During the afternoon and evening hours of March 30th thunderstorms developed in warm and unstable air well ahead of an approaching cold front. These storms produced damaging winds and hail up to golf ball size across much of central Indiana.
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.
During the afternoon and evening hours of March 30th thunderstorms developed in warm and unstable air well ahead of an approaching cold front. These storms produced damaging winds and hail up to golf ball size across much of central Indiana. A weak EF-0 tornado impacted Monroe County, although main damage was associated with the straight line winds and large hail. Over 30,000 power outages occurred across central Indiana through the event.
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 Mar 30, 1:49 PM EST, 37 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Indianapolis IN 249 PM EDT Sun Mar 30 2025 .KEY MESSAGES... - Severe storms this evening with damaging winds, tornadoes, and hail all as potential hazards. - Highest threat for severe weather along and north of I-70 is from 3 PM to 7 PM EDT - Second round of storms from 5 PM to 9 PM along and south of I-70 with a higher potential for tornadoes. - Dry and Cooler Monday and Tuesday. - Severe Thunderstorms possible Wednesday and Wednesday Night. - Damp pattern through Thursday through Sunday with chances for heavy rains resulting in flooding, particularly across southern central Indiana. Minor to moderate river flooding possible. && .SHORT TERM (This evening through Monday)... Issued at 248 PM EDT Sun Mar 30 2025 The well messaged severe weather event is underway today across the Midwest with storms approaching the IL/IN border as of the writing of this discussion. Further updates will be provided throughout this evening in the Mesoscale Discussion section above. .MESOSCALE TALK 230 PM... While the synoptic set up is well described in the previous discussion below, this portion of the short term discussion will focus on the evening hours as storms push through Indiana. Latest satellite imagery shows a strengthening line of storms just ahead of a cold front across Central Illinois with an area of clearing just out ahead of it. 17z Lincoln RAOB soundings shows steepening low level lapse rates, SB CAPE over 1200 j/kg, and 0-3km shear at 45 kts. An EML above 700 mb is still present, however the mid levels have cooled enough that convection is able to break that CAP. ACARs soundings closer to IND show that the CAP has broken with drier mid and upper levels than what RAP/HRRR guidance depicts... this could enhance the hail threat in discrete cells, however weaker upper level winds may limit the severe hail potential overall. Also want to mention that observations ahead of this line of storms show slightly backed winds at 170-180 deg rather than 190-210 as many hi- res models depict. This could locally enhance the tornado risk within the main line of storms and with any cells that form out of it. Based on Radar and satellite trends in Illinois, a cold pool is forming with a mix of multicell and discrete cells within the cluster. At the moment, damaging winds of 60-80 mph is the main threat with most storms with tornadoes as a secondary threat. Tornado threat is highest in any discrete, organized, supercells ahead of the line. Radar trends also show very well defined rear inflow jets with numerous cells exhibiting bowing structures, further raising confidence in the damaging wind threat. The highest threat for severe weather over the next several hours is along and north of the I-70 corridor, including the Indy metro area...however it appears that Lafayette to Kokomo and points north could get the brunt of the developing storms in Illinois. Lower confidence exists in the development along the southern flank of this complex, but will be watching that closely over the next several hours. This complex of storms is ahead of the main cold front with satellite imagery showing additional destabilization and storms along it and behind the first round. THe potential is there for multiple rounds of severe weather today with the first round moving through Central and Northern Indiana within the 3 PM to 7 PM timeframe and a secondary round coming in from the southwest right on its heals pushing into Southwest and South Central Indiana after the 5pm timeframe. This potential second round could be just as severe as the first and will likely impact areas along and south of the I-70 corridor. This second round could have a better tornado potential as latest hi-res guidance shows a better potential for discrete cells and better low level shear and helicity values. Keep checking back for further updates throughout the evening. .PREVIOUS DISCUSSION FROM 3 AM THIS MORNING... SYNOPTIC SETUP A strengthening upper trough will move into the western Great Lakes by early evening. At the surface, a surface low will move into lower Michigan, with a strong cold front associated with it. Plentiful moisture will be continue to be pumped into the area, helped along by near 50kt winds at 850mb. SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL Strong forcing with the system will tap into available instability (which will exist despite clouds/scattered rain today) to produce convection. Given the strong wind fields present with this system, shear will be sufficient for convection to be organized. Shear vectors are more parallel to the surface cold front, so would expect mainly linear convection to prevail. That being said, there could still be cells ahead of the line, especially across the western forecast area earlier in the event. These could exhibit supercell characteristics. Given the above, feel that the primary threat will be damaging wind gusts across central Indiana this afternoon into early to mid evening hours. Large hail is also possible, again especially west where individual cells are possible. Tornadoes will be a threat as well, both with the individual cells and along the linear convection with meso convective vorticies. The highest threat for tornadoes looks to be in the southern forecast area where favored parameters are highest. The flash flooding threat for individual storms is low given the expected speed of the convection. However, will have to watch for the potential of training storms. Remainder of the Evening into the Overnight... Rain chances will diminish during the night as the cold front moves through, and cooler and drier air arrives behind it. Low temperatures will be in the lower 40s most areas. && .LONG TERM (Monday night through Sunday)... Issued at 248 PM EDT Sun Mar 30 2025 More Active weather expected this week. Monday Night through Tuesday Night - In the wake of the departing low pressure , much cooler, Canadian high pressure will settle across the region with cooler northerly winds becoming easterly and then southeasterly through Tuesday. This will result in dry but cool weather, with below normal temperatures with highs near 50. Wednesday and Wednesday Night - More active weather will be expected along with chances for severe weather during this time. Strong low pressure will be moving from the plains states to the Great Lakes, keeping central Indiana within the warm sector amid mild and humid southwesterly flow. the strong southwest flow aloft also suggests several embedded short wave within the flow aloft providing forcing. Meanwhile forecast soundings show CAPE available also, providing additional instability. Thus Thunderstorms will continue to remain in the forecast for Wednesday and Wednesday Night. Highs within the warm sector should reach the 70s, well above normal. Thursday through Sunday - Active weather is expected to persist through this time. Models suggest late this week that a deepening upper trough over the western CONUS will continue to provide southwest flow aloft over they southern plains and into Central Indiana. Within this flow, a steady series of embedded short waves looks to pass through Indiana and the Ohio Valley, providing forcing. Within the lower levels a left over west to east frontal boundary looks also to be lingering near the Ohio River and KY. This will place central Indiana on the cooler side of the boundary, but this will not prevent rainfall across Indiana. Flooding possibilities will come into play as this situation develops as a favorable set-up for rainfall, possibly heavy at times, each day. A caveat, should the boundary set-up farther south, central Indiana may be spared from the heavier rainfall. A farther north set-up would result in more of central Indiana being under the rainfall threat. && .AVIATION (18Z TAF Issuance)... Issued at 109 PM EDT Sun Mar 30 2025 Impacts: - MVFR conditions expected through most of the TAf period. - Strong thunderstorms expected this afternoon. - Gusty winds to around 25kt. Higher in storms. Discussion: MVFR ceilings will persist through much of the TAF period. HRRR suggests convection developing over IL will push toward the TAF sites by mid afternoon and pass across the TAF sites through 00Z- 02Z. As storms impact the TAF sites IFR conditions will be possible wind gusts in excess of 40 knts. Used TEMPO groups to narrow down best possible windows for storms. Overnight, northwest flow will continue along with trapped lower level moisture amid cold air advection. Thus continued MVFR Cigs overnight and into Monday. && .IND WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && SHORT TERM...CM LONG TERM...Puma AVIATION...Puma
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Indianapolis IN 309 PM EDT Sun Mar 30 2025 INZ021-028>031-035>049-051>057-060>065-067>072-311915- 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- 309 PM EDT Sun Mar 30 2025 This hazardous weather outlook is for central Indiana. .DAY ONE...Through Tonight. Thunderstorms, some severe, are expected this afternoon and evening. Damaging straight line winds will be the primary threat. Isolated tornadoes cannot be ruled out, especially south of Interstate-70. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday. Additional thunderstorms are possible on Wednesday, and some of these storms may be strong to severe and also produce heavy rain. Lightning is a threat from any storm. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation has been requested at this time. && More information, along with other weather, hydrological and climate information can be found at http://weather.gov/ind
The Indianapolis radar (KIND), 107 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:24 UTC.
30 thunderstorm wind, 18 hail, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
Trees of unknown size downed by thunderstorm wind gusts. Utility lines were also blown down over State Road 63.
Barn and tree damage across the county caused by thunderstorm wind gusts. The barn was located at this location.
Multiple trees of unknown size downed at this location by thunderstorm wind gusts.
Branches up to 4 inches in diameter blown down by thunderstorm winds on the Purdue campus. Nearby 3 trees were blown down with a 70 mph measured wind gust at that site.
A large amount of siding blown off a home by thunderstorm wind gusts.
Multiple trees of unknown size downed by thunderstorm wind gusts.
A 64 mph thunderstorm wind gust was measured at this location.
A few structures sustained minor damage caused by thunderstorm winds across the county with a centralized location near Delphi.
Large tree branches downed by thunderstorm wind gusts onto a house with additional wind damage to barn doors.
Top edge of brick facade on the front of a building extending above the roof line was damaged by thunderstorm wind gusts.
A 16-inch diameter tree downed by thunderstorm wind gusts.
Multiple trees of unknown size downed by thunderstorm wind gusts.
Power pole snapped by thunderstorm wind gusts.
A 24-inch diameter tree downed by thunderstorm wind gusts.
A 60 mph thunderstorm wind gust was measured by the HUF ASOS.
Tree downed by thunderstorm wind gusts which was blocking Old 41.
Tree of unknown size downed by thunderstorm wind gusts.
A 70 mph thunderstorm wind gust was measured at this location. Nearby a tree was downed onto a car along with large tree branches falling on a house.
Tree of unknown size downed by thunderstorm wind gusts.
A 60 mph thunderstorm wind gust was estimated at this location.
A brief and weak EF0 tornado moved east-northeast, causing roof damage to a church while throwing debris and playground equipment that was located west of the church further west. Peak winds estimated at 80 mph.
A tree of unknown size was downed by thunderstorm wind gusts onto a mobile home causing an injury with brief entrapment.
A large tree was downed by thunderstorm wind gusts with a nearby barn having roof damage.
A tree and power line were downed by thunderstorm wind gusts.
Numerous tree tops downed and trees toppled at the west gate of the Brown County State Park.
A 68 mph thunderstorm wind gust was measured at this location. Tree branches were snapped, and a trampoline was thrown 100 yards.
A 60 mph thunderstorm wind gust was measured by the IND ASOS.
Trees of unknown size downed and partially debarked by thunderstorm wind gusts.
A 60 mph thunderstorm wind gust was estimated at this location.
Many trees of unknown size and power lines downed by thunderstorm wind gusts across the immediate area.
Tree limbs of unknown size and a basketball goal were blown down by thunderstorm wind gusts.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Indiana in 2025Every state in 2025This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Indiana, 2025Warnings in Indiana, March 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: 1236911, 1236909, 1236918, 1236915, 1236917, 1236922, 1236927, 1236910, 1236913, 1236932, 1236950, 1236933, 1236936, 1236951, 1236952, 1236953, 1236929, 1236954, 1236955, 1236959, 1236957, 1236958, 1237015, 1236960, 1236963, 1236965, 1236969, 1236968, 1236970, 1236971, 1236973, 1236974, 1245325, 1236980, 1236982, 1236977, 1236983, 1236986, 1236997, 1237001, and more.