Slight risk area expands southward

12:30 p.m. Day 1 Convective Outlook map
Yellow area: Slight risk of severe thunderstorms between 12:30 p.m. today (June 17) and 8 a.m. tomorrow. Green area: General, non-severe thunderstorms. Highlighted counties: County warning area of the northern Indiana NWS office. Source: Day 1 Convective Outlook issued at 12:27p.m.

Nearly all of the northern Indiana National Weather Service (NWS) county warning area (CWA) now has a slight risk of severe weather between 12:30 p.m. today and 8 a.m. tomorrow, according to an updated “Day 1 Convective Outlook” the NWS Storm Prediction Center issued at 12:27 p.m. EDT. The following counties are the only ones in the CWA that are entirely out of the slight risk area: Grant, Blackford and Jay. An earlier version of the outlook excluded more counties on the south side of the CWA.

Damaging straight-line winds and hail remain the primary threats, but a short-lived tornado is also possible.

The severe storms are most likely this evening through the overnight hours, according to a “Hazardous Weather Outlook” the northern Indiana NWS office issued at 1:24 p.m. EDT. That outlook also indicates that SKYWARN storm spotter activation might be needed tonight.

Our next update of the severe weather picture for this evening and tonight comes when the SPC issues an updated day one outlook by 4 p.m. EDT.