A line of thunderstorms raced out of Illinois in the evening of April 17th. Prior to becoming outflow dominant as it moved east through southern Michigan and northern Indiana, the line of thunderstorms produced instances of damaging wind gusts and one tornado in northern Indiana.
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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.
A line of thunderstorms raced out of Illinois in the evening of April 17th. Prior to becoming outflow dominant as it moved east through southern Michigan and northern Indiana, the line of thunderstorms produced instances of damaging wind gusts and one tornado in northern Indiana.
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 17, 7:25 PM EST, 4 hours 16 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Northern Indiana 825 PM EDT Fri Apr 17 2026 .KEY MESSAGES... - A line of strong to severe storms is expected to move in later this evening and spread east overnight. The greatest severe threat will exist west of Interstate 69 with damaging winds and possibly a tornado or 2 the main concern. - Some hydro concerns will exist tonight as locally heavy rain accompanies the line of storms. Overall QPF amounts and expected duration should limit additional impacts, but some areas could see localized flooding issues. Thereafter, no additional significant rain chances are expected into next week. - Much cooler temperatures arrive and persist into early next week with chances for near or below freezing temps Sunday and Monday morning. - Rain chances may return towards the end of next week. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 226 PM EDT Fri Apr 17 2026 Primary forecast focus is on the well advertised strong to severe storm threat this evening into the overnight hours in association with a strong cold front and plentiful upper level support. Dry conditions are expected through the remainder of the afternoon and most likely to near or just after 00Z. Numerous thunderstorms are expected to develop upstream (some already underway from Minnesota to NE Missouri) in a strongly favorable environment for all modes of severe. As these storms races ENE, they should congeal into 1 or more lines and most likely establish strong cold pools as they move across IL and eventually into portions of Indiana. It remains to be seen just how strong they are as they arrive later this evening, but concerns have increased some that they make it roughly half way through the area before weakening somewhat. This is depicted by some expansion east of the Slight and Marginal Risk areas in the DY1 outlook. By this point, hail should not be a concern, with areas of wind damage (60 to 70 mph) as well as some brief tornadoes will be the main concern. The main severe threat should wrap up in the 6-8Z time frame with lingering stratiform rain behind the main line. Pops have been adjusted for a somewhat faster trend given the impacts of the cold pool pushing the line along sooner than previous indications. With regards to hydro issues, a Flood Watch was contemplated given the potential for 0.5" to 1" of rain (locally higher possible), but with the line being so progressive feel the concerns will be rather limited and can just be handled by Flood Advisories or Warnings as needed. The front will stall out some Saturday as another wave moves along it. The severe threat should remain to our east but some showers and maybe a storm are still possible in SE areas, especially early. After that, we enter a less active period into at least the middle of next week with the only concern being the monitoring of colder temperatures and frost/freeze potential Sunday and Monday morning. Will sort that out after we get this system out of here. && .AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z SUNDAY/... Issued at 804 PM EDT Fri Apr 17 2026 VFR conditions should prevail through mid-to-late evening with BKN to OVC ceilings around 10k feet AGL at both KSBN and KFWA. A line of showers and thunderstorms will track eastward across the area overnight, mainly between 04z and 11z Saturday. Occasional MVFR conditions will likely accompany the heaviest precipitation cores, along with gusty and erratic surface winds. Showers will likely linger in the wake of this convection w/ MVFR ceilings at or below 2500 feet AGL. && .IWX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... IN...None. OH...None. MI...None. MARINE...Small Craft Advisory until 2 AM EDT Sunday for LMZ043-046. && DISCUSSION...Fisher AVIATION...Hammer
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Northern Indiana 1141 PM EDT Fri Apr 17 2026 INZ005-012>015-020-022>024-103-104-116-203-204-216-MIZ078-177-277- 190345- Elkhart-Starke-Pulaski-Marshall-Fulton IN-White-Cass IN-Miami-Wabash- Northern La Porte-Eastern St. Joseph IN-Northern Kosciusko- Southern La Porte-Western St. Joseph IN-Southern Kosciusko-Cass MI- Northern Berrien-Southern Berrien- 1141 PM EDT Fri Apr 17 2026 /1041 PM CDT Fri Apr 17 2026/ ...TORNADO WATCH 133 IN EFFECT UNTIL 3 AM EDT /2 AM CDT/ SATURDAY... This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for northern Indiana and southwest Michigan. .DAY ONE...Tonight. Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the Internet for more information about the following hazards. Tornado Watch. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday. Overnight lows in the 30s Saturday night may allow for frost formation with a freeze possible Sunday night as temperatures dip below freezing. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Weather spotters are encouraged to report significant weather conditions according to Standard Operating Procedures. LMZ043-046-190345- New Buffalo MI to St Joseph MI-Michigan City IN to New Buffalo MI- 1141 PM EDT Fri Apr 17 2026 ...TORNADO WATCH 133 IN EFFECT UNTIL 3 AM EDT SATURDAY... ...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 2 AM EDT SUNDAY... This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for the nearshore waters of southeastern Lake Michigan. .DAY ONE...Tonight. Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the Internet for more information about the following hazards. Tornado Watch. Small Craft Advisory. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday. Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the Internet for more information about the following hazards. Small Craft Advisory. INZ006>009-017-018-025>027-032>034-MIZ079>081-OHZ001-002-004-005-015- 016-024-025-190345- Lagrange-Steuben-Noble-De Kalb-Whitley-Allen IN-Huntington-Wells- Adams-Grant-Blackford-Jay-St. Joseph MI-Branch-Hillsdale-Williams- Fulton OH-Defiance-Henry-Paulding-Putnam-Van Wert-Allen OH- 1141 PM EDT Fri Apr 17 2026 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for northern Indiana, southwest Michigan and northwest Ohio. .DAY ONE...Tonight. A line of strong to possibly severe storms is forecasted this evening into the early overnight hours. Damaging winds, heavy rain and isolated tornadoes are all possible, with the line expected to weaken as it moves east. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Saturday through Thursday. Overnight lows in the 30s Saturday night may allow for frost formation with a freeze possible Sunday night as temperatures dip below freezing. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Weather spotters are encouraged to report significant weather conditions according to Standard Operating Procedures.
The Grand Rapids radar (KGRR), 98 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 04:40 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Public reports a tree was uprooted.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Michigan in 2026Every state in 2026This day in weather historyWarnings in Michigan, 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: 1331683.