Indiana, 2018

Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Indiana, January 15, 2018

January 15, 2018 · NWS PAH · 6 events in 6 counties and zones

Snow developed along an Arctic cold front as it sliced southeast across southwest Indiana during the morning hours. As the front slowed down over the Tennessee Valley late in the day, a weak surface low developed on the front.

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.

Snow developed along an Arctic cold front as it sliced southeast across southwest Indiana during the morning hours. As the front slowed down over the Tennessee Valley late in the day, a weak surface low developed on the front. This caused snow to linger across Spencer County through the evening hours. The result was an area of heavy snowfall in Spencer County, where 4 inches was reported. Across the remainder of southwest Indiana, including Evansville and Princeton, amounts ranged from 2 to 3 inches. Much of the snow melted on treated road surfaces during the day, but conditions rapidly deteriorated after dark as temperatures dropped through the teens. Wind chill indices were in the teens during most of the snowstorm. Cold temperatures reduced the effectiveness of road salt, which slowed recovery efforts in the wake of the storm. Schools remained closed following the storm.

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 Jan 15, 5:48 AM CST, 1 hour 12 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 15, 5:48 AM CST, 1 hour 12 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 15, 4:16 AM CST, 2 hours 44 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

5 winter weather, 1 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Gibson

When
January 15, 7:00 AM CST to 1:00 PM CST
Where
Gibson forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
38.312, -87.585 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Pike

When
January 15, 7:00 AM CST to 1:00 PM CST
Where
Pike forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
38.399, -87.232 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Posey

When
January 15, 8:00 AM CST to 3:00 PM CST
Where
Posey forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
38.022, -87.868 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Vanderburgh

When
January 15, 8:00 AM CST to 3:00 PM CST
Where
Vanderburgh forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
38.025, -87.586 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Warrick

When
January 15, 8:00 AM CST to 5:00 PM CST
Where
Warrick forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
38.092, -87.272 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Spencer

When
January 15, 8:00 AM CST to 10:00 PM CST
Where
Spencer forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
38.014, -87.008 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Winter Weather
Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.
Heavy Snow
Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Indiana in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Indiana, January 2018

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: 728743, 728744, 728745, 728746, 728747, 733358.