Overall dry conditions that had resulted in Extreme Drought (D3) by late October 2025 over portions of central Indiana were maintained through December 2025, with D2/D3 drought intensity persisting over portions of 11 central Indiana counties without any significant changes to their status between the December updates. These conditions continued into at least February 2026.
Every event with a place to put it; 11 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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.
Overall dry conditions that had resulted in Extreme Drought (D3) by late October 2025 over portions of central Indiana were maintained through December 2025, with D2/D3 drought intensity persisting over portions of 11 central Indiana counties without any significant changes to their status between the December updates. These conditions continued into at least February 2026.
This status quo included a main sub-region that held D2+ over all of Howard County and Delaware County, as well as portions of seven other north-central to northeast central Indiana counties, including Carroll, Clinton, Tipton, Hamilton, Madison, and Randolph counties, with D2 extending as far south as northern Henry County. Two embedded areas of D3 extended from northeast Carroll County, through much of Howard County, and also over most of Delaware County into northwestern Randolph County. Meanwhile, a separate area of D2 was maintained in northwestern Vigo County and into far southwestern Vermillion County.
Precipitation throughout December for these areas remained largely insufficient to break the drought, with many counties receiving totals of only around 1.25 to 2.00 inches. While some areas like Hamilton, Henry, and Vigo counties saw slightly higher totals nearing 2.1 to 3.0 inches, these amounts were not enough to warrant improvement of drought intensity. In the most severely affected areas, such as Carroll and Tipton, the monthly totals of approximately 1.25 to 1.50 inches ensured that Extreme Drought (D3) and Severe Drought (D2) conditions were preserved through the end of the year.
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 Nov 30, 9:09 PM EST, 2 hours 51 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Indianapolis IN 909 PM EST Sun Nov 30 2025 .KEY MESSAGES... - Mostly Cloudy and cold overnight. - Accumulating snow possible Monday night into Tuesday morning. - Wind chills at night...into the teens through Monday night...down to possibly near zero Wednesday night. - Another accumulating snow event is possible Friday with mix precip also possible into next weekend. && .FORECAST UPDATE... Issued at 906 PM EST Sun Nov 30 2025 Surface analysis late this evening shows Low pressure over SW Quebec and cyclonic lower level flow across the Great Lakes. A cold, Canadian high pressure system was centered over SD/NB/IA, building southeast. GOES19 shows abundant cloud cover still over Central Indiana. Lake cloud was still streaming off of Lake Michigan. Clearing was found in northern IL and southern WI, while higher clouds within the flow aloft were found over the Great Plains. Little overall change is expected overnight to the ongoing forecast. Models suggest lower level moisture lingering across the area. Some clearing will be possible late, but the combination of high cloud arriving along with a few scattered lake clouds should keep skies mostly cloudy. Given our dew points in the teens and lower 20s. Low mainly around 20 will be expected. Lows could reach the middle teens in the LAF should some brief clearing occur. && .SHORT TERM (This evening through Monday night)... Issued at 301 PM EST Sun Nov 30 2025 Yesterday's low pressure system is now departing to our northeast, leaving cold temperatures, low clouds, and gusty winds in its wake. Some flurries have been noted at times across the northern half of our CWA. This may continue into the evening hours as winds shift more northerly. In fact, some higher resolution guidance shows some lake-enhanced showers making as far south as Kokomo/Muncie. However, winds are expected to diminish quickly this evening as surface high pressure moves in. This will limit southward extent of any snow shower activity. Despite surface high pressure, low-level cloud cover is expected to hold firm through a majority of the night. Guidance hints at some clearing, especially north and west, before sunrise. Combined with the snowpack and light winds, ideal radiative cooling conditions could briefly occur. Should enough clearing materialize, rapid cooling may lead to temps even lower than what the forecast currently indicates. It's not out of the question that a few readings into the single digits could occur if this happens. It is a low-probability scenario but worth mentioning. Snowfall Potential Monday Night Our attention then turns to a system/vort max out west, roughly over Salt Lake City as of this writing. Guidance shows this vort max ejecting eastward tonight. Mid to high-level cloud cover quickly increases ahead of it, so much of the day Monday will be cloudy. Concurrently, a subtle wave in the subtropical jet will lift northward tonight. These two systems begin to interact as they approach Indiana Monday evening. Our weather Monday into Tuesday depends on the degree of interaction, should it occur. Thermal profiles show a cold enough air mass for all snow, at least in our CWA. Snow totals are tricky, because as mentioned above they are dependent on how the system comes together. A few scenarios will be discussed below: Most Likely Scenario... We'll start with what's most probable. In this scenario a positively- tilted vort max ejects from the Rockies before interacting with the weak southern stream wave. Phasing occurs, but slow enough to keep precipitation amounts relatively light. Total QPF between 0.10-0.25" would be reasonable, which would lead to 1 to 3 inches of snow on average assuming a 10:1 ratio. We will tend towards this scenario, for now, as the progressive fast-moving pattern favors delayed phasing. Low-End Scenario... Here, the southern wave is suppressed and phasing does not occur until well after it matters. Moisture associated with the southern wave does not come northward, leaving two disjointed areas of precipitation. Precipitation over Indiana would be associated mainly with the northern vort max, leaving lesser amounts across our south. Most of our CWA would see a dusting to an inch, with perhaps an area of 1-3 inches across our northwest depending on where the northern wave tracks. High-End Scenario... In this scenario, phasing does occur and soon enough to allow for a more potent vort max. Moisture associated with the southern wave is readily lifted northward, allowing for precipitation to break out over southern Illinois and into Indiana. Additionally, mid-level frontogenesis could be more apparent which may lead to some heavier banded snowfall. Snow bands would align with the thermal gradient, roughly WSW-ENE, which is parallel to the system's overall movement. Such bands could effectively train over one location, leading to isolated heavy snowfall amounts between 4-6 inches. Locations outside of such bands would see less, generally 2-4 inches. Again, this is a low-probability reasonable worst-case-scenario, and is not the official forecast. However, it is worth mentioning these possibilities as guidance has yet to form a solid consensus. && .LONG TERM (Tuesday through Sunday)... Issued at 301 PM EST Sun Nov 30 2025 A typical La Nina longwave pattern will continue across the continent through the extended with upper ridging off the CA coast. While an upper level low remains nearly centered over Hudson Bay with longwave troughing extending southward from this low into much of the central and eastern CONUS. Behind the shortwave trough that will move through the region on Monday night precipitation ends abruptly from the west with only low pops possible before 18Z Tuesday in far eastern zones. Attention turns to a shortwave trough moving southeast from the northern plains into the region Wednesday into Wednesday night. Weak to moderate WAA in the surface-700mb layer associated with sw flow ahead of this trough will lead to a gradual moistening in the lower to mid levels Wednesday afternoon into Wednesday evening. Have opted to carry low pops in the northern half of the forecast area closer to the greater DCVA and upper jet dynamics/phasing will exist. In the wake of this system a reinforcing shot of arctic air settles into the region Wednesday night. Temperatures will bottom out below 10F in northern portions of the forecast area with partly cloudy skies and relatively deep snow pack. Partly cloudy skies will continue through Thursday. Have raised low temperatures 5-10 deg above NBM numbers for Thursday night thanks to increasing high-mid level cloud cover ahead of another shortwave trough moving out of the plains. Models diverge on the extent of the late week (Friday) storm system with some (Euro/Canadian) hinting at another low end advisory type snow event possible. However, enough uncertainty exists with the phasing of the moisture with the speed of the system to preclude anything more than chance pops at this time. In addition, some signal exists for a warm nose/mix precip event with freezing rain and/or sleet possible in southern/central portions of the forecast area. In the wake of the Fri system, low pops continue into Sunday with glancing blows of weak shortwaves moving through the Great Lakes region. Subtle hints at freezing drizzle/mix precip continue so have opted to continue this in the forecast. && .AVIATION (18Z TAF Issuance)... Issued at 1240 PM EST Sun Nov 30 2025 Impacts: - Predominant MVFR conditions through tonight - Flurries possible into this evening - Gusty winds around 25-30kt this afternoon Discussion: Gusty W-WNW winds behind a departing storm system continue today with frequent gusts to 25-30kt. These winds will die down this evening, becoming light and variable overnight. Winds pick up slightly and become east-southeasterly after 12Z Monday. MVFR ceilings will be present through today and into tonight. Guidance shows the low clouds breaking up towards morning right as some mid to high-level cloud cover advances from the west. Ceilings between 6000-10000ft are expected Monday morning into afternoon. Snow becomes likely Monday night, though this is after the end of the TAF period and will not be included just yet. && .IND WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && UPDATE...Puma SHORT TERM...Eckhoff LONG TERM...Crosbie AVIATION...Eckhoff
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Indianapolis IN 337 PM EST Sun Nov 30 2025 INZ021-028>031-035>049-051>057-060>065-067>072-012045- 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- 337 PM EST Sun Nov 30 2025 This hazardous weather outlook is for central Indiana. .DAY ONE...Through Tonight. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday. Additional accumulating snow is snow possible Monday night into Tuesday, as well as Friday into Saturday. Below zero wind chills may occur Thursday night. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotters are encouraged to report snowfall amounts from Saturday's snow. && More information, along with other weather, hydrological and climate information can be found at http://weather.gov/ind
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
11 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Precipitation totals of only around 1.5 inches fell across the month of December. This maintained D2 conditions in extreme southwest Vermillion county with no changes to its status through the month. These drought conditions continued into at least February 2026.
Precipitation totals of only around 1.5 to 2.1 inches fell across the month of December. This maintained D2 conditions in extreme northwest Vigo county with no changes to its status through the month. These drought conditions continued into at least February 2026.
Precipitation totals of only around 1.25 inches fell across the month of December. This maintained D2 condition across smuch of Carroll county with D3 conditions in the northeast. There were no changes to its status through the month. These drought conditions continued into at least February 2026.
Precipitation totals of only around 1.6 to 2.0 inches fell across the month of December. This maintained D2 conditions across northeastern Clinton county with no changes to its status through the month. These drought conditions continued into at least February 2026.
Precipitation totals of only around 1.6 inches fell across the month of December. This maintained D3 conditions across much of Howard county with D2 conditions across the remainder. There were no changes to its status through the month. These drought conditions continued into at least February 2026.
Precipitation totals of only around 1.5 inches fell across the month of December. This maintained D2 conditions across much of Tipton county with no changes to its status through the month. These drought conditions continued into at least February 2026.
Precipitation totals of only around 2 to 3 inches fell across the month of December. The higher amounts of rain fell to the southwest of the D2 area which persisted across the far northeastern corner of Hamilton county with no changes to its status through the month. These drought conditions continued into at least February 2026.
Precipitation totals of only around 1.75to 2.25 inches fell across the month of December. This maintained D3 conditions across much of Delaware county with D2 conditions elsewhere. There were no changes to its status through the month. These drought conditions continued into at least February 2026.
Precipitation totals of only around 1.6 to 2.1 inches fell across the month of December. This maintained D2 conditions across the central and northern portions of Madison county with no changes to its status through the month. These drought conditions continued into at least February 2026.
Precipitation totals of only around 2 inches fell across the month of December. This maintained D2 conditions across much of central Randolph county and D3 in the far northwest. There were no changes to its status through the month. These drought conditions continued into at least February 2026.
Precipitation totals of only around 2.3 to 2.6 inches fell across the month of December. This maintained D2 conditions in extreme north Henry county with no changes to its status through the month. These drought conditions continued into at least February 2026.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Indiana in 2025Every state in 2025This day in weather historyWarnings in Indiana, December 2025
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: 1304105, 1304106, 1304107, 1304108, 1304110, 1304111, 1304113, 1304117, 1304119, 1304121, 1304124.