Thunderstorms developed ahead of a cold front during the afternoon of December 23rd. These storms brought a few tornadoes, straight-line damaging wind reports, and heavy rainfall.
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.
Thunderstorms developed ahead of a cold front during the afternoon of December 23rd. These storms brought a few tornadoes, straight-line damaging wind reports, and heavy rainfall.
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 Dec 23, 2:08 PM EST, 4 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN 208 PM EST WED DEC 23 2015 .UPDATE... THE SYNOPSIS...NEAR TERM AND SHORT TERM SECTIONS HAVE BEEN UPDATED BELOW && .SYNOPSIS... ISSUED AT 208 PM EST WED DEC 23 2015 A STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM OVER MISSOURI WILL PUSH NORTHEAST TOWARD THE GREAT LAKES TONIGHT AND SWEEP SHOWERS AND PERHAPS A THUNDERSTORM ACROSS CENTRAL INDIANA AS A COLD FRONT PUSH ACROSS THE STATE. WEAK HIGH PRESSURE IS EXPECTED TO ARRIVE IN CENTRAL INDIANA IN THE WAKE OF THE FRONT...RESULTING IN DRY AND MILD WEATHER ON CHRISTMAS. ON FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY...A WARM FRONT IS EXPECTED TO PUSH NORTH INTO SOUTHERN INDIANA. THIS ALONG WITH LOW PRESSURE DEVELOPING IN THE SOUTHERN PLAINS WILL RESULT IN WET WEATHER THIS WEEKEND...PERHAPS WITH SOME HEAVY RAINS. THE ACTIVE AND WET WEATHER IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE INTO NEXT WEEK AS THE WARM FRONT STALLS AND LOW PRESSURE OVER THE SOUTHERN PLAINS SLOWLY PUSHES TOWARD THE OHIO VALLEY. && .NEAR TERM /TONIGHT/... ISSUED AT 208 PM EST WED DEC 23 2015 SURFACE ANALYSIS EARLY THIS AFTERNOON SHOWS STRONG LOW PRESSURE IN PLACE ACROSS NORTHERN MISSOURI. A WARM FRONT WAS FOUND ACROSS NORTHERN ILLINOIS AND SOUTHERN MICHIGAN AS INDIANA WAS WITHING THE WARM SECTOR WITH SOUTH TO SOUTHEAST SURFACE WINDS. DEW POINT TEMPS WERE IN THE VERY MOIST 60S ALONG WITH TEMPS IN THE 60S AS WELL. RADAR SHOWS A BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER PADUCAH/S AREA...PROGRESSING NORTHEAST WITHIN THE FLOW. AN INITIAL WAVE OF SHOWERS NEAR THE WABASH RIVER WAS ALSO PUSHING NORTHEAST...BUT BECOMING LESS ORGANIZED AS IT PROGRESSED. MAIN FORECAST CHALLENGE WILL BE POPS. RAPID REFRESH PROGRESSES THE SECOND WAVE OF SHOWERS AND STORMS ACROSS CENTRAL INDIANA DURING THE 20Z-02Z TIME FRAME. RADAR MOSAICS SHOW LITTLE IN THE WAKE OF THE WAVE...WITH DRY AIR INTRUDING INTO THE SYSTEM ACROSS WESTERN MISSOURI AND WESTERN ARKANSAS WHERE DEW POINTS FALL INTO THE 30S. MODELS SUGGEST BEST FORCING MOVES THROUGH AROUND 00Z ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA ASSOCIATED WITH THE SHORT WAVE ALOFT. FORECAST SOUNDINGS SHOW A VERY SATURATED COLUMN ACROSS THE AREA NEAR 00Z...WITH GOOD SUBSIDENCE AND DRYING PRESENT BY 06Z. THUS WILL FOCUS CATAGORIAL POPS AS THE BEST FORCING MOVES THROUGH THE AREA...BETWEEN 20Z AND 03Z...AND TREND LOWER FROM THERE. SEVERE THREAT THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING CANNOT BE RULED OUT AS FAVORABLE SHEAR CONDITIONS CONTINUE TO EXISTS...HOWEVER CAPE AND INSTABILITY APPEAR LIMITED...PARTICULARLY AS THE AFTERNOON PROGRESSES. AS FOR TEMPS WILL STICK CLOSE TO A BLEND AS COLDER AIR IS EXPECTED TO ARRIVE IN THE WAKE OF THE COLD FRONT BUT PRESSURE GRADIENT IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE MIXING. && .SHORT TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... ISSUED AT 208 PM EST WED DEC 23 2015 THIS PERIOD LOOKS TO BE DEFINED BY TWO WEATHER FEATURES. DRY WEATHER INITALLY FOLLOWED BY VERY WET WEATHER BEGINNING ON FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY. THUS THE FOCUS WILL BE ON TEMPS INITIALLY FOLLOWED BY POPS. GFS AND NAM SUGGEST WEAK SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE SLOWLY PUSHING ACROSS INDIANA AND THE SOUTHERN GREAT LAKES. FORECAST SOUNDINGS THROUGH CHRISTMAS DAY SHOW A DRY SOUNDING AS SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT PERSISTS. LITTLE IN THE WAY OF UPPER SUPPORT AVAILABLE. HOWEVER A MODERATE BAROCLINIC ZONE APPEARS TO REMAIN IN PLACE ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH CHRISTMAS. THUS WILL EXPECTED MAINLY SOME HIGH PASSING CLOUDS AMID THE QUICK SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT...AND USE A BLEND ON TEMPS...WHICH WILL REMAIN WELL ABOVE NORMAL THROUGH CHRISTMAS. ON SATURDAY NIGHT AS SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE DRIFTS EAST TO WESTERN NEW YORK..NORTHEASTERLY SURFACE FLOW DEVELOPS AS A WARM FRONT APPROACHES FROM THE SOUTH. THIS RESULTS IN STRENGTHENING OF THE BAROCLINC ZONE ACROSS INDIANA...STRENGTHENING THE WARM FRONTAL BOUNDARY. FORECAST SOUNDINGS ON SATURDAY NIGHT SHOW GOOD SATURATION BY 06Z SAT IN THE LOWER LEVELS AMID STRONG WARM AIR ADVECTION AND OVERRUNNING. BY 18Z SAT FORECAST SOUNDINGS SHOW DEEP SATURATION THROUGH THE COLUMN AS THE WARM FRONT ACROSS INDIANA IS EXPECTED TO AMPLIFY. FORECAST SOUNDINGS SOAR TO 1.50 WHICH IS PRETTY HIGH FOR THIS TIME OF THE YEAR. LITTLE FORCING APPEARS IN PLACE ALOFT...HOWEVER THE 300K GFS ISENTROPIC SURFACE SHOW VERY STRONG UPGLIDE...WITH SPECIFIC HUMIDITIES IN THE RANGE OF 6-8 G/KG...AGAIN...VERY HIGH FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR. THUS WILL TREND POPS ON FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY HIGHER THAN MAVMOS...WITH CATEGORICAL ON SATURDAY...MAYBE EVEN A HEAVY RAIN MENTION. GIVEN OUR EXPECTED CLOUDS AND RAIN WILL TREND LOWS WARMER THAN MAVMOS AND HIGHS COOLER. FLASH FLOOD GUIDANCE HAS 3 HOUR VALUES NEAR 2 INCHES AND 6 HOUR VALUES NEAR 3 INCHES. ALTHOUGH THESE SHORT TERM VALUES ARE UNLIKELY TO BE REACHED IN THOSE TIME FRAMES...THEY MAY BE REACHED OVER MUCH LONGER TIME FRAMES INTO NEXT WEEK. FLOODING WILL BECOME MORE OF CONCERN AS THIS EVENT PLAYS OUT INTO NEXT WEEK. && .LONG TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH TODAY/... ISSUED AT 342 AM EST WED DEC 23 2015 MODELS CONTINUE TO ADVERTISE AN EXTREMELY STRONG BAROCLINIC ZONE IN PLACE ACROSS THE REGION OVER THE WEEKEND AND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK...WITH POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT MOISTURE ADVECTION INTO THE FRONTAL ZONE ON A PERSISTENT 40 TO 50 KT LOW LEVEL JET THROUGHOUT THE WEEKEND. THIS WOULD SET THE STAGE FOR MULTIPLE ROUNDS OF POTENTIALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. EVEN WITH MODEL TENDENCIES TO BE OVERLY AGGRESSIVE WITH MOISTURE TRANSPORT...MODEL PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES WOULD BE EXTREMELY ANOMALOUSLY HIGH CLIMATOLOGICALLY SPEAKING...99TH PERCENTILE OR GREATER...NEARING THE MAXIMUM EXPECTED VALUE FOR THE TIME OF YEAR. INSTABILITY INDICES SUGGEST AT LEAST A CHANCE OF THUNDER IS MERITED ACROSS AT LEAST SOME PORTION OF CENTRAL INDIANA SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY. MODEL BLENDED FORECASTS SHOW POTENTIAL FOR 3 TO 5 INCHES OF RAINFALL DURING THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND...WITH AREAS OF 5 PLUS POSSIBLE. THIS COULD BE HEAVILY IMPACTED BY THE POSITION OF THE FRONTAL ZONE...AND SIGNIFICANT UNCERTAINTY REMAINS WITH REGARD TO THAT. NONETHELESS...EVEN WITH THE AREA HAVING BEEN BELOW NORMAL ON PRECIPITATION FOR THE LAST 5 MONTHS OR SO...THE DECREASED ACTIVITY OF VEGETATION DURING THE COOL SEASON...ALONG WITH THE POTENTIAL DURATION AND INTENSITY OF RAINFALL WILL PRESENT A POTENTIALLY SIGNIFICANT FLOOD THREAT ACROSS THE REGION. && .AVIATION /DISCUSSION FOR 231800Z TAFS/... ISSUED AT 1151 AM EST WED DEC 23 2015 WINDS 19020G30KTS ON AVERAGE BECOME 24020G30KTS AFTER 240300Z WILL BE ONE CONCERN. THUNDERSTORMS GUSTING TO NEAR 50 KTS AND ISOLATED TORNADOES ALSO POSSIBLE THROUGH 232300Z. DECKS WILL BE AT OR BELOW 3000 FT AND MAINLY BELOW 2000 FT UNTIL COLD FRONT PASSES 03Z-05Z. VISIBILITY WILL BE P6SM. IFR DECKS AND VISIBILITY WILL OCCUR DURING THUNDERSTORMS. ALL THIS THE RESULT OF STRONG LOW PRESSURE TRACKING FROM EASTERN KANSAS NORTHEAST TO THE UPPER GREAT LAKES DURING THE PERIOD. && .IND WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && SYNOPSIS...PUMA NEAR TERM...PUMA SHORT TERM...PUMA LONG TERM...NIELD AVIATION...TUCEK
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN 443 AM EST WED DEC 23 2015 INZ021-028>031-035>049-051>057-060>065-067>072-240945- 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-SULLIVAN-GREENE-MONROE-BROWN-BARTHOLOMEW-DECATUR-KNOX-DAVIESS- MARTIN-LAWRENCE-JACKSON-JENNINGS- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...LAFAYETTE...FRANKFORT...KOKOMO... CRAWFORDSVILLE...ANDERSON...MUNCIE...INDIANAPOLIS...TERRE HAUTE... SHELBYVILLE...BLOOMINGTON...COLUMBUS...VINCENNES...BEDFORD...SEYMOUR 443 AM EST WED DEC 23 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL INDIANA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. OUTLOOK: SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. HAZARDS: DAMAGING WINDS. LARGE HAIL. ISOLATED TORNADOES. LIGHTNING IS A THREAT WITH ANY THUNDERSTORM. TIMING: 2 TO 10 PM. DISCUSSION: A STRONG STORM SYSTEM WILL PUSH A COLD FRONT ACROSS CENTRAL INDIANA TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. OUTLOOK: MORE RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY AND THE THREAT FOR RIVER FLOODING WILL INCREASE. DISCUSSION: ANOTHER STRONG SYSTEM IS EXPECTED THIS WEEKEND. HEAVY RAIN FROM RECENT SYSTEMS...AND LATER ONES MAY LEAD TO FLOODING. CENTRAL INDIANA WILL FINISH OUT THE YEAR IN A WARM AND ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. && MORE INFORMATION...ALONG WITH OTHER WEATHER...HYDROLOGICAL AND CLIMATE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND...AT HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/IND (ALL LOWERCASE) SMF
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
1225 PM EST WED DEC 23 2015
INZ028-029-035-036-043-044-051-231745-
PARKE-FOUNTAIN-MONTGOMERY-WARREN-TIPPECANOE-VERMILLION-VIGO-
1225 PM EST WED DEC 23 2015
...SHOWERS WITH WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH WILL AFFECT NORTHWESTERN
VIGO...VERMILLION...PARKE... TIPPECANOE...WESTERN
MONTGOMERY...FOUNTAIN AND WARREN COUNTIES...
AT 1222 PM EST...SHOWERS WERE IN EASTERN ILLINOIS FROM DANVILLE TO
PARIS...OR 17 MILES WEST OF CRAWFORDSVILLE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 60
MPH.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
LAFAYETTE...TERRE HAUTE...WEST LAFAYETTE...CLINTON...COVINGTON...
ROCKVILLE...VEEDERSBURG...WILLIAMSPORT...NEWPORT...ATTICA...WEST
TERRE HAUTE...SHADELAND...FAIRVIEW PARK...BATTLE GROUND...
PRAIRIETON...PRAIRIE CREEK...CAYUGA...MONTEZUMA...WAYNETOWN AND
LINDEN.
THIS INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING HIGHWAYS...
INTERSTATE 65 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 170 AND 184.
INTERSTATE 70 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 1 AND 8.
INTERSTATE 74 BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 1 AND 31.
LAT...LON 3934 8758 3935 8753 4047 8752 4048 8709
4056 8709 4056 8670 3961 8719 3926 8756
3926 8759
TIME...MOT...LOC 1722Z 234DEG 52KT 3999 8722
DRTSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE INDIANAPOLIS IN
120 PM EST WED DEC 23 2015
INZ047-048-054-055-062-063-231900-
MARION IN-HANCOCK IN-JOHNSON IN-MORGAN IN-BROWN IN-MONROE IN-
120 PM EST WED DEC 23 2015
...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ADVISORY FOR MARION...NORTHWESTERN BROWN...
WESTERN HANCOCK...NORTHWESTERN JOHNSON...EASTERN MORGAN AND
NORTHEASTERN MONROE COUNTIES UNTIL 200 PM EST...
AT 120 PM EST...DOPPLER RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR
MARTINSVILLE...OR 15 MILES NORTHEAST OF BLOOMINGTON...MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 65 MPH.
WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
INDIANAPOLIS...GREENWOOD...LAWRENCE...FRANKLIN...GREENFIELD...BEECH
GROVE...MARTINSVILLE...SPEEDWAY...MOORESVILLE...SOUTHPORT...NEW
WHITELAND...CUMBERLAND...MCCORDSVILLE...WHITELAND...BARGERSVILLE...
FORTVILLE...NEW PALESTINE...MERIDIAN HILLS...BROOKLYN AND WARREN
PARK.
LAT...LON 3970 8588 3970 8595 3962 8595 3924 8632
3933 8652 3992 8615 3995 8563
TIME...MOT...LOC 1820Z 213DEG 62KT 3936 8636
DRTThe Evansville,IN radar (KVWX), 39 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:13 UTC.
25 thunderstorm wind, 4 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
A semi-truck was blown over on Highway 41, north of Decker, due to damaging thunderstorm winds.
A 60 mph thunderstorm wind gust was measured in this location.
A tree was downed across a power line between 9th and 10th Streets on Vigo Street.
Trees were reported down near the intersection of State Route 59 and County Road 100 West due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
An estimated 60 mph thunderstorm wind gust was observed in this location.
A box trailer was reported to be overturned due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts. Trees and tree limbs were down too, along with some power outages.
A semi trailer was blown off US Highway 231 at Interstate 70 due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts. One injury was reported.
A grain bin was blown over, part of a metal roof was detached from a home, and several trees were downed due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts. This occurred near the intersection of Pocket Hollow and Burnett Roads.
A barn door was blown in near US Highway 40 and Highway 0 due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
A 61 mph thunderstorm wind gust was measured on the west side of Danville.
EF-1 tornado damage was observed near Smith Valley Road and State Road 135 with winds estimated at 100 mph. Some siding was stripped off one side of a house. Also, the roof was lifted off the back portion of a business.
An estimated 60 mph thunderstorm wind gust was observed in Indianapolis.
Several large tree limbs were downed near the intersection of Olive Branch Road and State Road 135 due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
Tree damage to relatively large trees was observed and a roof was blown off a garage on Academy Road due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
A semi-truck was blown over on Interstate 74 near mile marker 101 due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
A 69 mph thunderstorm wind gust was measured in this location.
EF-1 tornado damage was observed near Smith Valley Road and State Road 135 with winds estimated at 107 mph. Tree trunks were snapped, an above ground pool was overturned, a portion of a wooden fence was destroyed, large tree branches were downed, and a few homes sustained roof, siding, garage damage.
Several large tree limbs were downed due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts. Winds were measured at 58 mph.
Trees and a flag pole were downed in this location due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
A semi truck was blown over due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
EF-1 tornado damage was observed near the Decatur-Rush County line with winds estimated at 105 mph. A barn was destroyed near the location the tornado touched down before heading into Rush County.
EF-1 tornado damage was observed near the Decatur-Rush County line with winds estimated at 105 mph. Panels were removed from a barn roof and small tree limbs were broken.
Power lines were downed in this location due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts. Power was out for 30 minutes.
Trees were downed with thunderstorm wind gusts estimated at 60 mph.
Houses were damaged, trees were downed, and there were power outages in Rushville due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
A pole barn was destroyed in this location due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
Power poles were downed due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
A 64 mph thunderstorm wind gust was measured in this location.
Multiple trees and power lines were down due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Indiana in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Indiana, 2015Warnings in Indiana, December 2015
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: 613410, 607728, 607729, 613420, 607740, 607730, 607731, 607734, 607735, 607736, 613448, 613444, 613424, 607743, 613441, 607744, 613473, 607737, 613426, 607746, 613494, 613497, 607747, 607749, 613427, 613443, 607751, 607752, 607753.