A line of strong to severe thunderstorms developed in central and northern Illinois during the evening hours of May 30th. This line moved east into northwestern Indiana, but was weakening as it arrived.
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 line of strong to severe thunderstorms developed in central and northern Illinois during the evening hours of May 30th. This line moved east into northwestern Indiana, but was weakening as it arrived. One thunderstorm produced local damage in the Granger 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 Northern Indiana wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 31, 1:22 AM EST, 15 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA 222 AM EDT FRI MAY 31 2013 .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH FRIDAY) ISSUED AT 300 PM EDT THU MAY 30 2013 THE MAIN FOCUS THIS PERIOD IS ON CONVECTIVE POTENTIAL/EVOLUTION. SYNOPTICALLY...A CLOSED LOW WILL MEANDER SLOWLY EAST ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS WITH DEEP/MOIST CYCLONICALLY CURVED SOUTHWEST FLOW IN PLACE FROM THE SOUTHERN PLAINS NORTHEAST INTO THE GREAT LAKES REGION. AT THE SURFACE THE PRIMARY SFC FRONT FRONT WILL BE DRAPED FROM THE UPPER MIDWEST SOUTHWEST INTO THE SOUTHERN PLAINS WITH A MOIST/HUMID/UNSTABLE AIRMASS OUT AHEAD OF THIS. THE REMAINDER OF THE AFTERNOON INTO EARLY THIS EVENING... 19Z REGIONAL RADAR MOSAIC SHOWING SCATTERED CONVECTION FIRING ACROSS MUCH OF ILLINOIS IN A ZONE OF WEAK MOISTURE CONVERGENCE ON THE EASTERN FLANK OF A CONVECTIVELY ENHANCED/INDUCED SHORTWAVE LIFTING INTO WEST-CENTRAL ILLINOIS...WITH ISOLATED CONVECTION STARTING TO POP ACROSS THE LOCAL AREA. LATEST RAP ANALYSIS SHOWS 1500-2000 J/KG OF MLCAPE ACROSS THE AREA WITH LITTLE/NO CIN. EXPECT ISOLATED TO SCATTERED CONVECTION TO MAINLY IMPACT AREAS ALONG AND WEST OF INTERSTATE 69 INTO THE EARLY EVENING AS WEAK FORCING AND CONTINUED LOW/MID LEVEL THETA-E ADVECTION ADVECTS OVER THIS AREA. MARGINAL 20-25 KNOTS OF DEEP LAYER EFFECTIVE SHEAR A DEFINITE LIMITING FACTOR FOR ORGANIZATION AND ISOLATED SEVERE STORMS...ALTHOUGH CANNOT RULE OUT AN ISOLATED DAMAGING WIND/HAIL THREAT IF ANY MULTICELL CLUSTERS/SMALL LINE SEGMENTS TAKE SHAPE. LARGE SCALE UPPER SUPPORT WILL INCREASE TONIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING AS A MORE PRONOUNCED MID LEVEL SHORTWAVE TROUGH NOW EJECTING INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS ON THE NOSE OF AN UPPER JET TRANSLATES NORTHEAST INTO THE WESTERN/NORTHERN GREAT LAKES. THIS SUPPORTS THE IDEA OF LATEST HI-RES GUIDANCE IN MAINTAINING A WEAKENING MESOSCALE CONVECTIVE SYSTEM (ACROSS CENTRAL IOWA INTO WESTERN MISSOURI AS OF THIS WRITING) EAST INTO AT LEAST OUR WESTERN ZONES AFTER 05/06Z ISH. MEAGER MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES COUPLED WITH DIURNAL COOLING SHOULD ALLOW WHAT MIGHT BE A LINE OF SEVERE CONVECTION INTO ILLINOIS THIS EVENING TO WEAKEN (FALL APART?) AS IT ATTEMPTS TO MAKE INTO THE LOCAL AREA FROM WEST TO EAST OVERNIGHT...WITH SHOWERS/ISO THUNDER POSSIBLY LINGERING INTO FRIDAY MORNING ALONG THE MCS/MCV RESIDUAL OUTFLOW BOUNDARY. BUMPED UP POPS A BIT AFTER MIDNIGHT....HIGHEST WEST. SUBSIDENCE/AVA BEHIND THE MID LEVEL TROUGH AXIS LATER FRIDAY MORNING INTO THE EARLY/MID AFTERNOON HOURS WITH ATMOSPHERE POSSIBLY WORKED OVER FROM MORNING CLOUDS/SHOWERS SHOULD RESULT IN A LULL IN PCPN ACROSS THE AREA DURING THIS TIME. ALTHOUGH RETAINED LOW 20-30 PERCENT POPS BTW 15-21Z AS RENEWED CONVECTION COULD FORM ALONG THE RESIDUAL OUTFLOW BOUNDARY BY EARLY/MID AFTERNOON...BEST CHANCES ACROSS OUR SOUTHEASTERN ZONES. CHANCES FOR ADDITIONAL CONVECTION...POTENTIALLY SEVERE...BY LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING ARE DISCUSSED IN THE LONG TERM SECTION. && .LONG TERM...(FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY) ISSUED AT 300 PM EDT THU MAY 30 2013 POTENT SW AND ATTENDANT CLOSED LOW OVR SD IS XCPD TO OPEN FRI NIGHT AND KICK EWD ACRS THE LAKES IN RESPONSE OF ARRIVAL OF UPSTREAM KICKER INTO THE PACNW. AT THE SFC...PRONOUNCED SFC WAVE OVR SRN MN SAT MORNING WILL EJECT EWD TO LK HURON BY SUN MORNING AS ASSOCD TRAILING CDFNT SURGES EWD. BEST LL MSTR FLUX/LL THETA-E RIDGING XCPD FRI EVENING W/AGAIN A CONDITIONAL SVR THREAT PENDING SHRT TERM CONV EVOLUTION/MAINTENANCE INTO THE WRN LAKES FRI AFTN. OTRWS STG SFC CDFNT TO CROSS CWA SAT AFTN/EVE W/STG FORCING FOR ASCENT WITHIN CONTD SIG LL MSTR PLUME AND LIKELY MOST FVRBL WINDOW FOR SIG RAINFALL. STG CAA FOLLOWS ON SUN W/RAPID NEWD ADVTN OF MID LVL DRYSLOT UNDERNEATH MID LVL TROUGH PIVOTING THROUGH MI. GIVEN GENERAL 12Z CONSENSUS SOLUTION WILL DROP LOW CHC POPS MOST AREAS SANS FAR SE. DRY AND SEASONABLE WX XPCD THROUGH UNTIL THE END OF THE PD. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z FRIDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 220 AM EDT FRI MAY 31 2013 MARGINAL INSTABILITY DOWNSTREAM OF ONGOING TSRA AT KSBN...WITH ONLY TRAILING STRATIFORM SHRA EXPECTED BEYOND 07 UTC. RAMPED 50KT SWRLY FLOW AT 8H SHOULD AID IN MAINTENANCE/SLOW DECAY OF SLIGHTLY MORE ORGANIZED CONVECTION ACROSS WEST CENTRAL INDIANA...ASSOCIATED WITH HIGHER POCKETS OF EFFECTIVE DEEP LAYER SHEAR ON ORDER OF 35KTS...SUCH THAT INCLUSION OF LOW/MEDIUM CONFIDENCE FOR TSRA INTO KFWA IN 08-10 UTC TIMEFRAME...THOUGH BESIDES CONVECTIVELY INDUCED HAZARDS ANTICIPATE ONLY A BRIEF HIGH END MVFR VSBY REDUCTION IN CELL CENTROIDS. GREAT UNCERTAINTY AS A MULTITUDE OF LESS THAN STELLAR MODEL INDICATIONS/CONVECTIVE TRENDS LATER TODAY BELIES MOST PROBABLE OUTCOME. IMMEDIATE UPSTREAM DESTABILIZATION ACROSS MID MISSISSIPPI VALLEY ALONG WITH MARKEDLY INCREASED DEEP LAYER SHEAR TO SUPPORT STORM DEVELOPMENT BY LATE AFTERNOON/EVENING ACROSS IA/MO/IL AND INTO NRN IN BY LATE EVENING THROUGH END OF FORECAST PERIOD WITH PSBL LINEAR ORGANIZATION SUPPORTING STRONG WIND GUST RISK. TIMING TO LIKELY CHANGE/EVOLVE IN SUBSEQUENT ISSUANCES AS NUANCES FROM EFFECTS OF ONGOING CONVECTION BETTER DETERMINED. && .IWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... IN...NONE. MI...NONE. OH...NONE. LM...NONE. && SHORT TERM...STEINWEDEL LONG TERM...T AVIATION...MURPHY VISIT US AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/IWX (ALL LOWER CASE) FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK...TWITTER...AND YOUTUBE AT: WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/US.NATIONALWEATHERSERVICE.NORTHERNIN.GOV WWW.TWITTER.COM/NWSIWX WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/NWSNORTHERNINDIANA
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA 821 PM EDT THU MAY 30 2013 INZ003>009-012>018-020-022>027-032>034-MIZ077>081-OHZ001-002-004-005- 015-016-024-025-311200- LA PORTE-ST. JOSEPH IN-ELKHART-LAGRANGE-STEUBEN-NOBLE-DE KALB-STARKE- PULASKI-MARSHALL-FULTON IN-KOSCIUSKO-WHITLEY-ALLEN IN-WHITE-CASS IN- MIAMI-WABASH-HUNTINGTON-WELLS-ADAMS-GRANT-BLACKFORD-JAY-BERRIEN- CASS MI-ST. JOSEPH MI-BRANCH-HILLSDALE-WILLIAMS-FULTON OH-DEFIANCE- HENRY-PAULDING-PUTNAM-VAN WERT-ALLEN OH- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...MICHIGAN CITY...LA PORTE...SOUTH BEND... MISHAWAKA...ELKHART...GOSHEN...LAGRANGE...TOPEKA...ANGOLA... KENDALLVILLE...LIGONIER...AUBURN...GARRETT...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...NILES... BENTON HARBOR...ST. JOSEPH...BUCHANAN...DOWAGIAC...CASSOPOLIS... STURGIS...THREE RIVERS...COLDWATER...HILLSDALE...BRYAN...WAUSEON... ARCHBOLD...DEFIANCE...NAPOLEON...PAULDING...ANTWERP...OTTAWA... PANDORA...VAN WERT...DELPHOS...LIMA 821 PM EDT THU MAY 30 2013 /721 PM CDT THU MAY 30 2013/ THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST OHIO... NORTHERN INDIANA AND SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS OVERNIGHT. WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THERE IS A GOOD CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS FRIDAY INTO SUNDAY. SEVERE STORMS ARE POSSIBLE LATE FRIDAY AFTERNOON INTO FRIDAY EVENING. HEAVY RAINFALL WITH LOCALIZED FLOODING IS ALSO POSSIBLE DURING THIS PERIOD. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED. && STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES...OR CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT WEATHER.GOV/IWX LMZ043-046-311200- NEW BUFFALO MI TO ST JOSEPH MI-MICHIGAN CITY IN TO NEW BUFFALO MI- 821 PM EDT THU MAY 30 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE NEARSHORE WATERS OF SOUTHEASTERN LAKE MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT THERE IS A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS OVERNIGHT. A FEW STRONG STORMS ARE POSSIBLE. WINDS AND WAVES WILL BE HIGHER NEAR THUNDERSTORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THERE IS A GOOD CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS FRIDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT. SEVERE STORMS ARE POSSIBLE LATE FRIDAY AFTERNOON INTO FRIDAY NIGHT. && 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
849 PM EDT THU MAY 30 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0456 PM TSTM WND DMG 2 E MIDDLE POINT 40.86N 84.41W
05/30/2013 VAN WERT OH EMERGENCY MNGR
REPORT OF 3 TELEPHONE POLES SNAPPED 2 MILES EAST OF
MIDDLE POINT. TIME ESTIMATED FROM RADAR.
&&
NGSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
107 AM EDT FRI MAY 31 2013
INZ003-004-012>015-MIZ077-078-310545-
BERRIEN MI-CASS MI-FULTON IN-LA PORTE IN-MARSHALL IN-PULASKI IN-ST.
JOSEPH IN-STARKE IN-
107 AM EDT FRI MAY 31 2013
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING TOWARD WESTERN CASS...BERRIEN...
PULASKI...EXTREME WESTERN KOSCIUSKO...MARSHALL...LA PORTE...ST.
JOSEPH...NORTHERN FULTON AND STARKE COUNTIES...
AT 103 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM NEW BUFFALO TO 8
MILES NORTHEAST OF LA CROSSE TO FRANCESVILLE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45
MPH.
WINDS UP TO 40 MPH...OCCASIONAL CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING AND BRIEF
MODERATE DOWNPOURS ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.
LOCATIONS IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS INCLUDE...
LA PORTE...
SOUTH BEND...
WINAMAC...
KNOX...
FAIR PLAIN...BENTON HEIGHTS AND BENTON HARBOR...
BUCHANAN...
NORTH JUDSON...
PLYMOUTH...
THREE OAKS...SHOREWOOD-TOWER HILL AND KINGSFORD HEIGHTS...
GUSTY WINDS MAY CAUSE SMALL OBJECTS SUCH AS TRASH BINS TO BLOW
AROUND. STAY AWAY FROM HIGH OBJECTS OUTDOORS SUCH AS TREES.
SEEK SHELTER IN A STURDY STRUCTURE UNTIL THESE STORMS HAVE PASSED.
LAT...LON 4208 8623 4207 8616 4188 8610 4118 8607
4103 8623 4092 8694 4116 8694 4133 8689
4175 8684 4190 8662 4211 8650 4224 8638
4225 8623
TIME...MOT...LOC 0506Z 218DEG 41KT 4177 8674 4144 8678
4106 8690The Northern Indiana radar (KIWX), 55 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 06:38 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Local media outlets reported several trees and tree branches snapped along a three block wide swath in Granger.
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, May 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: 454969.