An area of low pressure moved along the Ohio River during the evening of March 24 and lingered to the east of central Indiana on March 25. The result was snow, heavy in some areas, across central Indiana.
Every event with a place to put it; 19 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.
An area of low pressure moved along the Ohio River during the evening of March 24 and lingered to the east of central Indiana on March 25. The result was snow, heavy in some areas, across central Indiana. The heaviest snow fell north of Interstate 70, with some locations receiving over 10 inches of snow. Gusty winds created drifts over 1 foot deep in some areas.
The snowfall of 6.2 inches at Indianapolis for the calendar day of March 24 set a new record for that date. That is only the third time since the 1880s that a snowfall of 4 inches or more has happened so late in the season. An additional 2.9 inches fell on March 25, bringing the total at Indianapolis to 9.1 inches for the storm. The snow depth of 7 inches at Indianapolis on March 25 set a new record for the date.
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 Mar 24, 3:13 AM EST, 2 hours 47 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN 413 AM EDT SUN MAR 24 2013 .UPDATE... THE LONG TERM AND AVIATION SECTIONS HAVE BEEN UPDATED BELOW && .SYNOPSIS... ISSUED AT 322 AM EDT SUN MAR 24 2013 A STRENGTHENING LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL LIFT NORTHEAST ACROSS EASTERN KENTUCKY TODAY AND THIS EVENING BEFORE MOVING INTO SOUTHERN OHIO OVERNIGHT. THIS SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO BRING SIGNIFICANT WET SNOW ACCUMULATION TO CENTRAL INDIANA ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING IT IS LATE MARCH. SNOW ACCUMULATION WILL BE HEAVIEST LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS WILL LINGER BEFORE HIGH PRESSURE GRADUALLY BUILDS IN FROM THE PLAINS BRINGING DRY WEATHER AND GRADUALLY WARMING TEMPERATURES THROUGH LATE WEEK. BY SATURDAY...HIGHS COULD BE NEAR NORMAL MOSTLY IN THE 50S WITH RAIN SHOWER CHANCES IN SOUTHERLY FLOW ON THE BACK SIDE OF HIGH PRESSURE. && .NEAR TERM /TODAY AND TONIGHT/... ISSUED AT 322 AM EDT SUN MAR 24 2013 AT 2 AM EDT...DOPPER RADAR WAS INDICATING SOME ECHOES LIFTING NORTHEAST ACROSS SOUTHWESTERN INDIANA. HOWEVER...OBSERVATIONS WERE REVEALING ONLY MID CLOUDS AT THE PRESENT TIME. THAT..HOWEVER WILL CHANGE IN A BIG WAY LATER TODAY AND TONIGHT. MAIN CHALLENGE TODAY WILL BE PRECIPITATION TIMING AND TYPE ALONG WITH SNOW AMOUNTS AS MODELS ARE NOW COMING TOGETHER NICELY IN HANDLING THE STRENGTH AND LOCATION OF LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM THAT IS PROGGED TO LIFT NORTHEAST FROM THE SOUTHERN STATES TO EAST CENTRAL KENTUCKY BY 00Z MONDAY. STRONG UPPER LOW MOVING TO NEAR THE CONFLUENCE OF THE OHIO AND MISSISSIPPI RIVERS ALONG WITH A VIGOROUS 140 PLUS KNOT JET ACROSS THE TENNESSEE VALLEY WILL RESULT IN THE AFOREMENIONED SURFACE LOW DEEPENING TO LESS THAN 995 MILLIBARS BY EVENING AND RESULT IN MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW BY LATE AFTERNOON. PRIOR TO THAT...STRONG ISENTROPIC LIFT ON THE THE 295K LEVEL AND CONDENSATION PRESSURE DEFICITS LOWERING TO 30 MILLIBARS AND LESS WILL RESULT IN THE DRY LOWER LEVELS QUICKLY SATURATING WITH BUKFIT SOUNDINGS AND CRITICAL THICKNESS PROGS SUGGESTING SNOW WILL MIX WITH RAIN NEAR AND TO THE SOUTH OF A GREENSBURG TO BLOOMINGTON TO SULLIVAN LINE WITH A TURNOVER TO ALL SNOW NEAR 00Z MONDAY. MIXING RATIOS ALSO RATHER IMPRESSIVE AT 3 TO 4 G/KG TODAY. THUS...DESPITE HIGHEST QPF EXPECTED TO BE ACROSS THIS AREA...RAIN MIX AND LOW SNOW RATIOS EVEN TOWARD 00Z WOULD SUGGEST LIGHTER SNOW AMOUNTS THERE UNTIL AFTER 00Z WITH HIGHER AMOUNTS TO THE NORTH. WITH MODELS TRENDING A LITTLE BIT FURTHER SOUTH THAN PREVIOUS RUNS...HEAVIEST SNOW TODAY SHOULD BE ALONG AND SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 70 AND TO THE NORTH OF THE MIXED AREA. THIS AREA WILL ALSO BE NEAR ELONGATED 850 MILLIBAR FRONTOGENESIS AND INSTABILITY ALOFT THAT COULD AID IN SNOW AMOUNTS...ALTHOUGH SNOW RATIOS WILL BE ON THE LOW SIDE UNTIL LATE IN THE DAY WHEN THE COLUMN COOLS FURTHER AS THE LOW MOVES INTO SOUTHERN OHIO. AT THIS POINT...STRONG DYNAMICS INCLUDING QVECTOR CONVERGENCE FROM 850-500 MILLIBARS ALONG WITH FRONTOGENTICAL FORCING...DIFFLUENT FLOW ALOFT AND INSTABILITY ALOFT SHOULD RESULT IN MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW WITH BANDING PRODUCING THE HIGHEST AMOUNTS. SNOWFALL AMOUNTS WILL CONTINUE TO BE TRICKY...WITH THE GROUND AND SURFACE TEMPERATURES STARTING OFF ABOVE FREEZING WHICH SHOULD LOWER SNOW AMOUNTS FROM WHAT EARLIER MODEL RUNS HAD...UPWARDS OF 12 INCHES IN THE HEAVIEST SNOW BAND. BUFKIT SUGGESTS THIS SCENARIO ALONG WITH DECENT COMPACTION OF THE SNOW. ALSO...EXACT AREA OF PROLONGED BANDING STILL UP IN THE AIR...HOWEVER A WIDESPREAD 6 INCH STORM TOTAL SNOW AMOUNT LOOKS GOOD THROUGH MONDAY MORNING WITH 10 INCH AMOUNTS AND LOCALLY HIGHER NEAR THE DEFORMATION ZONE WHICH SHOULD BE FAIRLY CLOSE TO EITHER SIDE OF THE INTERSTATE 70 CORRIDOR AND A BIT FURTHER NORTH OF THE LATE AFTERNOON HEAVY SNOW. WITH MODEL LOW TRACKS AND RESULTANT SNOWFALL ACCUMULATION A LITTLE FURTHER SOUTH...WILL UPGRADE THE SOUTHERNMOST TIER TO A WINTER STORM WARNING AND KEEP THE WARNING GOING ELSEWHERE THROUGH NOON EDT MONDAY. POPS WILL INCREASE TO OCCASIONAL FROM SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST TODAY WITH MOST OR ALL OF CENTRAL INDIANA SEEING PRECIPITATION BY 18Z. POPS WILL ONLY DROP SLIGHTLY TO LIKELY TOWARD MORNING. COULD ALSO SEE SOME BLOWING SNOW TODAY AS BUFKIT SUGGESTS GUSTS TO 30 MPH OR MORE. WITH THICK CLOUDS AROUND TODAY ALONG WITH EVAPORATIVE COOLING...COLDER NAM MOS AND ALLBLEND TEMPERATURES IN THE LOWER 30S NORTH TO THE MID 30S SOUTH LOOK GOOD. && .SHORT TERM /MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT/... ISSUED AT 322 AM EDT SUN MAR 24 2013 MODELS AGREE THAT THROUGH THEIR QPF FIELDS THAT THE SNOW WILL BE WINDING DOWN ON MONDAY WITH ONLY LINGERING SMALL SNOW SHOWER CHANCES THROUGH TUESDAY. FINALLY...COULD SEE SOME CLEARING AND THE COLDEST TEMPERATURES OF THE WEEK TUESDAY NIGHT WITH THE SNOW PACK SERVING TO MAXIMIZE RADIATIONAL HEAT LOSS TO SPACE. AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES WILL BE WELL BELOW NORMAL WITH THE SNOW...NORTHWEST WINDS AND CLOUD COVER. && .LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... ISSUED AT 355 AM EDT SUN MAR 24 2013 THE LONG TERM PERIOD WILL START OUT WITH HIGH PRESSURE AT THE SURFACE AND RIDGING ALOFT. AS A RESULT...DRY CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL INTO FRIDAY. HOWEVER...LATEST REGIONAL INITIALIZATION STILL WANTS TO BRING SLIGHT CHANCES FOR PRECIP INTO CENTRAL INDIANA ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY DUE TO A VERY SUBTLE WAVE IN THE UPPER FLOW. AT THIS TIME...HAVE NOT SEEN ENOUGH CONSISTENCY IN MODELS TO DIVERT FROM THAT FORECAST...SO WILL KEEP THE POPS WITH LATEST INITIALIZATION. A SLIGHT WARMING TREND THROUGH THE EXTENDED PERIOD WOULD KEEP ANY PRECIP THAT FALLS IN THE FORM OF RAIN. && .AVIATION /DISCUSSION FOR THE 24/0900Z TAF UPDATE/... ISSUED AT 355 AM EDT SUN MAR 24 2013 UPDATE... BACKED UP THE TIMING OF ONSET OF PRECIP AT KBMG BY A FEW HOURS...AND LOWERED CEILINGS AT KIND. HOWEVER...NO CHANGES IN FLIGHT CATEGORIES AS A RESULT. PREVIOUS DISCUSSION... VFR CONDITIONS AT THE START OF THE PERIOD WILL TREND TO IFR OR LIFR BY THIS AFTERNOON. BUT THERE IS SOME DISAGREEMENT BETWEEN MODELS ON HOW FAST THIS HAPPENS. LOW PRESSURE OVER LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY WILL TRACK ACROSS KENTUCKY THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO SOUTHERN OHIO SUNDAY NIGHT. MODELS SPREAD PRECIP INTO SOUTHERN INDIANA OVERNIGHT...BUT WITH DRY AIR CURRENTLY IN PLACE IT MAY TAKE SOME TIME FOR THE AIRMASS TO MOISTEN UP...AND ESPECIALLY OVER NORTHERN SECTIONS. THE RAPID REFRESH MODEL SHOWS VERY LITTLE PRECIP FROM CENTRAL INDIANA AND NORTHWARD THROUGH MIDDAY SUNDAY. AFTER THAT...A SECOND BATCH OF SNOW WILL SPREAD ACROSS OUR AREA AS THE UPPER LOW APPROACHES AND THE SURFACE LOW TRACKS TO OUR SOUTH. THERE WILL BE LIKELY LIFR CONDITIONS AT TIMES LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING...BUT WITH SOME IMPROVEMENT LATER SUNDAY NIGHT AS THIS SYSTEM CONTINUES EAST. NORTHEAST WINDS WILL INCREASE OVERNIGHT AND SUNDAY AS THE PRESSURE GRADIENT SHARPENS UP. WIND GUSTS UP TO 30 KNOTS ARE POSSIBLE AT KLAF SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING WITH SLIGHTLY LOWER SPEEDS FARTHER SOUTH. && .IND WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 8 AM THIS MORNING TO NOON EDT MONDAY FOR INZ021-028>031-035>049-051>057-060>065-067>072. && SYNOPSIS...MK NEAR TERM...MK SHORT TERM...MK LONG TERM....TDUD AVIATION...JH/TDUD
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN 359 AM EDT SUN MAR 24 2013 INZ021-028>031-035>049-051>057-251000- 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- 359 AM EDT SUN MAR 24 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL INDIANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. OUTLOOK: MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW TODAY AND TONIGHT. HAZARDS: SNOW ACCUMULATION 6 TO 10 INCHES AND LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS WILL RESULT IN SLICK ROADS. NORTHEAST AND NORTH WINDS GUSTING TO 30 MPH WILL PRODUCE SOME BLOWING AND DRIFTING OF SNOW ESPECIALLY ALONG WEST TO EAST ORIENTED ROADS. HEAVY WET SNOW ON TREES AND OTHER ELEVATED SURFACES MAY CAUSE SOME LOCALIZED POWER OUTAGES. DISCUSSION: A STRENGTHENING LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL LIFT NORTHEAST INTO EASTERN KENTUCKY LATE TODAY BRING SIGNIFICANT SNOW ACCUMULATION TO CENTRAL INDIANA TODAY AND TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. OUTLOOK: SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS WILL LINGER INTO TUESDAY. DISCUSSION: THE STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL MOVE EAST OF THE AREA ON MONDAY. THIS WILL RESULT IN THE SNOW BECOME LIGHTER AND MORE SHOWERY BEFORE ENDING TUESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SNOWFALL AMOUNTS THROUGH MONDAY. && MORE INFORMATION...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...HYDROLOGICAL AND CLIMATE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND...AT HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/IND (ALL LOWERCASE) INZ060>065-067>072-251000- SULLIVAN-GREENE-MONROE-BROWN-BARTHOLOMEW-DECATUR-KNOX-DAVIESS- MARTIN-LAWRENCE-JACKSON-JENNINGS- 359 AM EDT SUN MAR 24 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL INDIANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. OUTLOOK: MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW TODAY AND TONIGHT. HAZARDS: SNOW ACCUMULATION 5 TO 8 INCHES AND LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS WILL RESULT IN SLICK ROADS. NORTHEAST AND NORTH WINDS GUSTING TO 30 MPH WILL PRODUCE SOME BLOWING AND DRIFTING OF SNOW ESPECIALLY ALONG WEST TO EAST ORIENTED ROADS. HEAVY WET SNOW ON TREES AND OTHER ELEVATED SURFACES MAY CAUSE SOME LOCALIZED POWER OUTAGES. DISCUSSION: A STRENGTHENING LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL LIFT NORTHEAST INTO EASTERN KENTUCKY LATE TODAY BRING SIGNIFICANT SNOW ACCUMULATION TO CENTRAL INDIANA TODAY AND TONIGHT. THE SNOW MAY START OUT AS OR MIX WITH RAIN THROUGH MID AFTERNOON. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. OUTLOOK: SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS WILL LINGER INTO TUESDAY. DISCUSSION: THE STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL MOVE EAST OF THE AREA ON MONDAY. THIS WILL RESULT IN THE SNOW BECOME LIGHTER AND MORE SHOWERY BEFORE ENDING TUESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SNOWFALL AMOUNTS THROUGH MONDAY. && MORE INFORMATION...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...HYDROLOGICAL AND CLIMATE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND...AT HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/IND (ALL LOWERCASE) KOCH
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
19 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Snowfall of well over 6 inches fell across much, if not all, of Warren county by the evening of the 24th.
Snowfall of around 10 inches was measured across portions of Fountain County by the morning of the 25th.
Snowfall of well over 6 inches fell across much, if not all, of Vermillion County by the morning of the 25th.
On the morning of the 25th, a 24-hour snowfall of 11.5 inches was measured three miles north of Bloomingdale in Parke County.
On the morning of the 25th, a 24-hour snowfall of 9 to 10 inches was measured in and near the Lafayette area in Tippecanoe County.
Snowfall of well over 6 inches fell across much, if not all, of Montgomery County by the morning of the 25th.
Snowfall of over 6 inches fell across much of Putnam County by the morning of the 25th. The heavier amounts fell across the northwest half of the county.
On the morning of the 25th, a 24-hour snowfall of 6 inches was measured in the Flora area within Carroll County.
Snowfall of over 6 inches fell across much, if not all, of Clinton County by the morning of the 25th.
On the morning of the 25th, a 24-hour snowfall of between 7 to 9 inches was measured from many locations across Boone County.
On the morning of the 25th, a 24-hour snowfall of 6.2 inches was measured two miles north, northwest of Avon in Hendricks County.
On the morning of the 25th, a 24-hour snowfall of 10 inches was measured four miles west, northwest of Kokomo in Howard County.
On the morning of the 25th, a 24-hour snowfall of 6.5 to 9 inches was measured at many locations in Tipton County.
On the morning of the 25th, a 24-hour snowfall of 6.6 to 8.3 inches was measured at many locations in Hamilton County.
On the morning of the 25th, a 24-hour snowfall of 6 to 7.8 inches was measured at many locations in Marion County. The snowfall of 6.2 inches at Indianapolis, for the calendar day of March 24th, set a new record for that date. That is only the third time since the 1880s that a snowfall of 4 inches or more has happened so late in the season. An additional 2.9 inches fell on March 25, bringing the total at Indianapolis to 9.1 inches for the storm. The snow depth of 7 inches at Indianapolis on March 25 set a new record for the date.
Snowfall of over 6 inches fell across portions of Madison County by the morning of the 25th.
On the morning of the 25th, a 24-hour snowfall of 7.2 inches was measured near McCordsville in Hancock County.
On the morning of the 25th, a 24-hour snowfall of 7 inches was measured in Muncie within Delaware County.
Snowfall of over 6 inches fell across portions of Randolph County by the morning of the 25th.
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, March 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: 438378, 438379, 438380, 438381, 438382, 438383, 438385, 438388, 438391, 438393, 438395, 438396, 438397, 438398, 438399, 438400, 438401, 438402, 438403.