERP...OTTAWA...PANDORA...LIMA 1241 PM EDT SUN JUL 1 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST OHIO... SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN AND NORTHERN INDIANA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING. WHILE AN ISOLATED SEVERE STORM IS POSSIBLE... THE GREATER CHANCE FOR SEVERE STORMS EXIST ALONG AND SOUTH OF A LAPORTE TO FORT WAYNE INDIANA TO LIMA OHIO LINE. PEAK AFTERNOON HEAT INDEX READINGS ARE EXPECTED TO REACH INTO THE MIDDLE TO UPPER 90S. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS MAINLY DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS OF THE MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY PERIOD. INTENSE HEAT IS ANTICIPATED DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS OF THE TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY PERIOD. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY 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 LMZ043-046-021645- NEW BUFFALO MI TO ST JOSEPH MI-MICHIGAN CITY IN TO NEW BUFFALO MI- 1241 PM EDT SUN JUL 1 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE NEARSHORE WATERS OF SOUTHEASTERN LAKE MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORM ARE EXPECTED THIS AFTERNOON INTO EARLY THIS EVENING. AN ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM IS POSSIBLE. LOCALLY HIGH WINDS AND WAVES ARE POSSIBLE WITH ANY STORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS MAINLY DURING THE AFTERNOON OF THE MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY PERIOD. STRONG GUSTY WINDS ARE POSSIBLE WITH ANY STORMS THAT OCCUR DURING THIS TIME. && STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES...OR CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT WEATHER.GOV/IWX/?N=MARINE
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
453 PM EDT SUN JUL 01 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0430 PM TSTM WND GST 5 NE FORT WAYNE 41.13N 85.07W
07/01/2012 M59 MPH ALLEN IN TRAINED SPOTTER
ALONG GUST FRONT. SMALL TREE LIMBS DOWN
&&
BENTLEYPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
454 PM EDT SUN JUL 01 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0453 PM TSTM WND DMG 1 S ANGOLA 41.62N 85.00W
07/01/2012 STEUBEN IN TRAINED SPOTTER
SMALL TREE LIMBS DOWN. PEA SIZED HAIL REPORTED.
&&
BENTLEYPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
459 PM EDT SUN JUL 01 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0457 PM HAIL 3 W BERLIEN 41.63N 84.93W
07/01/2012 M0.75 INCH STEUBEN IN TRAINED SPOTTER
OVER 50 MPH WINDS ESTIMATED AS WELL.
&&
BENTLEYPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
504 PM EDT SUN JUL 01 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0446 PM TSTM WND DMG 2 WSW EAST GILEAD 41.77N 85.12W
07/01/2012 BRANCH MI EMERGENCY MNGR
TREE BLOCKING ADAMS RD.
&&
BENTLEYPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
505 PM EDT SUN JUL 01 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0502 PM TSTM WND GST 1 W COLUMBIA 41.63N 84.81W
07/01/2012 E70 MPH STEUBEN IN NWS EMPLOYEE
A LOT OF TREE DAMAGE. SEVERAL LARGE TREES SPLIT.
&&
BENTLEYPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
509 PM EDT SUN JUL 01 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0446 PM TSTM WND DMG 2 W FLINT 41.65N 85.16W
07/01/2012 STEUBEN IN TRAINED SPOTTER
MANY 3 INCH TREE BRANCHES DOWN AT THE INTERSECTION OF
900W AND 50N
&&
BENTLEYThe Northern Indiana radar (KIWX), 81 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:09 UTC.
8 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Emergency management officials reported multiple trees down in western portions of Williams county.
A Ohio Department of Transportation sensor at the intersection of US 20 and State Route 49 measured a 59 mph wind gust.
Local media reported the roof was torn off a newer barn near Archbold.
Local law enforcement officials reported a roof blown off a building onto a roadway near State Routes 66 and 2.
A trained spotter reported trees were blown down across Elm Street in Wauseon.
A trained spotter reported a healthy five inch diameter tree limb was blown down across County Road 13.
Emergency management officials reported a eight inch diameter tree limb down across the road at the intersection of County Road B and 8.
Emergency management officials reported power lines were down along a three mile stretch of State Road 65, between the Wood/Henry county line to the intersection of State Road 65 and 110. This forced the closure of the road while clean-up occurred. In addition, numerous trees were blown down along the same stretch.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Ohio in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Ohio, 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: 386522, 386534, 386523, 386524, 386526, 386528, 386529, 386533.