A strong upper low pressure system moved southeast from eastern Montana toward the Ohio River valley on the 5th of March. At the same time, a surface low pressure system pushes northeast from the Arklatex region to the Ohio River.
Every event with a place to put it; 7 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.
A strong upper low pressure system moved southeast from eastern Montana toward the Ohio River valley on the 5th of March. At the same time, a surface low pressure system pushes northeast from the Arklatex region to the Ohio River. The heaviest snow with this system fell across northern portions of Indiana. In central Indiana, anywhere from 1 to 8 inches of snow fell, with the heaviest falling over the northeastern two tiers of counties from Tippecanoe and Carroll over to Henry and Randolph.
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 5, 3:36 PM EST, 1 hour 24 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN 336 PM EST TUE MAR 5 2013 .UPDATE... THE SYNOPSIS...NEAR TERM...SHORT TERM AND LONG TERM SECTIONS HAVE BEEN UPDATED BELOW. && .SYNOPSIS... ISSUED AT 336 PM EST TUE MAR 5 2013 LOW PRESSURE WILL MOVE THROUGH THE OHIO VALLEY TONIGHT AS AN UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM TRACKS ACROSS THE AREA FROM THE NORTHWEST. THESE SYSTEMS WILL MERGE AND PRODUCE WIDESPREAD SNOWFALL TONIGHT...WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR PERIODS OF HEAVY SNOW ACROSS PARTS OF CENTRAL INDIANA. THE LOW WILL MOVE AWAY TO THE EAST WEDNESDAY WITH HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE CENTRAL U.S. EXPANDING INTO THE REGION THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. TEMPERATURES WILL WARM INTO THE WEEKEND AS AN UPPER RIDGE BUILDS INTO THE OHIO VALLEY. A STORM SYSTEM WILL MOVE INTO THE REGION BY LATE WEEKEND BRINGING THE NEXT CHANCE FOR RAIN. && .NEAR TERM /REST OF THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT/... ISSUED AT 336 PM EST TUE MAR 5 2013 PRECIPITATION COVERAGE HAS BECOME WIDESPREAD THIS AFTERNOON AS LOW PRESSURE WAS CURRENTLY LOCATED OVER CENTRAL KENTUCKY WITH A SURFACE TROUGH EXTENDING NORTHWEST BACK ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA AND INTO NORTHERN ILLINOIS. TEMPERATURES WERE IN THE 30S ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA AS OF 20Z...BUT IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT OVERALL...TEMPS WERE RUNNING 3-5 DEGREES COOLER THAN MODELS WERE DEPICTING FOR THIS TIME. IMPRESSIVE LATE SEASON WINTER STORM ABOUT TO COMMENCE ACROSS CENTRAL INDIANA. GRADUAL TRANSITION OF PRECIP FROM RAIN TO SNOW IS BEGINNING...WITH MORE OBS ACROSS ILLINOIS AND NOW OVER WESTERN INDIANA REPORTING SNOW IN WAKE OF THE PASSAGE OF THE SURFACE TROUGH. WILL CONTINUE TO SEE THIS TRANSITION PROGRESS TO THE NORTHEAST THROUGH 22-23Z...WITH ENTIRE FORECAST AREA EXPERIENCING SNOW THEREAFTER. ONCE THE CHANGEOVER TO SNOW TAKES PLACE...EXPECT A NUMBER OF PARAMETERS TO COME INTO PLAY TO PROVIDE A PERIOD OF MODERATE TO POTENTIALLY HEAVY SNOWFALL THIS EVENING FOCUSED ACROSS THE NORTHEAST HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA...GENERALLY ALONG AND N/E OF THE INTERSTATE 74 CORRIDOR. AT THE SURFACE...LOW PRESSURE WILL LIFT INTO OHIO THEN BECOME NEARLY STATIONARY FOR SEVERAL HOURS AS SECONDARY COASTAL CYCLOGENESIS COMMENCES IN THE MID ATLANTIC. MEANWHILE...THE UPPER LOW WILL ROTATES THROUGH THE OHIO VALLEY THIS EVENING. TO THE NORTH OF THE TRACK OF THE UPPER LOW...AN AXIS OF MID LEVEL DEFORMATION COMBINED WITH FRONTOGENETIC FORCING WILL ALIGN WITH STRONG ISENTROPIC LIFT...HIGH DIV Q VALUES AND THE PASSAGE OF A DECENT DENDRITIC GROWTH ZONE TO PROVIDE AMPLE FORCING FOR HEAVY SNOW. THESE FEATURES MAY ALSO COMBINE TO ALLOW FOR HIGHER SNOW RATIOS UNDERNEATH THE DEEPER FORCING WHICH WOULD SERVE TO ACCENTUATE SNOWFALL RATES. THE PRESENCE OF THE SURFACE LOW OVER OHIO WILL KEEP THE SURFACE TROUGH ANCHORED BACK TO THE WEST THROUGH CENTRAL INDIANA INTO THE OVERNIGHT...AND SHOULD AID FORCING ALOFT MENTIONED ABOVE TO FURTHER ENHANCE SNOWFALL RATES. AS THE SECONDARY LOW IN THE MID ATLANTIC BECOMES THE DOMINANT SYSTEM LATE TONIGHT...MODELS ARE CAPTURING POTENTIAL FOR A PERIOD WITH A STRONG EASTERLY LOW LEVEL JET THAT MAY BE ABLE TO TAP INTO AND BRING ATLANTIC MOISTURE BACK WEST INTO THE REGION AND INTERACT WITH AN IMPRESSIVE TROWAL. THIS WILL LIKELY SERVE TO MAINTAIN STRONG LIFT AND MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOWFALL EVEN AS BETTER DEFORMATION AND FORCING ALOFT BEGINS TO SHIFT EAST WITH THE UPPER LOW MOVING INTO THE CENTRAL APPALACHIANS. THE TROWAL WILL THEN ROTATE SOUTHEAST THROUGH THE FORECAST AREA BETWEEN 06-12Z ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE UPPER LOW. SURFACE WIND GUSTS WILL INCREASE OVERNIGHT TO 25-30 MPH...AND WILL LIKELY PRODUCE BLOWING/ DRIFTING OF SNOW. THE EXPECTED HEAVY WET SNOW HOWEVER MAY LIMIT BLOWING OF SNOW TO SOME DEGREE. ALL OF THESE FEATURES ABOVE WITH THE MOISTURE PRESENT SUPPORT RAISING SNOWFALL TOTALS AS WAS DONE EARLIER THIS MORNING AND HAVE TWEAKED FURTHER FOR THE AFTERNOON PACKAGE. BY WEDNESDAY MORNING ALONG AND NORTHEAST OF INTERSTATE 74...ANTICIPATE 4 TO 6 INCHES WITH THE POSSIBLY OF 8 TO MAYBE 9 INCHES OVER NORTHEAST COUNTIES WHERE FORCING WILL LINGER LONGEST. TO THE S/W OF INTERSTATE 74...EXPECT A WIDE SWATH OF 2 TO 5 INCHES. THIS HAS REQUIRED A FEW ADDITIONAL MINOR CHANGES TO HEADLINES...WITH JENNINGS COUNTY NOW BEING UPGRADED TO A WARNING AND DAVIESS/KNOX COUNTIES BEING PLACED UNDER THE ADVISORY. HEAVIEST SNOWFALL LIKELY TO COME THIS EVENING IN THE WARNING AREA THROUGH ABOUT 06-08Z WITH GRADUALLY LIGHTENING RATES THEREAFTER AS THE TROWAL ROTATES SOUTHEAST. AS OF 20Z...ALL HEADLINES ARE NOW IN EFFECT. TEMPS...LEANED TOWARDS LOWER END OF MOS GUIDANCE OVERNIGHT AS LOWS SHOULD BOTTOM OUT IN THE MID AND UPPER 20S. && .SHORT TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... ISSUED AT 336 PM EST TUE MAR 5 2013 FORECAST CHALLENGES ARE ON TEMPS AND CLOUDS AS MUCH QUIETER WEATHER IS EXPECTED THROUGHOUT MUCH OF THE PERIOD. LIKELY TO STILL HAVE SNOW SHOWERS ONGOING WEDNESDAY MORNING AS THE BACK EDGE OF THE TROWAL AND FORCING ROTATES SOUTHEAST AWAY FROM THE FORECAST AREA. HAVE HELD ONTO CHANCE POPS THROUGH THE MORNING... GRADUALLY DIMINISHING TO DRY CONDITIONS BY MIDDAY. NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION THAT WE COULD SEE AN ADDITIONAL LIGHT ACCUMULATION BEFORE SNOW ENDS...MAINLY TO THE SOUTHEAST OF THE INDY METRO. REMAINDER OF THE DAY WILL SEE CLOUDS PERSIST AND POSSIBLY EVEN SOME POCKETS OF DRIZZLE AS MOISTURE BECOMES TRAPPED UNDERNEATH A SHALLOW INVERSION. THESE CLOUDS ARE LIKELY TO LINGER INTO WEDNESDAY NIGHT BEFORE DIMINISHING SLOWLY AS A BROAD HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE BUILDS IN. REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST PERIOD WILL BE QUIET AS THE HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE DRIFTS ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES AND RIDGING ALOFT EXPANDS INTO THE REGION. EXPECT SUNSHINE BOTH THURSDAY AND FRIDAY...WITH A WARMING TREND AS SOUTHERLY FLOW DEVELOPS ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE HIGH. TEMPS...GENERALLY UNDERCUT GUIDANCE THROUGH MUCH OF THE PERIOD WITH THE EXPECTATION OF A FRESH SNOWPACK. LEANED MUCH CLOSER TO COOLER MET GUIDANCE FOR WEDNESDAY WITH HIGHS LIKELY TO STRUGGLE INTO THE LOWER AND MIDDLE 30S. WITH INCREASING SUNSHINE ON THURSDAY AND WARM ADVECTION DEVELOPING...EXPECT SLIGHTLY WARMER TEMPS IN THE UPPER 30S AND LOWER 40S. UNDERCUT LOW TEMPS DUE TO THE SNOWPACK AS WELL... ESPECIALLY IF SKIES CAN CLEAR FOR WED/THURS NIGHTS. THE PRESENCE OF THE LINGERING SNOW WITH LIGHT WINDS MAY LEND TO AN INCREASED FOG POTENTIAL BOTH NIGHTS WHICH LATER SHIFTS WILL NEED TO CONSIDER. && .LONG TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/... ISSUED AT 336 PM EST TUE MAR 5 2013 AN UPPER RIDGE WILL BUILD OVER THE REGION LATE IN THE WORK WEEK AND MOVES EAST CROSS THE REGION THROUGH THE WEEKEND. DRY WEATHER AND WARMER TEMPERATURES WILL ENSUE ACROSS THE AREA. BY SUNDAY A BROAD UPPER TROUGH WILL APPROACH THE REGION. A DISTURBANCE OUT OF AHEAD OF THIS SYSTEM WILL MOVE ACROSS THE AREA SUNDAY...WITH THE STRONG UPPER LOW TO CROSS THE REGION MONDAY AND TUESDAY. SLIGHT CHANCE FOR RAIN WILL BE IN THE FORECAST FOR SUNDAY WITH HIGHER CHANCES FROM MONDAY INTO TUESDAY AS THE CENTER OF THE UPPER LOW MOVES ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES. ALL BLEND TEMPERATURES SEEM REASONABLE GIVEN MODEL CONSENSUS AND DID NOT MAKE ANY SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO THEIR NUMBERS. && .AVIATION /DISCUSSION FOR THE 052100 KIND TAF UPDATE/... ISSUED AT 320 PM EST TUE MAR 5 2013 STILL APPEARS RAIN WILL CHANGE OVER TO SNOW AT KIND OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS BASED ON UPSTREAM OBSERVATIONS...ALONG WITH A WIND SHIFT TO 280-310 DEGREES AS A SURFACE TROUGH PASSES THROUGH. WIDESPREAD IFR/LIFR SHOULD CONTINUE INTO THE EVENING HOURS. WILL DROP THE WIND SPEEDS A LITTLE ON THE UPDATE WITH KIND NEAR THE SURFACE TROUGH...OTHERWISE NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES MADE AT THIS TIME. PREVIOUS DISCUSSION FOLLOWS. FLYING CONDITIONS ARE ALREADY BECOMING POOR EARLY THIS AFTERNOON AS A WINTER STORM MOVES INTO THE OHIO VALLEY. PRECIP ACROSS THE AREA ONLY IN THE FORM OF RAIN OR DRIZZLE AT THIS TIME. STILL EXPECTED OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS A TRANSITION TO -RASN...AND THEN EVENTUALLY ALL SNOW BY THIS LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING...WITH WIDESPREAD IFR CONDITIONS OR WORSE EXPECTED. (MANY TERMINALS SUCH AS KIND HAVE ALREADY DROPPED TO IFR AND THIS HAS BEEN DEPICTED IN THE LATEST SET OF TAFS. WINDS WILL STRENGTHEN TODAY AS THE PRESSURE GRADIENT TIGHTENS...AND GUSTS APPROACHING 30KT OVERNIGHT TONIGHT ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE LOW CAN BE EXPECTED IN MANY LOCATIONS. AFTER THE SURFACE LOWS SLIDES TO THE EAST OF THE REGION BY WED MORNING...PRECIPITATION WILL TAPER OFF SIGNIFICANTLY...HOWEVER AS IS THE CASE WITH THESE SYSTEMS DURING THIS TIME OF YEAR...EXPECT FROM LINGERING LIGHT SNOW AND/OR FLURRIES IN ADDITION TO THE STRATUS. SO MVFR CONDITIONS WILL ROUND OUT THE END OF THE TAF PERIOD AND POTENTIALLY CONTINUE BEYOND INTO WED NIGHT. && .IND WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 7 AM EST WEDNESDAY FOR INZ021-028>031- 037>042-047>049-056-057-065-072. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 7 AM EST WEDNESDAY FOR INZ035-036- 043>046-051>055-060>064-067>071. && SYNOPSIS...RYAN NEAR TERM...RYAN SHORT TERM...RYAN LONG TERM....SMF AVIATION...SMF/JAS
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN 342 PM EST TUE MAR 5 2013 INZ021-028>031-037>042-047>049-056-057-065-072-061100- CARROLL-WARREN-TIPPECANOE-CLINTON-HOWARD-BOONE-TIPTON-HAMILTON- MADISON-DELAWARE-RANDOLPH-MARION-HANCOCK-HENRY-SHELBY-RUSH- DECATUR-JENNINGS- 342 PM EST TUE MAR 5 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL INDIANA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. OUTLOOK: A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT THROUGH 7 AM WEDNESDAY. HAZARDS: SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW. TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 4 TO 9 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE BY EARLY WEDNESDAY. ROADS WILL BECOME VERY SLICK AND HAZARDOUS LATE TODAY AND TONIGHT. WIND GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH. TIMING: LATE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT. DISCUSSION: LOW PRESSURE WILL STRENGTHEN AS IT MOVES ACROSS THE REGION TONIGHT. RAIN WILL CHANGE OVER TO ALL SNOW BY LATE AFTERNOON. HEAVY SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE POSSIBLE TONIGHT. WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH LATE TONIGHT WILL CAUSE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. OUTLOOK: THERE IS A CHANCE OF LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS EARLY WEDNESDAY. OTHERWISE...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED FOR THE REST OF THE PERIOD. DISCUSSION: A FEW SNOW SHOWERS MAY LINGER INTO WEDNESDAY. DRY WEATHER WILL BE THE RULE WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY. RAIN WILL SPREAD INTO OUR REGION EARLY NEXT WEEK AS ANOTHER LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVES OUR WAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SNOWFALL AMOUNTS THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING. && MORE INFORMATION...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...HYDROLOGICAL AND CLIMATE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND...AT HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/IND (ALL LOWERCASE) INZ035-036-043>046-051>055-060>064-067>071-061100- FOUNTAIN-MONTGOMERY-VERMILLION-PARKE-PUTNAM-HENDRICKS-VIGO-CLAY- OWEN-MORGAN-JOHNSON-SULLIVAN-GREENE-MONROE-BROWN-BARTHOLOMEW-KNOX- DAVIESS-MARTIN-LAWRENCE-JACKSON- 342 PM EST TUE MAR 5 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL INDIANA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. OUTLOOK: A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT THROUGH 7 AM WEDNESDAY. HAZARDS: SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW. TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 2 TO 5 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE BY EARLY WEDNESDAY. ROADS WILL BECOME SLICK AND TRAVEL MAY BECOME DIFFICULT BY TONIGHT. TIMING: LATE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT. DISCUSSION: LOW PRESSURE WILL STRENGTHEN AS IT MOVES ACROSS THE REGION TONIGHT. RAIN WILL CHANGE OVER TO ALL SNOW BY LATE AFTERNOON. MODERATE TO OCCASIONALLY HEAVY SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE TONIGHT. WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH LATE TONIGHT WILL CAUSE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW IN OUTLYING AREAS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. OUTLOOK: THERE IS A CHANCE OF LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS EARLY WEDNESDAY. OTHERWISE...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED FOR THE REST OF THE PERIOD. DISCUSSION: A FEW SNOW SHOWERS MAY LINGER INTO WEDNESDAY. DRY WEATHER WILL BE THE RULE WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY. RAIN WILL SPREAD INTO OUR REGION EARLY NEXT WEEK AS ANOTHER LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVES OUR WAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SNOWFALL AMOUNTS THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING. && MORE INFORMATION...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...HYDROLOGICAL AND CLIMATE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND...AT HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/IND (ALL LOWERCASE) RYAN
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
407 PM EST TUE MAR 05 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0406 PM SNOW MARSHALL 39.85N 87.19W
03/05/2013 M1.0 INCH PARKE IN TRAINED SPOTTER
STORM TOTAL SO FAR
&&
JASPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
447 PM EST TUE MAR 05 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0447 PM SNOW 3 S PARAGON 39.35N 86.56W
03/05/2013 M0.5 INCH MORGAN IN TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
JASThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
7 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
On the morning of the 6th, a 24-hour total snowfall of just over 6 inches was measured from a couple locations around the Lafayette area in Tippecanoe County.
Snowfall of over 6 inches fell across portions of Carroll County by the morning of the 6th.
On the morning of the 6th, a 24-hour snowfall of near 6 inches was measured at a couple locations within Clinton County.
On the morning of the 6th, a 24-hour snowfall of near 6 inches was measured at a couple locations around Kokomo within Howard County.
Snowfall of over 6 inches fell across portions of Madison County by the morning of the 6th. The higher amounts fell across northern portions of the county.
On the morning of the 6th, a 24-hour snowfall of 6 to 6.3 inches was measured at a few locations around Muncie within Delaware County. A 7.5 inch snowfall measurement was taken near Albany.
On the morning of the 6th, a 24-hour snowfall of 6.3 to 7 inches was measured in a few locations around Randolph County.
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: 438415, 438420, 438427, 438433, 438437, 438440, 438455.