Tornado Watch until 9:00 p.m. EDT

Update: The NWS has canceled the tornado watch for northern Indiana and northwestern Ohio counties.

Tornado watch 501 county map

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
   TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 501
   NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
   155 PM EDT WED SEP 10 2014

   THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A

   * TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF 
     WEST CENTRAL THROUGH EASTERN INDIANA
     SOUTHEAST LOWER MICHIGAN
     WESTERN AND NORTHERN OHIO
     LAKE ERIE

   * EFFECTIVE THIS WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 155 PM
     UNTIL 900 PM EDT.

   * PRIMARY THREATS INCLUDE...
     A FEW TORNADOES LIKELY
     SCATTERED DAMAGING WIND GUSTS TO 70 MPH POSSIBLE

   THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS APPROXIMATELY ALONG AND 60 STATUTE
   MILES EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 50 MILES NORTHEAST OF TOLEDO
   OHIO TO 20 MILES EAST OF BLOOMINGTON INDIANA.  FOR A COMPLETE
   DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE ASSOCIATED WATCH OUTLINE UPDATE
   (WOUS64 KWNS WOU1).

   PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

   REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR
   TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH
   AREA. PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR
   THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS
   AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

TORNADO WATCH 501 IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM EDT FOR THE
    FOLLOWING LOCATIONS

   INC001-003-005-009-011-013-021-029-031-033-035-041-047-053-055-
   057-059-063-065-067-069-071-075-079-081-093-095-097-103-105-109-
   119-133-135-137-139-145-151-159-161-169-177-179-183-110100-
   /O.NEW.KWNS.TO.A.0501.140910T1755Z-140911T0100Z/

   IN 
   .    INDIANA COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE

   ADAMS                ALLEN               BARTHOLOMEW         
   BLACKFORD            BOONE               BROWN               
   CLAY                 DEARBORN            DECATUR             
   DELAWARE             DE KALB             FAYETTE             
   FRANKLIN             GRANT               GREENE              
   HAMILTON             HANCOCK             HENDRICKS           
   HENRY                HOWARD              HUNTINGTON          
   JACKSON              JAY                 JENNINGS            
   JOHNSON              LAWRENCE            MADISON             
   MARION               MIAMI               MONROE              
   MORGAN               OWEN                PUTNAM              
   RANDOLPH             RIPLEY              RUSH                
   SHELBY               STEUBEN             TIPTON              
   UNION                WABASH              WAYNE               
   WELLS                WHITLEY             


   MIC059-091-115-110100-
   /O.NEW.KWNS.TO.A.0501.140910T1755Z-140911T0100Z/

   MI 
   .    MICHIGAN COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE

   HILLSDALE            LENAWEE             MONROE              


   OHC003-011-017-021-033-037-039-043-051-063-065-069-077-091-095-
   101-107-109-113-123-125-135-137-143-147-149-159-161-171-173-175-
   110100-
   /O.NEW.KWNS.TO.A.0501.140910T1755Z-140911T0100Z/

   OH 
   .    OHIO COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE

   ALLEN                AUGLAIZE            BUTLER              
   CHAMPAIGN            CRAWFORD            DARKE               
   DEFIANCE             ERIE                FULTON              
   HANCOCK              HARDIN              HENRY               
   HURON                LOGAN               LUCAS               
   MARION               MERCER              MIAMI               
   MONTGOMERY           OTTAWA              PAULDING            
   PREBLE               PUTNAM              SANDUSKY            
   SENECA               SHELBY              UNION               
   VAN WERT             WILLIAMS            WOOD                
   WYANDOT              


   

View the full statement on the NWS website.

Severe thunderstorm warning for Wabash, Grant, Huntington Counties

SVR 103 map

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
133 PM EDT WED SEP 10 2014

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN NORTHERN INDIANA HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  NORTHERN GRANT COUNTY IN CENTRAL INDIANA...
  WESTERN HUNTINGTON COUNTY IN NORTHEAST INDIANA...
  SOUTHERN WABASH COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL INDIANA...

* UNTIL 215 PM EDT

* AT 131 PM EDT...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NEAR LA
  FONTAINE...AND MOVING NORTHEAST AT 55 MPH.

  HAZARD...60 MPH WIND GUSTS.

  SOURCE...RADAR INDICATED.

  IMPACT...EXPECT DAMAGE TO ROOFS...SIDING AND TREES.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
  ANDREWS...HANFIELD...SERVIA...LANDESS...LINCOLNVILLE...BANQUO...
  PLEASANT PLAIN...MOUNT ETNA AND LANCASTER.

THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 69 IN INDIANA BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 269 AND
276.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF A
BUILDING.

Little change in midday convective outlook

1630Z Day 1 convective outlook map

Geography and severe weather probabilities remained pretty much the same when the National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center issued its updated “Day 1 Convective Outlook” at 12:28 p.m. EDT.

SPC meteorologists expect Thunderstorms, some severe, to develop near a cold front from the southern Great Lakes southwestward through the lower Ohio and mid-Mississippi valleys into the Ozarks. Damaging winds will be the primary threat this afternoon through early tonight.

Some risk will exist for isolated tornadoes in addition to locally damaging wind through late afternoon from eastern Illinois east-northeastward into parts of Ohio and Lower Michigan.

The next update is due out by 4 p.m. EDT.

SPC mesoscale discussion: Watch possible in northern Indiana

MCD 1707 map
SPC is monitoring trends within the red, scalloped loop to determine if a watch will be needed this afternoon.

The National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center is monitoring trends in the area indicated on the map above for any increase in thunderstorm activity late this morning through early afternoon and for a conditional tornado threat, according to a “Mesoscale Discussion” it issued at 11:34 a.m. EDT.

A leading shortwave trough is currently moving across northern Illinois and will continue rapidly northeastward across Indiana, northwestern Ohio and Lower Michigan.

Around 10:30 a.m. EDT, a weak thunderstorm showed brief supercell characteristics over central Illinois. This suggests the environment is close to being favorable for at least brief tornadoes.

A limiting factor is extensive cloud cover ahead of the leading band of precipitation, but partial heating is occurring across southwestern Indiana.

It is unclear whether atmospheric destabilization will be sufficient for further supercell development today before the aforementioned shortwave trough moves through. Once that wave passes, early potential for severe storms should be largely over, with any additional and primarily wind threat focusing southwestward along the trailing cold front.

Slight risk of severe weather for most of Indiana, parts of nearby states

1300Z Day 1 wind probability map
Probability of damaging straight-line thunderstorm winds of 58 mph or greater within 25 miles of a point between 9 a.m. today and 8 a.m. tomorrow. Red shaded area: 30 percent. Yellow: 15 percent. Brown 5 percent. Highlighted counties: NWS northern Indiana office county warning area. Source: SPC “Day 1 Convective Outlook” issued at 8:56 a.m. EDT.
1300Z Day 1 tornado map
Probability of a tornado within 25 miles of a point between 9 a.m. EDT today and 8 a.m. EDT tomorrow. Green shaded area: 2 percent. Unshaded area: 2 percent. Highlighted counties, NWS northern Indiana office county warning area. Source: SPC “Day 1 Convective Outlook” issued at 8:56 a.m. EDT.

Nearly the entire state of Indiana has a slight risk of severe weather between 9 a.m. EDT today and 8 a.m. EDT tomorrow, according to the “Day 1 Convective Outlook” that the National Weather Service (NWS) Storm Prediction Center issued at 8:56 a.m. EDT today. The slight risk area also includes about half of the 37-county warning area of the northern Indiana NWS office and all of IMO SKYWARN quadrant two.

The primary threat is damaging straight-line thunderstorm winds or gusts of 58 mph or stronger, although an isolated tornado cannot be ruled out. As you can see on the maps at right, the probability of damaging straight-line winds in northeastern Indiana is 15 percent, which is about 7.5 times the average probability for this time of year (2 percent). The probability of a tornado is 2 percent, which is about 20 times the average probability for this time of year (0.1 percent).

The severe weather risk is conditional, because it depends largely on sunshine. If cloud cover remains heavy all day, the threat of severe weather will be much lower than if the area sees sunshine. This is because the sun’s heating of the earth’s surface would increase atmospheric instability.

SKYWARN storm spotter activation might be needed this afternoon and early this evening, according to a “Hazardous Weather Outlook” issued by the northern Indiana NWS office at 5:27 a.m. EDT.

Residents of the slight risk area should be sure they have a reliable way to be aware of any watches or warnings the NWS might issue today, such as a weather alert radio. You can also keep up to date on weather developments by subscribing to this blog, following the northern Indiana NWS office on Twitter (@NWSIWX) and/or liking the northern Indiana NWS office on Facebook.

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Flash flood watch for northern Indiana, northwestern Ohio

flash flood watch map
Counties outlined in green are under a flash flood watch this afternoon through this evening.

The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood watch for most of northern Indiana and northwestern Ohio from early this afternoon through this evening.

A flash flood watch means that conditions may develop that lead to flash flooding. Flash flooding is a very dangerous situation.

View the full statement on the NWS website.

SPC reduces tomorrow’s probability to no more than 30%

1730Z Day 2 convective outlook map
Probability of any form of severe weather within 25 miles of a point between 8 a.m. tomorrow and 8 a.m. Thursday. Source: updated SPC “Day 2 Convective Outlook” issued at 1:18 p.m. EDT

No part of the country has a severe weather probability of greater than 30 percent, according to an updated “Day 2 Convective Outlook” that the National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center issued at 1:18 p.m. EDT. The entire state of Indiana and all 37 counties in the county warning area of the northern Indiana NWS office continue to have a slight risk of servere weather between 8 a.m. EDT tomorrow and 8 a.m. EDT Thursdsay, with probabilities ranging form 15 to 30 times higher than a normal day for this time of year.

At midday, forecast models indicated a weaker low pressure system than previously expected. The latest thinking is that an organized squall line or multiple line segments will be the primary storm mode. Extensive clouds and precipitation early in the day should limit atmospheric instability and hamper the development of severe storms. Even so, damaging straight-line thunderstorm winds remain a possibility.

The SPC’s next outlook for tomorrow comes early tomorrow morning, when it issues it’s first “Day 1 Convective Outlook” of the day.

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