Overall dry conditions that had resulted in lingering drought across central Indiana generally expanded and intensified to Severe Drought (D2) by January 6th, 2026. This expansion brought D2 intensity into portions of 6 additional central Indiana counties, with these drought conditions then maintained without any significant improvement through the remainder of the month.
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.
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 lingering drought across central Indiana generally expanded and intensified to Severe Drought (D2) by January 6th, 2026. This expansion brought D2 intensity into portions of 6 additional central Indiana counties, with these drought conditions then maintained without any significant improvement through the remainder of the month. These conditions continued to persist into at least February 2026.
This status quo included a newly expanded sub-region that held D2 over the entirety of Fountain, Warren, and Tippecanoe counties, as well as nearly all of Montgomery and Boone counties, excluding only their far southern reaches. Additionally, the expansion of D2 drought reached into northwestern Parke County. This westward and southward creep of Severe Drought conditions effectively bridged gaps between existing dry zones, creating a broader footprint of D2 intensity across the western portion of the state.
Precipitation throughout January for these areas was notably sparse, with totals ranging from only 0.75 to 1.50 inches. Specifically, areas like Fountain and Tippecanoe counties saw extremely low totals of 0.75 to 1.10 inches, which was not enough to warrant any improvement or prevent the expansion of drought intensity. Even in areas like Montgomery and Boone counties, where totals reached up to 1.60 or 1.80 inches, the moisture was insufficient to stave off the D2 designation, ensuring the drought status remained entrenched heading into February.
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 Jan 6, 6:02 AM EST, 58 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Indianapolis IN 602 AM EST Tue Jan 6 2026 .KEY MESSAGES... - Temperatures warming this week to well above normal, especially Thursday and Friday - Periods of rain showers Thursday-Friday night...potential for widespread moderate rainfall totals - Seasonably chilly weather returns this weekend && .SHORT TERM (Today and tonight)... Issued at 300 AM EST Tue Jan 6 2026 Early this morning, surface low pressure was moving into northern Illinois, with a developing warm front across central Indiana. Some clouds around 5000FT were developing, but lower stratus had yet to develop. Radar showed some light echoes with some of these clouds. The surface low will move northeast into Lower Michigan this afternoon. South to southwesterly winds will continue to pump low level moisture into the area in the warm sector of the system. The bulk of the forcing with the system will remain north of central Indiana, closer to the surface low and an accompanying upper trough. However, there will be some weak forcing mainly confined to the low levels. This forcing should help produce the stratus as well as some patchy light sprinkles/drizzle this morning. An isolated shower is possible, mainly northeast closer to the better overall forcing. Will continue to mention some patchy drizzle and light rain this morning. Forcing will exit the area this afternoon as the surface cold front moves through. Questions still remain on how long the stratus will remain behind the front, as is typical this time of year. The area that looks to have the odds of partial clearing is the southern forecast area, with lower odds north. Will trend pessimistic with sky cover, especially north. High temperatures will be tricky, at least partially depending on how much sunshine appears. Readings are already around 50 in portions of the western forecast area. Will go closer to the warm blended guidance in the south but trim a bit across portions of the north given the expected cloud cover. High pressure will build in tonight and will likely trap some clouds as it moves in. Will go partly to mostly cloudy, with lows in the 30s. && .LONG TERM (Wednesday through Monday)... Issued at 320 AM EST Tue Jan 6 2026 Wednesday through Saturday... Weaker gradients to start the long term period as broad 1016 mb high pressure over most of the CONUS' eastern half drifts up the TN Valley Wednesday...promoting light southwesterly breezes and decreasing clouds that will allow a more pleasant day where temperatures peak near the low 50s for most locations. Surface low pressure will gradually expand east across the Plains late Wednesday and Wednesday night...while subtropical cut-off short wave lifts from northern Baja to Texas Panhandle...resulting in cyclogenesis of 996 mb low from central Plains to Chicagoland Thursday into Thursday night. Southerly surface flow will increase Thursday, boosting local dewpoints from the 30s into the 50s...and increasing chances and coverage of rain showers, especially along the Wabash Valley where precipitable water values will occasionally reach around 1.30 inches. Gusts to likely peak Thursday night around 20-30 mph as the system's axis of deep moisture likely shifts east to southeast of the CWA. At best moderate confidence here with timing/location of any additional, possibly more-steady rainfall, given run-to-run model inconsistency. Nevertheless the potential for overall widespread 0.50 to 1.00 rainfall totals are possible by early Friday, with perhaps locally heavier amounts in any isolated downpours towards the Ohio Valley. Any organized thunderstorms should stay south of central Indiana where more consistent deep moisture is more likely to meet better wind shear. Disturbed pattern to continue through the late week with very broad and deep H500 trough occupying nearly all of the US, with a wavelength too broad to allow much eastward progression. Frontal zone to likely, slowly, cross region around the Friday timeframe... supporting an overall high-POP, low-rainfall set-up. Next surface low along the boundary may actually track across Indiana, but low certainty in adequate forcing into the Saturday timeframe...which would favor drizzle and a few showers opposed to thunder or any noteworthy additional precipitation amounts. Unseasonably mild conditions likely Thursday into at least Friday morning with highs in the 50s to around 60F both days for most locations...and frankly somewhat humid conditions likely holding overnight readings around 50F for Thursday night. Transition back to winter most likely around the Saturday timeframe as broad trough's lower mid-level heights cross the Midwest. Rain likely will mix with wet snow and change to at least flurries around the mid- weekend...with the extent of any light accumulations dependent on intensity/proximity of embedded upper level vorts and wind direction coming off southern Lake Michigan. Sunday and Monday... Reasonably temperate conditions expected on the backside of the slowly-departing system through the latter half of the weekend, courtesy of the arriving surface high pressure's Pacific maritime origins. Lower confidence regarding coverage/intensity of any lingering flurries/snow showers Sunday given considerable model divergence. Better certainty regarding dry and probably slightly above normal readings to start the next work week as 1000-500 mb thicknesses rebound to perhaps 545 dm amid switch back to overall retracted, zonal upper pattern. The normal max/min at Indianapolis through the long term is 36/21. && .AVIATION (12Z TAF Issuance)... Issued at 602 AM EST Tue Jan 6 2026 Impacts: - MVFR conditions for some sites through much of the period - IFR possible this morning - Some gusts to over 20kt possible today Discussion: A warm front has passed, and low level clouds have developed at most sites. Ceilings will continue to lower, but confidence in widespread IFR at the northern sites has lowered. Will include a TEMPO group for IFR this morning. Some improvement will occur this afternoon, especially at the southern sites. VFR may eventually return to the southern sites, but the northern sites will likely see MVFR prevail into the night. && .IND WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... None. && SHORT TERM...50 LONG TERM...AGM AVIATION...50
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Indianapolis IN 343 AM EST Tue Jan 6 2026 INZ021-028>031-035>049-051>057-060>065-067>072-070845- 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- 343 AM EST Tue Jan 6 2026 This hazardous weather outlook is for central Indiana. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated. && 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.
6 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Precipitation totaled only around 0.75 inches across the month of January. This led to the expansion of D2 drought into the entirety of Fountain county on January 6th. These drought conditions continued into at least February 2026.
Precipitation totaled only around 1.50 inches across the month of January. This led to the expansion of D2 drought into the entirety of Warren county on January 6th. These drought conditions continued into at least February 2026.
Precipitation totaled only around 0.80 to 1.10 inches across the month of January. This led to the expansion of D2 drought into the entirety of Tippecanoe county on January 6th. These drought conditions continued into at least February 2026.
Precipitation totaled only around 1.00 to 1.80 inches across the month of January. This led to the expansion of D2 drought into all but far southern Montgomery county on January 6th. These drought conditions continued into at least February 2026.
Precipitation totaled only around 1.00 to 1.60 inches across the month of January. This led to the expansion of D2 drought into all but far southern Boone county on January 6th. These drought conditions continued into at least February 2026.
Precipitation totaled only around 1.10 to 1.50 inches across the month of January. This led to the expansion of D2 drought into northwestern Parke county on January 6th. 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 2026Every state in 2026This day in weather historyWarnings in Indiana, January 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: 1305050, 1305051, 1305052, 1305053, 1305054, 1305049.