A line of scattered thunderstorms pushed into central Indiana from the west during the afternoon hours of October the 5th. These storms developed ahead of a frontal boundary that was approaching the region.
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 line of scattered thunderstorms pushed into central Indiana from the west during the afternoon hours of October the 5th. These storms developed ahead of a frontal boundary that was approaching the region. A few sporadic reports of wind damage were received.
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 Oct 5, 1:03 PM EST, 1 hour 37 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN 203 PM EDT SAT OCT 5 2013 .UPDATE... THE LONG TERM SECTION HAS BEEN UPDATED BELOW. && .SYNOPSIS... ISSUED AT 135 PM EDT SAT OCT 5 2013 AN ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN WILL BE IN PLACE FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS AS A STRONG UPPER LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MAKES ITS WAY FROM THE NORTHERN PLAINS TOWARD THE OHIO VALLEY. SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ALONG WITH BRIEF HEAVY RAINS WILL BE POSSIBLE TONIGHT AS A STRONG COLD FRONT PUSHES TOWARD CENTRAL INDIANA. THE UPPER LOW IS EXPECTED TO SLOWLY PUSH ACROSS INDIANA SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY...BRINGING MORE CHANCES FOR SHOWERS ALONG WITH LIGHTER PRECIPITATION. COOLER HIGH PRESSURE IS THEN EXPECTED TO BUILD ACROSS THE OHIO VALLEY FOR TUESDAY AND MUCH OF THE NEXT WORK WEEK BRINGING DRY WEATHER AND SEASONABLE FALL TEMPERATURES. && .NEAR TERM /TONIGHT/... ISSUED AT 135 PM EDT SAT OCT 5 2013 SURFACE ANALYSIS EARLY THIS AFTERNOON SHOWS DEEP LOW PRESSURE OVER EASTERN SOUTH DAKOTA. A COLD FRONT WAS FOUND STRETCHING FROM EASTERN IOWA....SOUTH TO EASTERN MISSOURI AND CENTRAL ARKANSAS. STRONG HIGH PRESSURE WAS FOUND OVER THE VIRGINIA/S. CENTRAL INDIANA...CAUGHT BETWEEN THESE TWO SYSTEMS REMAINS IN A WARM AND HUMID AIR MASS WITH LIGHT SOUTHERLY WINDS. DEW POINT TEMPS REMAINED IN THE VERY MOIST MIDDLE AND UPPER 60S. WATER VAPOR IMAGERY SHOWS A DEEP UPPER LOW OVER THE NORTHERN PLAINS AND A PLUME OF DEEP MOISTURE AHEAD OF THE LOW OVER THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY...GREAT LAKES AND OHIO VALLEY. RADAR SHOWS SHRA AND TSRA ACTIVITY INCREASING AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT OVER ILLINOIS AND INDIANA. PRETTY MUCH A STRAIGHT FORWARD...SLAM DUNK FORECAST FOR TONIGHT. IT/S GONNA RAIN! BOTH THE GFS AND NAM PROJECT THE STRONG COLD FRONT TO PUSH ACROSS CENTRAL INDIANA TONIGHT. FORECAST SOUNDINGS SHOW DEEP SATURATION BY 12Z. TIME HEIGHT SECTIONS ALSO REVEAL DEEP SATURATION AND STRONG LIFT...PARTICULARLY WITH THE FRONTAL PASSAGE. EVEN THE RAW NAM NUMERICAL GUIDANCE REVEALS VERY STRONG VV OF 27.9 UBAR. PLENTY OF MOISTURE IS AVAILABLE TO GO WITH ALL OF THIS LIFT. SURFACE DEW POINTS ARE UNSEASONABLY MOIST. 310K ISENTROPIC SURFACE SHOW SPECIFIC HUMIDITIES OVER 6 G/KG...AGAIN QUITE MOIST. FORECAST SOUNDINGS SHOW PWATS NEAR 1.80 INCHES. GIVEN THE MOISTURE AND FORCING...BRIEF HEAVY RAINS WILL BE POSSIBLE. 3HOURLY FLASH FLOOD GUIDANCE LEVELS ARE NEAR 3 INCHES...THUS WIDESPREAD FLASH FLOODING DOES NOT SEEM LIKELY...HOWEVER ISOLATED BRIEF FLOODING WILL BE POSSIBLE WHERE HEAVY RAIN MAY FALL. THUS 100 POPS TONIGHT ALONG WITH A BLEND ON LOW TEMPS. && .SHORT TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... ISSUED AT 135 PM EDT SAT OCT 5 2013 MAIN FORECAST CHALLENGE DURING THIS PERIOD WILL BE POPS. BEST FORCING WILL BE SHUTDOWN IN THE WAKE OF THE COLD FRONT. THIS WILL BRING THE CHANCES FOR HEAVY RAINS TO AN END ON SUNDAY MORNING. TIME HEIGHT SECTIONS CONTINUE TO SHOW GOOD LOWER LEVEL MOISTURE BUT WITH MINIMAL LIFT AS SUBSIDENCE IN THE MIDDLE AND UPPER LEVEL WILL BUILD IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT. FORECAST SOUNDINGS CONTINUE TO BE RELATIVELY SATURATED GIVEN THE APPROACH OF THE STRONG...DEEP UPPER LOW. THUS WILL KEEP SOME CHANCES FOR RAIN DURING THE MORNING...PARTICULARLY IN THE EAST AS THE COLD FRONT DEPARTS...AND CONTINUE SOME LOW CHC POPS ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA IN THE AFTERNOON DUE TO THE LINGERING LOWER LEVEL MOISTURE. HOWEVER WITH A LACK OF STRONG FORCING...ANY HEAVY RAIN THREAT WILL BE SHUTDOWN. AS FOR TEMPS...ABUNDANT CLOUD COVER AND STRONG COLD AIR ADVECTION WILL EFFECTIVELY SHUTDOWN HEATING. WILL TREND HIGHS COOLER THAN MAVMOS. UPPER LOW...LOOK OUT BELOW. SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY...THE GFS DEPICTS THE DEEP UPPER LOW SLOWLY PUSHING ACROSS INDIANA. AGAIN THIS WILL RESULT IN PLENTY OF LOWER LEVEL MOISTURE. TIME HEIGHTS AND FORECAST SOUNDINGS REVEALING WEAK VV. FORECAST SOUNDINGS INDICATES SHALLOW CONVECTION POSSIBLE WITH CONVECTIVE TEMPERATURES IN THE MIDDLE 50S. HOWEVER A MID LEVEL INVERSION WILL SHUTDOWN ANY DEEP CONVECTION. THUS WILL TREND TOWARD LOW CHANCE POPS ON SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY. STRONG COLD AIR ADVECTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH MONDAY AS 850MB TEMPS FALL TO 0-2C. THUS WILL TREND HIGHS COOLER THAN MAVMOS AND LOWS WARMER GIVEN THE ABUNDANT CLOUDS. BY MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY...THE GFS DEPICTS STRONG RIDGING OVER THE CENTRAL PLAINS STATES BUILDING ACROSS THE OHIO VALLEY. STRONG SUBSIDENCE AND THE DEPARTURE OF THE UPPER LOW WILL EFFECTIVELY SHUTDOWN ANY PRECIPITATION CHANCES. FORECAST SOUNDINGS SHOW RAPID DRYING BEGINNING ON MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY. BY TUESDAY AFTERNOON CONVECTIVE TEMPERATURES WILL REACH UNATTAINABLE LEVELS NEAR 100F...LEADING TO MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES AND DRY CONDITIONS. WILL STICK CLOSE ON MAVMOS TEMPS FOR MONDAY NIGHT LOWS AND TUESDAY HIGHS...HOWEVER RECENT RAINS...CLEAR SKIES AND LIGHT WINDS MAY LEAD TO IDEAL RADIATIONAL FOG CONDITIONS FOR EARLY TUESDAY MORNING. && .LONG TERM /TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY/... ISSUED AT 203 PM EDT SAT OCT 5 2013 BROAD UPPER LEVEL AND SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE WILL BE IN CONTROL ACROSS THE AREA...AND MUCH OF THE EASTERN HALF OF THE COUNTRY DURING THE LONG TERM PERIOD...WHICH WILL SURELY SHUT DOWN ANY UNSETTLED WEATHER ACROSS THE AREA AND PROVIDE A MUCH MORE PLEASANT AND SEASONABLE WEEK FOR CENTRAL INDIANA NEXT WEEK. MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES THROUGHOUT THE PERIOD AND COOLER DRIER CONDITIONS CAN BE EXPECTED. INITIALIZATION HANDLED EVERYTHING FAIRLY WELL AND REQUIRED FEW TWEAKS. NEXT SYSTEM MAY WIND UP ACROSS THE CENTER PART OF THE NATION LATE NEXT WEEK...BUT IS UNLIKELY TO IMPACT THE AREA BEFORE THE END OF THE FORECAST PERIOD. && .AVIATION /DISCUSSION FOR THE 05/18Z TAFS/... ISSUED AT 105 PM EDT SAT OCT 5 2013 RESTRICTIONS LIKELY TO OCCUR THROUGH MUCH OF THIS TAF PERIOD. WARM AND MODERATELY UNSTABLE AIR MASS IN PLACE IN A BROAD SWATH ACROSS THE SITES AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT SLOWLY MAKING PROGRESS EASTWARD...NOW NEAR THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. AHEAD OF THE BOUNDARY...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS HAVE FORMED...AND THIS WILL LIKELY BE THE CASE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AND INTO TONIGHT. MODELS INDICATE THE LIKELIHOOD OF A SOMEWHAT MORE ORGANIZED BAND OF STORMS SLOWLY CROSSING THE AREA AHEAD OF THE FRONT TONIGHT...AND WILL HIT THIS TIME PERIOD...ROUGHLY 05-07Z TO 14-16Z. UNTIL THEN...SCATTERED STORMS WITH OCCASIONAL RAPIDLY FLUCTUATING RESTRICTIONS ARE LIKELY...WITH PREVAILING MVFR APPEARING TO BE THE BEST BET OUTSIDE OF STORMS AS WIDESPREAD MVFR CEILINGS ARE PRESENT UPSTREAM. CONFIDENCE IS NOT GREAT IN EXACT DETAILS OWING TO THE POTENTIAL FOR FLUCTUATING CONDITIONS...BUT HAVE ATTEMPTED TO ESTABLISH GENERAL TRENDS AS BEST AS POSSIBLE IN THE TAF FORMAT. WINDS WILL BE OUT OF THE SOUTH TO SOUTH SOUTHWEST UNTIL FRONTAL PASSAGE...AND COULD GUST TO NEAR 20KT IN STORMS AT TIMES. FRONTAL PASSAGE TOMORROW MORNING WILL SHUT DOWN ANY REMAINING THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY...WITH ONLY SOME POST FRONTAL SHOWERS AND MVFR CEILINGS POSSIBLE THROUGH THE END OF THE PERIOD. && .IND WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...PUMA NEAR TERM...PUMA SHORT TERM...PUMA LONG TERM....NIELD AVIATION...NIELD 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 249 PM EDT SAT OCT 5 2013 INZ042-072-061900- RANDOLPH-JENNINGS- 249 PM EDT SAT OCT 5 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL INDIANA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. OUTLOOK: THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. HAZARDS: HEAVY RAIN AND LIGHTNING. TIMING: THROUGH DAYBREAK SUNDAY MORNING. DISCUSSION: A STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL APPROACH THE AREA TODAY BRINGING A COLD FRONT INTO CENTRAL INDIANA TONIGHT. THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO ACCOMPANY THE FRONT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. OUTLOOK: THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ON SUNDAY. THE MANI THREAT FROM ANY THUNDERSTORM WILL BE LIGHTNING. DISCUSSION: A COLD FRONT MOVING SLOWLY THROUGH CENTRAL INDIANA IN CONJUNCTION WITH A STRONG UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL KEEP CHANCES FOR STORMS IN THE FORECAST UNTIL IT PASSES SUNDAY AFTERNOON. THE MAIN THREATS FROM THESE STORMS WILL BE LIGHTNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED TONIGHT. && MORE INFORMATION...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...HYDROLOGICAL AND CLIMATE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND...AT HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/IND (ALL LOWERCASE) INZ021-028>031-035>041-043>049-051>057-060>065-067>071-061900- CARROLL-WARREN-TIPPECANOE-CLINTON-HOWARD-FOUNTAIN-MONTGOMERY- BOONE-TIPTON-HAMILTON-MADISON-DELAWARE-VERMILLION-PARKE-PUTNAM- HENDRICKS-MARION-HANCOCK-HENRY-VIGO-CLAY-OWEN-MORGAN-JOHNSON- SHELBY-RUSH-SULLIVAN-GREENE-MONROE-BROWN-BARTHOLOMEW-DECATUR-KNOX- DAVIESS-MARTIN-LAWRENCE-JACKSON- 249 PM EDT SAT OCT 5 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL INDIANA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. OUTLOOK: THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE STORMS TODAY AND TONIGHT. HAZARDS: DAMAGING WINDS...HEAVY RAIN...LIGHTNING...LARGE HAIL...ISOLATED TORNADOES. TIMING: BEST CHANCES FOR SEVERE WILL BE THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT. DISCUSSION: A STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL APPROACH THE AREA TODAY BRINGING A COLD FRONT INTO CENTRAL INDIANA TONIGHT. A STRENGTHENING LOW LEVEL JET AND APPROACHING UPPER JET WILL INCREASE WIND SHEAR WHICH WILL INCREASE CHANCES FOR ORGANIZED STORM DEVELOPMENT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. OUTLOOK: THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ON SUNDAY. THE MANI THREAT FROM ANY THUNDERSTORM WILL BE LIGHTNING. DISCUSSION: A COLD FRONT MOVING SLOWLY THROUGH CENTRAL INDIANA IN CONJUNCTION WITH A STRONG UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL KEEP CHANCES FOR STORMS IN THE FORECAST UNTIL IT PASSES SUNDAY AFTERNOON. THE MAIN THREATS FROM THESE STORMS WILL BE LIGHTNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED TONIGHT. && MORE INFORMATION...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...HYDROLOGICAL AND CLIMATE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND...AT HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/IND (ALL LOWERCASE) PUMA
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
326 PM EDT SAT OCT 5 2013
INZ028-052015-
WARREN-
326 PM EDT SAT OCT 5 2013
...STRONG THUNDERSTORM ADVISORY FOR WARREN COUNTY UNTIL 415 PM EDT...
AT 325 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 9 MILES SOUTHEAST OF ROSSVILLE...OR 14 MILES
NORTHEAST OF DANVILLE...MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH.
WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM...ALONG WITH
HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.
LOCATIONS NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...
TAB...
WEST LEBANON...
RAINSVILLE...
PINE VILLAGE...
IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...TAKE SHELTER IN A
STURDY BUILDING.
TORRENTIAL RAIN...WHICH MAY FLOOD LOW LYING AREAS SUCH AS DITCHES AND
UNDERPASSES...IS ALSO LIKELY. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE ON A FLOODED
ROADWAY.
&&
LAT...LON 4045 8754 4048 8752 4048 8711 4037 8710
4019 8753
TIME...MOT...LOC 1926Z 253DEG 30KT 4033 8750
PUMAThe Indianapolis radar (KIND), 115 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:41 UTC.
4 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
One utility pole was snapped at the base, a couple trees were damaged, and a corn field was damaged due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts. This report was received via Twitter.
Some utility lines were downed on East Clark Road outside Bruceville due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
A roof was partially blown off a barn due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts. A few trees were down as well.
A tree was downed in this location due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts. This tree took down power lines in front of a nursing home.
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, October 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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 480976, 480978, 480981, 480971.