A strong cold front moved through the Ohio River Valley and produced a number of severe weather reports as it passed across central Indiana. Numerous damaging wind reports were received from the area as the line of storms came through 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.
A strong cold front moved through the Ohio River Valley and produced a number of severe weather reports as it passed across central Indiana. Numerous damaging wind reports were received from the area as the line of storms came through 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 Jan 29, 10:55 PM EST, 1 hour 5 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN 1055 PM EST TUE JAN 29 2013 .UPDATE... THE AVIATION SECTION HAS BEEN UPDATED BELOW && .SYNOPSIS... ISSUED AT 337 PM EST TUE JAN 29 2013 NUMEROUS WEATHER HAZARDS WILL ACCOMPANY AN EXTREMELY POTENT SYSTEM IMPACTING THE REGION THROUGH TOMORROW. VERY UNSEASONABLY WARM AND MOIST CONDITIONS WILL BE IN PLACE THROUGH TONIGHT. AHEAD OF A STRONG COLD FRONT SWEEPING THROUGH THE REGION...THE POTENTIAL WILL EXIST FOR THUNDERSTORMS...HEAVY RAINFALL...FLOODING AND DAMAGING WINDS. POTENTIAL FOR STRONG WINDS WILL CONTINUE BEHIND THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY ON WEDNESDAY...AND FLOODING MAY LAST FOR SEVERAL DAYS OR MORE. && .NEAR TERM /REST OF TONIGHT/... ISSUED AT 942 PM EST TUE JAN 29 2013 UPDATE... LINE OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IS WELL OUT AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT AND CURRENTLY PUSHING EASTWARD THROUGH ILLINOIS AND WESTERN KENTUCKY. TEMPS ACROSS CENTRAL INDIANA HAVE BEEN SLOWLY RISING A FEW DEGREES OVER THE LAST FEW HOURS AS STRONG LOW LEVEL JET ADVECTS WARM AIR AHEAD OF IT. SO...LOSS OF DIURNAL HEATING HAS HAD LITTLE AFFECT ON ENVIRONMENT. INSTABILITY LOOKS MOST FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE STORMS ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF FORECAST AREA PER LATEST LAPS ANALYSES. PREVIOUS DISCUSSION... FOCUS OF THE NEAR TERM REMAINS ON SEVERE WEATHER CHANCES AS WELL AS POSSIBLE HEAVY RAINFALL/FLOODING POSSIBILITIES TONIGHT. THE PERIOD BEGINS WITH GOOD SHORT TERM MODEL AGREEMENT AS TO THE LOCATION OF KEY FEATURES THAT MAY BRING POSSIBLE SEVERE TO PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA TONIGHT. AT 00Z/WED...THE LOW PRESSURE CENTER IS PROGGED TO BE OVER CENTRAL MISSOURI...WITH ONGOING CONVECTION POSSIBLY ALREADY IN THE FORM OF A SQUALL LINE ALONG A STRONG COLD FRONT STRETCHED FROM NORTHWEST ILLINOIS...DOWN THROUGH CENTRAL MISSOURI...INTO EASTERN OKLAHOMA/WESTERN ARKANSAS. THERE DOES APPEAR TO BE SOME DIFFERENCES IN SPEED/TIMING OF THE FRONT INTO THE FORECAST AREA...WITH THE HRRR AND RAP INTO THE AREA A BIT QUICKER THE THE NAM AND GFS. PERSONAL EXPERIENCE HAS SHOWN THAT THESE COLD FRONT/SQUALL LINE FEATURES TEND TO COME IN A BIT QUICKER THAN SOMETIMES EXPECTED. THEREFORE...DECIDED TO TREND TOWARD THE HRRR/RUC SOLNS. AS WAS MENTIONED IN PREVIOUS DISCUSSIONS...DYNAMICS WILL NOT BE AN ISSUE WITH THIS SYSTEM AS THE FRONT APPROACHES. A LOW LEVEL JET AOA 80 KTS AT 850 MB IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OUT AHEAD OF THE FRONT THIS EVENING AND WILL TRANSLATE INTO OUR AREA TONIGHT. WITH 50 KT WINDS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 1000-1500 FEET ABOVE THE SURFACE TONIGHT...DAMAGING WINDS MAY BECOME A REAL THREAT WITH ANY STORMS THAT ARE ABLE TO REMAIN ORGANIZED AS THEY PUSH INTO THE FORECAST AREA. ONE LIMITING FACTOR FOR CONVECTION REMAINING ORGANIZED INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS IS INSTABILITY. SFC-BASED CAPE LOOKS TO BE IN THE UNDER 200 J/KG RANGE...WHILE MUCAPE GIVES SLIGHTLY HIGHER VALUES OF 200-400 J/KG AS THE FRONT MOVES INTO THE AREA. WITH THE STRONG DYNAMICS AVAILABLE...WILL CONTINUE DAMAGING WINDS REFERENCE IN THE GRIDS. ALSO KEEP IN MIND THAT WITH AMPLE LOW LEVEL SHEAR...0-1 HELICITIES AOA 400-500 M2/S2...AN ISOLATED TORNADO CANNOT BE RULED OUT. THE BEST TIMING FOR SEVERE LOOKS TO START AT APPROXIMATELY 04-05Z ACROSS WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA...TO ABOUT 10-11Z OVER THE EAST. JUST ONE OTHER NOTE TO MENTION...THE HRRR ILLUSTRATES A LINE OF CONVECTION DEVELOPING OUT AHEAD OF THE MAIN SQUALL LINE. TO A LESSER EXTENT...THE RAP ALSO DEPICTS A SIMILAR SCENARIO. WHILE THIS FORECAST HAS TAKEN THIS INTO CONSIDERATION...IT COULD STILL ALLOW FOR AN EARLIER ONSET THAN FORECAST. HEAVY RAINFALL IS ALSO IN PLAY TONIGHT AS MOISTURE HAS CONTINUED TO STREAM NORTH INTO THE AREA. A PACIFIC TROPICAL PLUME OF MOISTURE HAS BEEN EVIDENT ALL DAY ON WATER VAPOR IMAGERY STREAMING NORTHWEST INTO LOWER MISSOURI/MID MISSISSIPPI/OHIO RIVER VALLEY STATES. COUPLE THAT WITH 60 DEGREE DEWPOINTS CURRENTLY ON THE SOUTHWESTERN DOORSTEP OF THE FORECAST AREA. PWATS TONIGHT AHEAD OF THE FRONT LOOK TO REACH UPWARDS OF 1.40-1.50 INCHES...YIELDING A PERCENT OF NORMAL OF AROUND 300 PERCENT. WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED TO SEE A WIDESPREAD 1 TO 1.5 INCH RAINFALL...WITH SOME LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE. && .SHORT TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... ISSUED AT 337 PM EST TUE JAN 29 2013 SHORT TERM PERIOD SEES A DIFFERENT SET OF CHALLENGES. ONE OF THE INITIAL CHALLENGES WILL BE STRONG WINDS AFTER THE COLD FRONT SWEEPS THROUGH THE AREA AND A DRY SLOT APPROACHES THE FORECAST AREA DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS. SUSTAINED WINDS AROUND 20-25 KTS...WITH THE POSSIBILITY TO TAP 40 KT WINDS FROM APPROX 850 MB AS BOUNDARY LAYER MIXES OUT. A WIND ADVISORY MAY BE NEED FOR A TIME IN THE LATE MORNING TO EARLY EVENING HOURS ON WEDNESDAY. ADDITIONALLY...SOME LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS MAY WRAP AROUND AND AFFECT MAINLY NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA WEDNESDAY NIGHT AS THE UPPER TROUGH FINALLY PASSES THROUGH. NOT CURRENTLY EXPECTING MUCH IN THE WAY OF ACCUMULATION. ANOTHER UPPER TROUGH AND COLD FRONT PUSHES INTO THE THROUGH THE AREA LATE THURSDAY INTO THURSDAY NIGHT...BRINGING AN ADDITIONAL CHANCE FOR SNOW AND FALLING TEMPS. && .LONG TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/... ISSUED AT 144 PM EST TUE JAN 29 2013 .LONG TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/... THE EXTENDED PERIOD WILL NOT BE NEARLY AS ACTIVE AS THE FIRST FEW DAYS OF THE FORECAST. FIRST OFF A SHORT WAVE TROUGH MOVING THROUGH THE GREAT LAKES REGION MAY BRING A FEW SNOW SHOWERS TO CENTRAL INDIANA AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS PERIOD. TEMPS/THICKNESS ALL LOOK COLD ENOUGH FOR PLAIN SNOW DURING THIS TIME. ATTM ACCUMULATIONS APPEAR TO BE AN INCH OR LESS. AFTER A COLD SHOT OF AIR THU AND FRIDAY...TEMPERATURES WILL GRADUALLY MODERATE TO CLIMO OVER THE WEEKEND AND INTO NEXT WEEK. SECOND HALF OF THE WEEKEND LOOKS DRY AND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. ENSEMBLES SHOW SOME PRECIP BY NEXT MONDAY/MONDAY NIGHT. TEMPERATURES LOOK WARM ENOUGH FOR A SNOW/RAIN MIX ACROSS A GOOD PORTION OF THE AREA. HAVE SMALL MINIMAL PRECIP CHANCES IN DURING THIS TIME. && .AVIATION /DISCUSSION FOR THE 30/06Z TAF ISSUANCE/... ISSUED AT 1055 PM EST TUE JAN 29 2013 SEVERE SQUALL LINE ACROSS EASTERN ILLINOIS AND SOUTHEASTERN MISSOURI LATE THIS EVENING WILL BE NEAR IND AND BMG AROUND ISSUANCE TIME...AND WITH TORNADO WATCH IN EFFECT FOR BMG...WILL GO WITH A TEMPO 40 KNOT SUSTAINED AND 50 KNOT GUST THROUGH 09Z WITH OTHERWISE SOUTHWWEST WINDS AROUND 20 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO 35 KNOTS THE REMAINDER OF THE NIGHT. WINDS WILL SHIFT TO SOUTHWEST AND WEST AND THE SOLID RAINS SHOULD END BEHIND THE COLD FRONT THAT SHOULD MOVE THROUGH AROUND 12Z AT HUF AND HUF AND 14Z AT IND AND BMG. WINDS WHOULD STAY UP THROUGH THE ENTIRE TAF PERIOD BUT SLIGHTLY DECREASE IN SPEED AT IND AFTER 06Z THURSDAY. BASED ON LIGHTNING DATA...WILL GO WITH TEMPO THUNDERSTORMS AT IND AND BMG THROUGH 09Z AND THE OTHER SITES ONLY UNTIL 07Z. COULD SEE SOME MORE SHOWERS THIS AFTERNOON POSSIBLY MIXED WITH SNOW LATE...BUT COVERAGE APPEARS TOO LOW TO MENTION IN TAFS AT LEAST AT THIS TIME. MVFR CONDITIONS...EXCEPT IFR IN THUNDERSTORMS TO BECOME VFR AFTER 15Z PER MODEL TIME SECTIONS. && .IND WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FLOOD WATCH THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING FOR INZ021-028>031-035>049- 051>057-060>065-067>072. && SYNOPSIS...MRD NEAR TERM...MRD/TDUD SHORT TERM...MRD LONG TERM....SMF AVIATION...MK
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN 1154 PM EST TUE JAN 29 2013 INZ021-028>031-035>049-311100- CARROLL-WARREN-TIPPECANOE-CLINTON-HOWARD-FOUNTAIN-MONTGOMERY- BOONE-TIPTON-HAMILTON-MADISON-DELAWARE-RANDOLPH-VERMILLION-PARKE- PUTNAM-HENDRICKS-MARION-HANCOCK-HENRY- 1154 PM EST TUE JAN 29 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL INDIANA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. OUTLOOK: SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE TONIGHT. HAZARDS: ISOLATED TORNADOES...HEAVY RAINFALL...FLOODING...DAMAGING WINDS...SMALL HAIL AND LIGHTNING. TIMING: THE HIGHEST THREAT FOR THESE HAZARDS WILL EXIST FROM LATE EVENING THROUGH EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING...11 PM EST THROUGH 5 AM EST. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE PERIOD. DISCUSSION: A VERY POTENT SYSTEM WILL IMPACT THE AREA THROUGH TONIGHT. MULTIPLE THREATS WILL EXIST FROM THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL ACROSS THE AREA. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. OUTLOOK: STRONG WINDS...APPROACHING 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 45 MPH...ARE POSSIBLE ON WEDNESDAY. SNOW SHOWERS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE REGION LATE WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON INTO WEDNESDAY EVENING...AND AGAIN FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY. ADDITIONALLY...WIND CHILLS MAY APPROACH 5 TO 10 BELOW ZERO LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY THURSDAY MORNING ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE AREA. AREA RIVERS MAY EXPERIENCE FLOODING FOR SEVERAL DAYS DEPENDING ON RAINFALL AMOUNTS THROUGH EARLY WEDNESDAY. DISCUSSION: BEHIND THE STRONG COLD FRONT POISED TO SWEEP THROUGH THE REGION...STRONG WINDS WILL BE POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY...WITH GUSTS TO 45 MPH POSSIBLE. MUCH COLDER AIR WILL POUR INTO THE AREA IN THE WAKE OF THE COLD FRONT...AND A FEW SNOWFLAKES MAY FLY BEFORE PRECIPITATION ENDS FOR GOOD FROM THIS SYSTEM WEDNESDAY EVENING. AN ADDITIONAL DISTURBANCE SLIDING THROUGH THE AREA WILL BRING ADDITIONAL LOW CHANCES FOR SNOW FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED LATE THIS EVENING THROUGH EARLY TOMORROW MORNING. && MORE INFORMATION...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...HYDROLOGICAL AND CLIMATE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND...AT HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/IND (ALL LOWERCASE) INZ051>057-060>065-067>072-311100- VIGO-CLAY-OWEN-MORGAN-JOHNSON-SHELBY-RUSH-SULLIVAN-GREENE-MONROE- BROWN-BARTHOLOMEW-DECATUR-KNOX-DAVIESS-MARTIN-LAWRENCE-JACKSON- JENNINGS- 1154 PM EST TUE JAN 29 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL INDIANA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. OUTLOOK: TORNADO WATCH OVERNIGHT. HAZARDS: ISOLATED TORNADOES...HEAVY RAINFALL...FLOODING...DAMAGING WINDS...SMALL HAIL AND LIGHTNING. TIMING: THROUGH 5 AM EST. DISCUSSION: A SEVERE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE NORTHEAST ACROSS THE AREA TONIGHT. MULTIPLE THREATS WILL EXIST FROM THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL ACROSS THE AREA. WIDESPREAD WIND DAMAGE WAS ALREADY OCCURRING UPSTREAM ACROSS SOUTHEASTERN ILLINOIS...SOUTHEASTERN MISSOURI AND WESTERN KENTUCKY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. OUTLOOK: STRONG WINDS...APPROACHING 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 45 MPH...ARE POSSIBLE ON WEDNESDAY. SNOW SHOWERS WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE REGION LATE WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON INTO WEDNESDAY EVENING...AND AGAIN FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY. ADDITIONALLY...WIND CHILLS MAY APPROACH 5 TO 10 BELOW ZERO LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY THURSDAY MORNING ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE AREA. AREA RIVERS MAY EXPERIENCE FLOODING FOR SEVERAL DAYS DEPENDING ON RAINFALL AMOUNTS THROUGH EARLY WEDNESDAY. DISCUSSION: BEHIND THE STRONG COLD FRONT POISED TO SWEEP THROUGH THE REGION...STRONG WINDS WILL BE POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY...WITH GUSTS TO 45 MPH POSSIBLE. MUCH COLDER AIR WILL POUR INTO THE AREA IN THE WAKE OF THE COLD FRONT...AND A FEW SNOWFLAKES MAY FLY BEFORE PRECIPITATION ENDS FOR GOOD FROM THIS SYSTEM WEDNESDAY EVENING. AN ADDITIONAL DISTURBANCE SLIDING THROUGH THE AREA WILL BRING ADDITIONAL LOW CHANCES FOR SNOW FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION NEEDED THROUGH 5 AM EST. && MORE INFORMATION...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...HYDROLOGICAL AND CLIMATE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND...AT HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/IND (ALL LOWERCASE) KOCH
The Indianapolis radar (KIND), 92 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 04:58 UTC.
21 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A 60 mph thunderstorm wind gust was measured in this location.
A tree went through a house in this location due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
A 60 mph thunderstorm wind gust was observed with a tree down on Highway 136, east of Crawfordsville.
A window was busted out of a building in downtown Bicknell, at the intersection of 2nd and Main Streets, due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
Pieces of an aluminum shed was blown off into a field due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts. A trampoline was blown a considerable distance into a field. Tree limbs were blown down and one large chunk of tree was blown out as well. Other small trees and limbs were downed as well.
A 59 mph thunderstorm wind gust was measured in this location.
Cornelius Farms lost a machine shed containing combines, a planter, a bean drill, and other farm equipment. Debris was strewn out into a field east of the farm.
An estimated 70 mph thunderstorm wind gust was observed in this location.
An estimated 70 mph thunderstorm wind gust was observed in this location.
Several homes were damaged and were without power between Solsberry and Hendricksville. Report was received on WEB EOC.
A 58 mph thunderstorm wind gust was measured at Twin Lakes High School.
State Route 43 was closed due to power lines across the road due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts. A barn was also destroyed.
An estimated 65 mph thunderstorm wind gust was observed in this location.
A 65 mph thunderstorm wind gust was measured in this location.
An estimated 65 mph thunderstorm wind gust was observed in this location.
A 63 mph thunderstorm wind gust was measured in this location.
A barn was destroyed and a roof landed on a pickup truck due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
Damage to power lines was observed on East 86th Street due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
Trees were reported down along with minor building damage due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
County sheriff reported damage to the porch of a house due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts. There is also possible damage to the main house structure.
A barn was destroyed in this location due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
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, January 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: 427816, 432273, 427817, 432274, 432275, 427819, 432276, 427833, 427830, 432283, 427822, 432277, 427832, 427818, 427831, 427820, 432278, 432279, 432280, 432281, 432282.