As a cold front stalled out to the east of central Indiana on December 5th and 6th, waves of low pressure rode along the front. These waves generated snow, sleet, and freezing rain across much of central Indiana.
Every event with a place to put it; 18 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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.
As a cold front stalled out to the east of central Indiana on December 5th and 6th, waves of low pressure rode along the front. These waves generated snow, sleet, and freezing rain across much of central Indiana. By the time the snow ended December 6, up to around 1 foot of snow fell in parts of the area. The most snow fell across southern sections of central Indiana, along with some ice accumulation.
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 Dec 5, 6:14 PM EST, 46 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN 614 PM EST THU DEC 5 2013 .UPDATE... THE AVIATION SECTION HAS BEEN UPDATED BELOW. && .SYNOPSIS... ISSUED AT 1258 PM EST THU DEC 5 2013 AN ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN IS EXPECTED THE NEXT 24 HOURS AS WINTRY WEATHER RETURNS TO CENTRAL INDIANA. A COLD FRONT HAS PUSHED SOUTHEAST OF CENTRAL INDIANA...ALLOWING MUCH COLDER AIR TO PUSH IN TO THE AREA. A FLOW OF MOIST AIR ALOFT ALONG WITH SEVERAL UPPER LEVEL WEATHER DISTURBANCES ARE EXPECTED TO PUSH IN TO CENTRAL INDIANA TONIGHT AND AGAIN ON FRIDAY. THIS WILL RESULT IN ACCUMULATING SNOW TONIGHT AND FRIDAY FOR MOST OF CENTRAL INDIANA...AND THE FIRST REAL BIG SNOW OF THE SEASON. HIGH PRESSURE IS EXPECTED TO BUILD ACROSS THE AREA FRIDAY NIGHT...ENDING THE SNOW. HOWEVER VERY COLD...ARCTIC AIR WILL ARRIVE IN INDIANA...WITH TEMPERATURES WELL BELOW NORMAL THOUGH THE WEEKEND. ANOTHER PASSING STORM SYSTEM MAY BRING SOME LIGHT SNOW OR FREEZING PRECIPITATION TO AREA ON SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY. YET ANOTHER SHOT OF ARCTIC AIR IS THEN EXPECTED TO ARRIVE ON FOR THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK AND HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL ONLY BE IN THE TEENS. && .NEAR TERM /TONIGHT/... ISSUED AT 1258 PM EST THU DEC 5 2013 RADAR THIS AFTERNOON SHOWS A SURGE OF MOISTURE OVER SOUTHERN ILLINOIS STREAMING NORTHEAST TOWARD CENTRAL INDIANA. SURFACE ANALYSIS EARLY THIS AFTERNOON SHOWS COLD HIGH PRESSURE IN PLACE ACROSS THE CENTRAL PLAINS AND A COLD FRONT EAST OF INDIANA...OVER CENTRAL OHIO...EASTERN KENTUCKY AND CENTRAL TENNESSEE. COLD WEST TO NORTHWEST SURFACE FLOW WAS IN PLACE ACROSS CENTRAL INDIANA. SURFACE TEMPS WERE FALLING THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS THE NORTHWEST PARTS OF THE STATE AND BARELY RISING ACROSS SOUTH. THE WATER VAPOR IMAGERY IS IMPORTANT TODAY. IT SHOWS A PLUME OF MOISTURE STREAMING ACROSS MEXICO INTO THE AMERICAN SOUTHWEST AND THEN NORTHEAST INTO THE GREAT LAKES AND OHIO VALLEY. THIS STREAM OF MOISTURE WILL BE OUR SOURCE FOR PRECIP OVER THE NEXT 24-36 HOURS. FORECAST SOUNDINGS ACROSS THE AREA LEAN TOWARD A FREEZING RAIN PRECIP TYPE LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING ACROSS SOUTHERN PARTS OF CENTRAL INDIANA. PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES AROUND 0.8 INDICATE PLENTY OF MOISTURE AVAILABLE FOR THIS SYSTEM. COLDER AIR IS EXPECTED TO ARRIVE ACROSS THE ENTIRE FORECAST AREA AFTER 06Z AS ALL FORECAST SOUNDINGS FALL BELOW FREEZING...CHANGING THE PRECIP TYPE TO ALL SNOW REGION WIDE. THUS HAVE TRENDED FORECASTS TOWARD 100 POPS...WITH BEST CHANCES FOR FREEZING PRECIP ACROSS SOUTHERN PARTS OF THE FORECAST AREA THIS EVENING. ALSO GIVEN THE EXPECTED PATH OF THE BAND OF MOISTURE...SOUTHERN INDIANA IS IN THE MOST FAVORABLE POSITION FOR HEAVIER SNOW AMOUNTS. AS FOR TEMPS...GIVEN THE COLD AIR ADVECTION BUT EXPECTED PRECIPITATION...HAVE TRENDED LOWS AT OR ABOVE MAVMOS. && .SHORT TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... ISSUED AT 1258 PM EST THU DEC 5 2013 SNOW IS EXPECTED ON FRIDAY. FORECAST SOUNDINGS AND TIME HEIGHT SECTIONS CONTINUE TO SUGGEST A SATURATED COLUMN THROUGH THE DAY WITH SOUNDINGS ENTIRELY BELOW FREEZING. FLOW ALOFT CONTINUES TO SUGGEST THE MOIST SOUTHERN JET OF MOISTURE STREAMING IN TO THE OHIO VALLEY. EMBEDDED SHORT WAVE ARE EXPECTED TO PROVIDE MORE FORCING FOR ONGOING SNOW. TIME HEIGHT SECTIONS SHOW ANOTHER ROUND OF GOOD VV DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS. PRECIPITABLE WATER VIA FORECAST SOUNDINGS SHOW A CONTINUOUS STREAM OF MOISTURE ACROSS THE AREA WITH VALUES AROUND 0.60-0.80 FROM 12Z THROUGH 18Z AND AFTER BEFORE TRAILING OFF AFTER 00Z SAT. THUS PLENTY OF MOISTURE APPEARS AVAILABLE. FRONTOGENESIS FORCING APPEARS VERY FAVORABLE FOR THIS EVENT...AGAIN SHOWING A PERIOD STRONG FORCING MID DAY FRIDAY. THUS WITH HIGH MOISTURE AND VERY GOOD FORCING EXPECT BANDS OF SNOW ACROSS THE AREA ON FRIDAY. AGAIN...HEAVIEST AMOUNTS WILL BE ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PARTS OF FORECAST AREA...WITH LIGHTER AMOUNTS NORTHWEST. WITH ONGOING PRECIP EXPECTED ON FRIDAY HAVE TRENDED TEMPS COOLER THAN MAV...STEADY IN THE UPPER 20S. ON FRIDAY NIGHT...DEEP MOISTURE IS LOST IN THE FORECAST SOUNDINGS AS BEST FORCING IS LOST AND THE SOUTHERN STREAM SHIFTS EAST. HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE CENTRAL PLAINS CONTINUES TO BUILD ACROSS THE REGION A COLD SURFACE RIDGE BUILDS ACROSS CENTRAL ILLINOIS AND CENTRAL INDIANA. THUS WILL TREND TOWARD A BECOMING PARTLY CLOUDY SKY. A FEW LINGERING SNOW SHOWERS OR FLURRIES WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE EAST AS FRIDAY/S SYSTEM DEPARTS. HIGH PRESSURE WILL PROVIDE COLD BUT DRY WEATHER FOR SATURDAY. FORECAST SOUNDINGS REMAIN QUITE DRY. THUS WILL TREND TOWARD A PARTLY CLOUDY SKY. AS FOR TEMPS DURING THIS PERIOD...GIVEN THE EXPECTED FRESH SNOW AND COLD AIR IN PLACE WILL TREND HIGHS AND LOWS COOLER THAN MAVMOS. && .LONG TERM /SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/... ISSUED AT 252 PM EST THU DEC 5 2013 MAIN ISSUE IN THE LONG TERM IS ANOTHER WINTER SYSTEM POSSIBLY IMPACTING THE AREA EARLY SUNDAY INTO SUNDAY NIGHT. MODELS APPEAR THEY MAY BE TRENDING SLIGHTLY COOLER MAINLY DURING THE DAY ON SUNDAY. PRECIP MAY SNEAK INTO THE SOUTHERN FORECAST AREA AROUND DAYBREAK SUNDAY IN THE FORM OF SNOW...WITH LIGHT SNOW POTENTIALLY ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA SUNDAY MORNING. PRECIP MAY TRANSITION TO A MIX OF SLEET AND SNOW WITH SOME FREEZING RAIN POSSIBLE ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST SUNDAY AFTERNOON. THIS MIX POTENTIAL WILL EXPAND A BIT FURTHER NORTHWEST SUNDAY EVENING BEFORE COLD AIR AGAIN OVERTAKES THE AREA AND MOST PRECIP LATE SUNDAY NIGHT CHANGES BACK TO SNOW...WITH THE EXCEPTION OF A LIGHT MIX POSSIBLE IN THE EAST. AMOUNTS WITH THIS SYSTEM...WHILE STILL QUITE UNCERTAIN BEING SO FAR OUT...APPEAR VERY LIGHT ACROSS MOST OF THE FORECAST AREA. ACROSS THE SOUTHEASTERN HALF OF THE AREA...FROM VINCENNES TO INDIANAPOLIS AND MUNCIE SOUTHEASTWARD...1-3 INCHES OF SNOW/SLEET APPEAR POSSIBLE WITH POTENTIAL FOR A FEW HUNDREDTHS OF FREEZING RAIN. SNOW/SLEET ACCUMULATIONS OF UP TO 4 INCHES APPEAR POSSIBLE ACROSS THE FAR SOUTHEASTERN FORECAST AREA...IN THE NORTH VERNON AREA. ONCE THIS SYSTEM EXITS...DRY WEATHER WILL DOMINATE THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST PERIOD...AND TEMPS WILL TURN SHARPLY COLDER. HIGHS MAY NOT GET OUT OF THE TEENS AT TIMES NEXT WEEK. ALLBLEND HANDLED THE OUTER PERIODS WELL AND FEW CHANGES WERE REQUIRED. && .AVIATION /DISCUSSION FOR 060000Z TAF ISSUANCE/... ISSUED AT 557 PM EST THU DEC 5 2013 DETERIORATING FLYING CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED AT THE SITES AS A STRONG WINTER STORM IS IN PLACE ACROSS CENTRAL INDIANA FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS. KLAF IS NORTH ENOUGH TO MISS MOST OF THE EFFECTS AND WILL KEEP VFR THERE THROUGH THE NIGHT BUT MVFR TO IFR FRIDAY LATE MORNING/AFTERNOON AS SNOW FINALLY GETS GOING THERE THEN. KHUF AND KIND APPEAR TO BE VERY CLOSE TO A LINE OF SNOW/SLEET/FREEZING RAIN MIX VERSUS NO PRECIP AND RADAR SHOWS THIS PRECIP/NO PRECIP LINE COULD CONTINUE IN A SIMILAR SPOT FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS BEFORE INCHING NORTH. FORECAST SOUNDINGS THOUGH SHOW PRECIP SHOULD BE ALL SNOW AT THESE SITES BY 0-1Z. THESE SOUNDINGS ALSO INDICATE HEAVIEST SNOW COULD OCCUR IN A 6-8Z OR SO TIME WINDOW SO INCLUDED A TEMPO GROUP THEN WITH 1/2SM AND IFR CEILINGS. UNTIL THEN EXPECT MVFR. FRIDAY GUIDANCE AND SOUNDINGS SHOW SNOW THROUGH THE DAY WITH DROPPING CEILINGS. AT KBMG FREEZING RAIN IS OCCURRING AND COULD CONTINUE FOR SOME TIME WITH SLEET MIXING IN OFF AND ON UNTIL AROUND 6-7Z ACCORDING TO FORECAST SOUNDINGS BEFORE CHANGING OVER TO SNOW. LOW END MVFR TO HIGH END IFR CEILINGS MOST OF THE NIGHT THERE WITH LOWERING HAPPENING LATE FRIDAY MORNING AND HEAVIER SNOW ARRIVING. THE SYSTEM SHOULD BE ON IT/S WAY OUT BY THE END OF THE TAF PERIOD AROUND 0Z SATURDAY. && .IND WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 10 PM THIS EVENING TO MIDNIGHT EST FRIDAY NIGHT FOR INZ037-039>042-044>049-051>057-060>065-067>072. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL MIDNIGHT EST FRIDAY NIGHT FOR INZ021-028>031-035-036-038-043. && SYNOPSIS...PUMA NEAR TERM...PUMA SHORT TERM...PUMA LONG TERM....NIELD AVIATION...CP VISIT US AT HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/IND FOLLOW US ON TWITTER AND YOUTUBE AT: WWW.TWITTER.COM/NWSINDIANAPOLIS WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/NWSINDIANAPOLIS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN 309 PM EST THU DEC 5 2013 INZ037-039>042-044>049-051>057-060>065-067>072-062015- BOONE-HAMILTON-MADISON-DELAWARE-RANDOLPH-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- 309 PM EST THU DEC 5 2013 ...WINTER STORM TO PRODUCE HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS INTO FRIDAY EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL INDIANA. .DAY ONE...THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT. OUTLOOK: A MIXTURE OF SNOW...SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN WILL OVERSPREAD CENTRAL INDIANA EARLY THURSDAY EVENING THEN CHANGE OVER TO SNOW THURSDAY NIGHT. HAZARDS: FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET THEN SNOW. TIMING: LATE AFTERNOON THURSDAY...CONTINUING THURSDAY NIGHT. DISCUSSION: FREEZING TEMPERATURES OVERSPREADING CENTRAL INDIANA COMBINED WITH PRECIPITATION MOVING INTO THE REGION WILL RESULT IN A WINTRY MIX THAT WILL CHANGE TO SNOW OVERNIGHT. TRANSITION TO SNOW WILL OCCUR EARLY EVENING IN WESTERN INDIANA AND AFTER MIDNIGHT IN SOUTHEAST COUNTIES. SOME 2 TO 4 INCHES OF SNOW ACCUMULATION WILL BE LIKELY BY DAYBREAK FRIDAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. OUTLOOK: SNOW...LOCALLY HEAVY AT TIMES...WILL IMPACT THE REGION ON FRIDAY. A WINTRY MIX OF SNOW...SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN IS POSSIBLE SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY. DISCUSSION: A SECOND WAVE OF PRECIPITATION WILL TRACK UP THE OHIO VALLEY FRIDAY. THIS WILL PRODUCE WIDESPREAD AND LOCALLY HEAVY SNOWFALL ON FRIDAY. STORM TOTAL SNOW AMOUNTS FROM 6 TO 10 INCHES ARE EXPECTED WITH THE HIGHEST AMOUNTS ALONG AND NEAR THE HIGHWAY US50 CORRIDOR. REFER TO THE WINTER STORM WARNING PRODUCT FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM WILL BRING A WINTRY MIX SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY AND COULD BRING AN ADDITIONAL LIGHT ACCUMULATION OF SNOW AND ICE. BITTERLY COLD AIR WILL ARRIVE BY TUESDAY WITH AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES ONLY EXPECTED TO REACH THE TEENS TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. OVERNIGHT TEMPERATURES WILL DROP TO NEAR ZERO. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS...PLEASE REPORT SNOW...SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN AND ANY IMPACTS THEY ARE CAUSING THAT YOU ARE AWARE OF. INZ021-028>031-035-036-038-043-062015- CARROLL-WARREN-TIPPECANOE-CLINTON-HOWARD-FOUNTAIN-MONTGOMERY- TIPTON-VERMILLION- 309 PM EST THU DEC 5 2013 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL INDIANA. .DAY ONE...THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT. OUTLOOK: A MIXTURE OF SNOW AND SLEET WILL DEVELOP BY LATE THIS AFTERNOON...GRADUALLY TRANSITIONING TO ALL SNOW BEFORE MIDNIGHT. HAZARDS: SNOW AND SLEET. TIMING: BEGINNING LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND CONTINUING THROUGH THE NIGHT. DISCUSSION: COLDER AIR AND PRECIPITATION OVERSPREADING CENTRAL INDIANA WILL PRODUCE WINTRY CONDITIONS. SLEET AND SNOW WILL CHANGE OVER TO ALL SNOW EARLY THURSDAY EVENING. AROUND 1 TO 2 INCHES OF SNOW ACCUMULATION WILL BE OCCUR BY DAYBREAK FRIDAY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. OUTLOOK: SNOW...LOCALLY HEAVY AT TIMES...WILL IMPACT THE REGION ON FRIDAY. A WINTRY MIX OF SNOW...SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN IS POSSIBLE SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY. DISCUSSION: A SECOND UPPER WAVE WILL TRACK THROUGH THE OHIO VALLEY FRIDAY AS THE COLD FRONT MOVES INTO THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS. THIS WILL PRODUCE SNOWFALL ON FRIDAY...WITH STORM TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS OF 3 TO 5 INCHES BY FRIDAY EVENING. ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM WILL BRING A WINTRY MIX SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY AND COULD BRING AN ADDITIONAL LIGHT ACCUMULATION OF SNOW. BITTERLY COLD AIR WILL ARRIVE BY TUESDAY WITH AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES ONLY EXPECTED TO REACH THE TEENS TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. OVERNIGHT TEMPERATURES WILL DROP TO NEAR ZERO. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS...PLEASE REPORT SNOWFALL AND ANY MIXED PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS AS WELL AS ANY IMPACTS THEY MAY BE CAUSING IN YOUR AREA. && MORE INFORMATION...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...HYDROLOGICAL AND CLIMATE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND...AT HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/IND (ALL LOWERCASE) TUCEK
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
18 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Snowfall observations of 11 and 11.9 inches were taken near Vincennes and Bicknell, respectively.
Snowfall observations of 10 and 10.8 inches were taken near Washington.
Snowfall observations of 9.1 and 10 inches were taken near Solsberry and Bloomfield, respectively.
Snowfall observations of 9.2 and 10.3 inches were taken near Loogootee and Shoals, respectively.
Snowfall observations of 7.5 and 9 inches were taken near Bedford and Mitchell, respectively.
Some locations within Vigo County saw approximately 6 inches of snow.
An observer near Jasonville measured 7.5 inches of snow.
Two trained spotters near Gosport measured 8 and 8.5 inches of snow.
Snowfall observations of 5.8 and 6 inches were taken near Greenwood and Franklin, respectively.
A snowfall observations of 7 inches was taken near Sullivan.
Snowfall observations of 9 and 10.1 inches were taken near Ellettsville and Bloomington, respectively.
A snowfall observation of 9 inches was taken near Gnaw Bone.
A snowfall observation of 9 inches was taken in Seymour.
Snowfall observations of 6 and 7.5 inches were taken near Fairland and Shelbyville, respectively.
Snowfall observations of 7.5 and 8.2 inches were taken near Taylorsville and Columbus, respectively.
A snowfall observation of 6.5 inches was taken in North Vernon.
Snowfall observations of 5.8 and 7.5 inches were taken in Brooklyn and Martinsville, respectively.
A snowfall observation of 6.8 inches was taken near Greensburg.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Indiana in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Indiana, December 2013
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: 491685, 491686, 491676, 491687, 491688, 491665, 491668, 491670, 491673, 491675, 491681, 491682, 491689, 491674, 491683, 491690, 491672, 491684.