Indiana, 2017

Excessive Heat in Indiana, July 19 to 22, 2017

July 19 to 22, 2017 · NWS PAH · 6 events in 6 counties and zones

A large upper-level high resulted in four consecutive days of dangerously high heat indices from 105 to 115 degrees. The large high in the upper levels of the atmosphere expanded over much of the southern two-thirds of the United States for several days.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 6 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
6

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS PAH wrote it up.

A large upper-level high resulted in four consecutive days of dangerously high heat indices from 105 to 115 degrees. The large high in the upper levels of the atmosphere expanded over much of the southern two-thirds of the United States for several days. The center of the high gradually shifted east from the southern Plains on the 19th to the middle Mississippi Valley on the 22nd. The high then weakened and shrank on the 23rd. The daily peak heat indices during the heat wave were near 105 degrees on the 19th and 20th, near 110 degrees on the 21st, and 105 to 110 degrees on the 22nd. Actual air temperatures reached the mid to upper 90's each afternoon. Overnight lows were mostly in the mid 70's.

What forecasters said that day

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 Paducah, KY wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 18, 5:49 PM CST, 18 hours 11 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 18, 5:49 PM CST, 18 hours 11 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 18, 1:44 PM CST, 22 hours 16 minutes before
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The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 excessive heat. Local standard time, as filed.

Excessive Heat, Gibson

When
July 19, 12:00 PM CST to July 22, 6:00 PM CST
Where
Gibson forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
38.312, -87.585 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Excessive Heat, Pike

When
July 19, 12:00 PM CST to July 22, 6:00 PM CST
Where
Pike forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
38.399, -87.232 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Excessive Heat, Posey

When
July 19, 12:00 PM CST to July 22, 6:00 PM CST
Where
Posey forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
38.022, -87.868 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Excessive Heat, Spencer

When
July 19, 12:00 PM CST to July 22, 6:00 PM CST
Where
Spencer forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
38.014, -87.008 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Excessive Heat, Vanderburgh

When
July 19, 12:00 PM CST to July 22, 6:00 PM CST
Where
Vanderburgh forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
38.025, -87.586 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Excessive Heat, Warrick

When
July 19, 12:00 PM CST to July 22, 6:00 PM CST
Where
Warrick forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
38.092, -87.272 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Excessive Heat
Heat at or above the local excessive heat warning criteria, or heat that caused deaths.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Indiana in 2017Every state in 2017This day in weather historyWarnings in Indiana, July 2017

Sources

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: 706727, 706728, 706729, 706730, 706731, 706732.