Slight risk of severe storms Wednesday in northern Indiana

Day 3 convective outlook map
Yellow area: Slight risk of severe weather between 8 a.m. Wednesday, June 18 and 8 a.m. Thursday, June 19. Green area: Thunderstorms, but not severe. Highlighted counties: County warning area of the northern Indiana National Weather Service office. Source: Storm Prediction Center “Day 3 Convective Outlook.” 

The northern fourth of Indiana and parts of several nearby states have a slight risk of severe weather between 8 a.m. EDT Wednesday, June 18 and 8 a.m. EDT Thursday, June 19, according to the “Day 3 Convective Outlook” that the National Weather Service (NWS) Storm Prediction Center (SPC) issued at 1:24 a.m. EDT today.

The main threats will be damaging straight-line winds of 50 knots (58 mph) or higher and marginally severe hail of one inch in diameter.

As you can see on the map above, the slight risk area includes most of the Indiana, Michigan and Ohio counties that are in the county warning area (CWA) of the northern Indiana NWS office. The only CWA counties completely outside the slight risk area are Grant, Blackford and Jay.

If you’re planning any outdoor activities in the slight risk area Wednesday, be sure you have some way of knowing about any storm watches or warnings that the NWS might issue. Also be sure you have identified safe shelter nearby.

If you’re a SKYWARN storm spotter, fuel up your vehicle and charge up and check your communications equipment, so you’ll be ready for activation on Wednesday.

Risk areas often change as the outlook period nears. The SPC will issue its next outlook for the period by 2 a.m. tomorrow (the first of two “Day 2 Convective Outlooks” it will issue tomorrow). So check back tomorrow to see how the outlook might have changed.