Unseasonably high amounts of moisture flowed into central Indiana from the southwest and south during the latter part of February. At times during the period of February 19th to the 24th, the precipitable water values (a measure of moisture in the atmosphere) reached record levels for February.
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.
Unseasonably high amounts of moisture flowed into central Indiana from the southwest and south during the latter part of February. At times during the period of February 19th to the 24th, the precipitable water values (a measure of moisture in the atmosphere) reached record levels for February.
Heavy rainfall fell early in the week (February 19/20) across northern sections of central Indiana. The second round of heavy rain on the 24th fell across southern sections of the area. In all, 7-day totals ending the morning of February 25th were from 3 to 6 inches across much of central Indiana.
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 Feb 21, 5:28 AM EST, 3 hours 17 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Indianapolis IN 528 AM EST Wed Feb 21 2018 .UPDATE... The AVIATION Section has been updated below. && .SYNOPSIS... Issued at 336 AM EST Wed Feb 21 2018 A cold front will slowly drop southeast across Kentucky and Tennessee today. The front will stall and return north over central Indiana Thursday night and then another cold front will sweep through late in the weekend. The fronts will interact with a plume of tropical moisture and result in periods of rain and flooding through the weekend. Save a small chance of rain or snow over the area Monday night, high pressure will provide a relief from the rain Sunday afternoon through the middle of next week. Temperatures will be falling through the 40s and 30s today behind the cold front. But then, they will return to slightly above normal by Thursday and well above normal by Friday. && .NEAR TERM /Today and Tonight/... Issued at 336 AM EST Wed Feb 21 2018 The main issue today will be POPs and temperatures. Radar was showing linear convection along a cold front that extended front around Anderson to Indianapolis to Loogootee at 150 AM. precipitation shield behind the front extended west into central Illinois. Temperatures were falling fast behind the front. LAF was all the way down to 40 degrees whereas pre-frontal temperatures are in the upper 60s to around 70. Expect the rain to take awhile to move through, but the heavier rain after 12z should be over southern sections, closer to the departing front. That area has been mostly dry the past couple of days. So should be able to leave the Flood Watch expire. Blend POPs range from categorical over southern sections to slight or no chance far north. With the front moving away, this looks reasonable. Models in good agreement that an impulse, currently over southeastern Texas, in the persistent southwest flow aloft, will lift northeast over central Indiana tonight. With tropical moisture plume still over the area, should see more decent rains, mainly south of Interstate 70. Blend QPF is bringing up to three quarters of an inch to those areas tonight. Also of concern, is areas north of Terre Haute, Indianapolis and New Castle late today and tonight, where model soundings support a mix with freezing rain or snow. That said, warm ground and less low level moisture there should make it a little to no impact event there. Some thought about issuing a Flood Watch for the southern counties tonight, but with them being dry of late, should be able to hold off for later in the week and weekend, when more high QPF is expected. High confidence temperatures will fall through the 40s and 30s today in the wake of the front in good low level cold air advection setup. Blend overnight lows in the 30s look good as well with clouds around. && .SHORT TERM /Thursday through Friday night/... Issued at 336 AM EST Wed Feb 21 2018 POPs will be the main focus for the short term. Should see a brief break in the rain Thursday afternoon and evening. Then, a wave will move along the cold front and allow it to return north over the area as a warm front. With tropical moisture and upper waves in southwest flow still in play, should see more widespread rain starting overnight Thursday night through Friday night and into the long term. Will likely need more flood headlines for this period. With the front moving north, confidence is high temperatures will warm back to well above normal by Friday. && .LONG TERM /Saturday through Tuesday/... Issued at 327 AM EST Wed Feb 21 2018 The wet and active pattern will continue through Sunday morning before high pressure and a relaxed flow regime aloft provides a much needed break with dry and mild weather for early next week. The heavy rain and flooding threat will continue Saturday as the frontal boundary lays out across central Indiana with surface wave rippling along the boundary. A final and more significant surface wave is poised to swing through the area Saturday night into Sunday morning. The op GFS continues to hold serve with an intensifying low pressure system aided by a strengthening negatively tilted upper trough and while it remains the strongest with the surface wave Saturday night...it is gradually gaining a bit more support from other models. This would bring a greater convective potential Saturday night and possibly the threat for a low topped squall line with stronger winds along and ahead of the cold front overnight Saturday. Potential for an additional 1 to 2 inches of rain with locally higher amounts Saturday and Saturday night with precip water values once again rising to climatological maxes for late February. Taking into account expected rainfall through Friday this will only exacerbate flooding concerns into the weekend... especially for rivers and streams...and in lowland and poor drainage areas. Drier weather will build in behind the front Sunday with high pressure taking over across the Ohio Valley and lower Great Lakes through the first half of next week. Temperatures will remain mild for early next week with highs primarily in the 50s. && .AVIATION /Discussion for 211200Z TAF Issuance/... Issued at 528 AM EST Wed Feb 21 2018 Poor flying conditions likely to continue through much of the forecast period. The cold front has moved through the region early this morning with chilly north-northwest winds now at all terminals. Light to moderate rain continues and expect that to continue for most of today as the front gets hung up over the Tennessee Valley. The one exception may be at KLAF where precipitation is likely to become more scattered for much of the afternoon and evening. Low level thermals and model soundings do hint at a light wintry mix developing later today on the northern flank of the precipitation shield. This would likely only impact KLAF and confidence is not high enough to mention at this point. A surface wave riding along the front over the Tennessee Valley will shift rain back north across much of central indiana overnight tonight. The threat for a wintry mix lingers along the northern edge of the precipitation shield with KLAF again potentially being impacted. Ceilings will remain near IFR or lower through most of today with a brief period of improved ceilings later this afternoon and evening before dropping back overnight as rain returns. North winds will veer to northeast tonight remaining around 10kts through the period. && .IND WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Flood Watch until 7 AM EST this morning for INZ021-028>031- 035>049-051>057-060>065-067>072. && SYNOPSIS...MK NEAR TERM...MK SHORT TERM...MK LONG TERM....Ryan AVIATION...Ryan
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Indianapolis IN 720 AM EST Wed Feb 21 2018 INZ021-028>031-035>049-051>057-060>065-067>072-221000- 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, and Seymour 720 AM EST Wed Feb 21 2018 This hazardous weather outlook is for central Indiana. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight. Outlook: Localized flooding possible. A light wintry mix may develop today and tonight over northern portions of central Indiana. Hazards: Wintry mix of precipitation. Flooding of low lying areas. Timing: Wintry mix possible over northern portions of central Indiana from mid morning through tonight. Flooding ongoing through tonight. Discussion: Light to moderate rainfall will continue across central Indiana for much of today and tonight. As colder air builds into northern portions of central Indiana...the rain may mix snow...sleet and freezing rain later today and tonight. With temperatures only falling to near freezing...little to no impact from wintry precipitation is expected on roads. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday. Outlook: Heavy rainfall remains possible at times...especially from late week through Sunday morning across central Indiana. Flooding, possibly significant flooding, could develop as a result of this rainfall. Embedded thunderstorms are possible Friday night through Sunday morning. No severe storms are expected at this time. A wintry mix may linger north of Interstate 70 Thursday morning. Discussion: A slow moving front will interact with warm and moist air from the Gulf of Mexico to bring rain to central Indiana. The rain could be heavy at times with an additional 2 to 4 inches possible in spots by late weekend. Lowland flooding is expected, with the possibility of the development of significant river flooding later this week as well. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotters are encouraged to report rainfall totals over the next few days. && More information, along with other weather, hydrological and climate information can be found at http://weather.gov/ind Ryan
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Dispatch reported County Road 0 closed from State Road 26 to County Road 800 North due to high water from heavy rainfall.
Dispatch reported County Road 800 North closed from County Road 100 East to County Road 200 East due to high water from heavy rainfall.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Indiana in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Indiana, February 2018
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: 742565, 742566.