In the wake of convection earlier in the day, a meso-low moved through far northwest Indiana and southwest Michigan, producing a widespread swath of 45-55+ mph wind gusts. The highest wind gust report was a 70 mph gust that occurred at the South Bend Airport.
Every event with a place to put it; 7 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 IWX wrote it up.
In the wake of convection earlier in the day, a meso-low moved through far northwest Indiana and southwest Michigan, producing a widespread swath of 45-55+ mph wind gusts. The highest wind gust report was a 70 mph gust that occurred at the South Bend Airport.
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 Northern Indiana wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 27, 1:03 PM EST, 2 hours 24 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Northern Indiana
203 PM EDT Mon Apr 27 2026
.KEY MESSAGES...
- Area of rain and embedded storms will move east over the next
several hours. Additional storms are possible tonight, but
confidence in the threat of severe storms is somewhat less
than previously forecasted.
- A period of gusty winds is expected in the wake of the
rainfall with gusts of 40 to possibly 50 mph in some
locations.
- Temperatures trend cooler the remainder of the week with
highs in the 50s.
- Although a chance of rain returns Tuesday night into
Wednesday, the bulk of the period Tuesday through this weekend
appears to be dry.
- Frost likely at times Wednesday night through Saturday night.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
Issued at 203 PM EDT Mon Apr 27 2026
A large area of stratiform rain with embedded thunderstorms was
progressing east across western Indiana and eventually points to
the east with all areas seeing a 2 to 4 hour period of rainfall.
Severe weather is not expected with this area, as a organized,
elevated line of thunderstorms moves from central IL into
central IN. Behind the precipitation, HRRR and RAP continue to
advertise a period of gusty winds courtesy of an increasing
rise/fall pressure couplet from a developing wake low. Some
stronger gusts have been noted already in eastern IA and western
IL. A Wind Advisory was recently issued to handle this concern
through 00Z Tue, with some potential for an eastward (maybe
southward) expansion with time. The couplet seems to move east
and then transition NE, hence the area of the headlines for now.
Confidence in a threat for strong to severe storms is on the low
to medium side as CAMs are struggling to deal with the impacts
of the afternoon convection and subsidence with the wake low.
Not ready to dismiss the threat given the wind fields and
overall dynamics in place. The Enhanced and Moderate risk areas
remain well to our SW where the greatest concerns exist. A
conditional threat for convectively related damaging winds and
maybe a tornado or 2 may exist if storms can develop upstream
and move in. As a result, limited changes to the late
afternoon/early evening period. Continue to monitor later
updates. Some hydro concerns may exist into tonight if
additional convection does move in, but precip should remain
progressive enough to limit impacts.
Once we get past tonight, we trend cooler and for the most part
drier as more of a NW flow aloft sets up with a weak system
maybe bringing some showers to southern areas Tuesday night.
Concerns do still exist for frost/freeze headlines later this
week, but extended period left untouched for now with focus on
near term threats.
&&
.AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z TUESDAY/...
Issued at 203 PM EDT Mon Apr 27 2026
A first line of thunderstorms approaches SBN around 18z and brings
the potential for MVFR VIS and at least MVFR, but maybe even IFR
CIGs. It is also possible that a wake low forms and causes some 30
to 40 kt gusts this afternoon into the evening. This line of storms
reaches FWA around 20 and or 21z with similar flight conditions. The
severity of these storms may be marginally severe with a wind threat
at SBN, but it is possible it could have severe winds by the time it
reaches FWA. Models appear to be downgrading any chance for a
potentially stronger area of storms for this evening, but we are
still watching the time frame between 00z and 6z for that. Either
way, do expect storms to be out of the area by 6z.
Southeast winds become southerly around 6z and then more westerly
Tuesday morning. Given mixing, synoptic gusts outside of convective
gusts appear to reach 25 to 30 kts today and more like 20 to 25 kts
on Tuesday. Also have some LLWS for FWA.
&&
.IWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
IN...Wind Advisory until 8 PM EDT /7 PM CDT/ this evening for
INZ005>008-012-014-103-104-116-203-204-216.
OH...None.
MI...Wind Advisory until 8 PM EDT this evening for MIZ078>081-177-
277.
MARINE...Small Craft Advisory until 3 PM EDT this afternoon for LMZ043-
046.
Small Craft Advisory from 8 PM this evening to 11 AM EDT
Tuesday for LMZ043-046.
Gale Warning until 8 PM EDT this evening for LMZ043-046.
&&
DISCUSSION...Fisher
AVIATION...CRHazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Northern Indiana 325 PM EDT Mon Apr 27 2026 INZ005>008-012-014-103-104-116-203-204-216-MIZ078>081-177-277-281930- Elkhart-Lagrange-Steuben-Noble-Starke-Marshall-Northern La Porte- Eastern St. Joseph IN-Northern Kosciusko-Southern La Porte- Western St. Joseph IN-Southern Kosciusko-Cass MI-St. Joseph MI- Branch-Hillsdale-Northern Berrien-Southern Berrien- 325 PM EDT Mon Apr 27 2026 /225 PM CDT Mon Apr 27 2026/ ...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT /7 PM CDT/ THIS EVENING... This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for northern Indiana and southwest Michigan. .DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight. Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the Internet for more information about the following hazards. Wind Advisory. Thunderstorms will be possible this evening, with some storms possibly producing damaging winds. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday. Unseasonably cool air from Wednesday through Saturday will bring near freezing temperatures at night and may damage early season crops and plants. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation may be needed this evening. INZ009-013-015-017-018-020-022>027-032>034-OHZ001-002-004-005-015- 016-024-025-281930- De Kalb-Pulaski-Fulton IN-Whitley-Allen IN-White-Cass IN-Miami- Wabash-Huntington-Wells-Adams-Grant-Blackford-Jay-Williams-Fulton OH- Defiance-Henry-Paulding-Putnam-Van Wert-Allen OH- 325 PM EDT Mon Apr 27 2026 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for northern Indiana and northwest Ohio. .DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight. Thunderstorms will be possible into tonight, with the strongest storms possibly producing locally damaging winds. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday. Unseasonably cool air from Wednesday through Saturday will bring near freezing temperatures at night and may damage early season crops and plants. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation may be needed this evening. LMZ043-046-281930- New Buffalo MI to St Joseph MI-Michigan City IN to New Buffalo MI- 325 PM EDT Mon Apr 27 2026 ...GALE WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING... ...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 8 PM THIS EVENING TO 11 AM EDT TUESDAY... This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for the nearshore waters of southeastern Lake Michigan. .DAY ONE...This afternoon and tonight. Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the Internet for more information about the following hazards. Gale Warning. Small Craft Advisory. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday. Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the Internet for more information about the following hazards. Small Craft Advisory.
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Northern Indiana
427 PM EDT Mon Apr 27 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0415 PM Non-Tstm Wnd Dmg 2 SSE La Porte 41.59N 86.70W
04/27/2026 La Porte IN Trained Spotter
Two trees down on US 35. Reports of
powerlines down elsehwere in the county.
&&
BrownThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
6 strong wind, 1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A 70 mph wind gust was recorded at KSBN. Received numerous calls of trees, powerlines, and large branches down in and around the greater South Bend area.
Trained spotter estimated 50 to 55 mph wind gusts. KPPO recorded a 52 mph wind gust. As a result, numerous reports were received of trees and powerlines down, as well as large branches down in and around La Porte.
A member of the public reported numerous trees down around Simonton Lake. Nearby ASOS, KGSH, recorded a 43 mph wind gust.
A member of the public reported a very large tree and numerous branches down |in Oswego.
Emergency manager reports several trees are down, blocking roads in Noble County.
Trained spotter estimates 50-55 mph wind gusts with minor shingle damage noted to |homes in the area.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Indiana in 2026Every state in 2026This day in weather historyWarnings in Indiana, April 2026
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: 1332988, 1332985, 1332989, 1332990, 1332991, 1332992, 1333348.