May 14, 2018 Severe Weather

Wind & Hail:

All of the severe wind and hail was caused by a single storm that tracked generally along the US-6 corridor from roughly 8:30-11:30 PM.

Wind

A wet microburst caused damage to center pivot irrigation systems and several barns roughly 4 miles NNW of Ligonier in Noble County. An 80 mph gust was measured by a private individual's home equipment and supported by NWS survey of the damage.

NWS Survey	NWS Survey	NWS Survey	NWS Survey

Hail

There were many reports of quarter to golf ball sized hail, mainly in Noble and Dekalb Counties

Courtesy Leah Bender (New Paris, IN)	Courtesy Troy Blanchard (Auburn, IN)	Courtesy Matt Leach/WPTA	Courtesy Matt Leach/WPTA

Photos & Video:

In addition to the hail pictures, we received many excellent pictures of shelf and roll clouds.

Courtesy Codi Yohn	Courtesy Rocky Herk	Courtesy Liz Szewczyk	Courtesy Mandy Kitson

Radar:

0.5 degree reflectivity of the storm (black circle) that produced the estimated 80 mph winds east of Millersburg	0.5 degree velocity of the same storm east of Millersburg.  Note the red shades to the north (velocity away from radar) of the green shades (velocity toward the radar) indicating divergence at surface associated with a microburst.	Animation of the same storm east of Millersburg. Note the descending reflectivity cores marking the onset of the microburst.	Reflectivity cross section of storm near Garrett, IN indicating very intense cores aloft (55-60 dBZ to around 35,000 feet. This storm produced golf ball sized hail.

Storm Reports

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA


..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1106 PM     HAIL             METZ                    41.62N 84.84W
05/14/2018  E0.75 INCH       STEUBEN            IN   PUBLIC           

            DIME SIZED HAIL REPORTED. HEAVY RAIN. 

1058 PM     HAIL             AUBURN                  41.36N 85.06W
05/14/2018  E1.00 INCH       DE KALB            IN   PUBLIC           

  1055 PM     TSTM WND DMG     2 E SEDAN               41.43N 85.06W
  05/14/2018                   DE KALB            IN   TRAINED SPOTTER

              LARGE TREE DOWNED.

  1055 PM     HAIL             2 E SEDAN               41.43N 85.06W
  05/14/2018  E1.25 INCH       DE KALB            IN   TRAINED SPOTTER

 
1053 PM     HAIL             GARRETT                 41.35N 85.13W
05/14/2018  E1.75 INCH       DE KALB            IN   TRAINED SPOTTER  



1053 PM     HAIL             1 W GARRETT             41.35N 85.14W
05/14/2018  E1.00 INCH       DE KALB            IN   TRAINED SPOTTER  



1050 PM     TSTM WND GST     GARRETT                 41.35N 85.14W
05/14/2018  E60 MPH          DE KALB            IN   TRAINED SPOTTER  

            ESTIMATED 60 MPH WIND GUST WITH OUTFLOW FROM 
            THE STORM. NO DAMAGE VISIBLE AT THIS TIME. 

1045 PM     HAIL             AVILLA                  41.37N 85.24W
05/14/2018  M1.00 INCH       NOBLE              IN   TRAINED SPOTTER  



1045 PM     HAIL             1 S AVILLA              41.35N 85.24W
05/14/2018  E1.00 INCH       NOBLE              IN   TRAINED SPOTTER  

            SLIGHTLY LARGER THAN QUARTER SIZED HAIL. 

1043 PM     HAIL             CORUNNA                 41.44N 85.14W
05/14/2018  E1.75 INCH       DE KALB            IN   PUBLIC           

            REPORTED APPROXIMATELY GOLF BALL SIZED HAIL. 

1039 PM     HAIL             LISBON                  41.41N 85.26W
05/14/2018  E0.75 INCH       NOBLE              IN   PUBLIC           

            PEA TO DIME SIZED HAIL ON CR 300 N. 

1035 PM     HAIL             3 ENE ALBION            41.41N 85.37W
05/14/2018  M0.88 INCH       NOBLE              IN   COCORAHS         

1006 PM     TSTM WND GST     4 NNW LIGONIER          41.52N 85.62W
05/14/2018  M80 MPH          NOBLE              IN   NWS STORM SURVEY

            NWS SURVEY. WET MICROBURST: 4 CENTER PIVOT
            IRRIGATION SYSTEMS ROLLED OVER (2 PIVOTS
            EITHER SIDE OF 1025W. WOOD BARN WITH
            ONE-QUARTER METAL ROOF PEELED OFF. A 2X4
            DRIVEN DEEP INTO THE GROUND. ANOTHER/NEWER
            POLE/METAL BARN (1100N JUST EAST OF 1100W,
            SOUTH OF THE PIVOTS) WITH WHOLE NORTHEAST
            SIDE BLOWN OUT. WIND GUST MEASURED AT 80
            MPH. DAMAGE PATH NORTH OF 1100N NOBLE COUNTY
            BETWEEN 1100W TO ALMOST 900W. MINOR TREE
            DAMAGE WAS NOTED IN SURVEY, JUST WEST OF
            900W.

1008 PM     HAIL             1 SW SYRACUSE           41.41N 85.76W
05/14/2018  E0.50 INCH       KOSCIUSKO          IN   COCORAHS         



1007 PM     HAIL             SYRACUSE                41.42N 85.75W
05/14/2018  M0.50 INCH       KOSCIUSKO          IN   NWS EMPLOYEE     



1003 PM     HAIL             2 W SYRACUSE            41.42N 85.79W
05/14/2018  E0.75 INCH       KOSCIUSKO          IN   NWS EMPLOYEE     



1000 PM     HAIL             NEW PARIS               41.50N 85.83W
05/14/2018  M1.75 INCH       ELKHART            IN   TRAINED SPOTTER  

            DIME TO GOLF-BALL SIZED HAIL. PHOTO WITH 
            QUARTER FOR REFERENCE. 

0957 PM     HAIL             3 N MILFORD             41.45N 85.84W
05/14/2018  E1.00 INCH       ELKHART            IN   TRAINED SPOTTER  

            QUARTER SIZED HAIL 1 W OF US 6 AND SR 15. 

0955 PM     HAIL             NAPPANEE                41.45N 85.98W
05/14/2018  E0.25 INCH       ELKHART            IN   TRAINED SPOTTER  

            PEA SIZED HAIL MIXING WITH HEAVY RAIN. 

0954 PM     TSTM WND GST     GOSHEN MUNICIPAL AIRPOR 41.53N 85.79W
05/14/2018  M39 MPH          ELKHART            IN   ASOS             

            ASOS STATION GSH, GOSHEN MUNICIPAL AIRPORT. 

0950 PM     HAIL             2 NW TIPPECANOE LAKE    41.34N 85.78W
05/14/2018  E0.75 INCH       KOSCIUSKO          IN   NWS EMPLOYEE     

            DIME SIZED HAIL REPORTED. 

0920 PM     HAIL             NORTH LIBERTY           41.53N 86.43W
05/14/2018  M0.25 INCH       ST. JOSEPH         IN   TRAINED SPOTTER  



0920 PM     TSTM WND GST     2 SE GRANGER            41.72N 86.11W
05/14/2018  E40 MPH          ST. JOSEPH         IN   TRAINED SPOTTER  

            ESTIMATED 35-40 MPH WITH GUST FRONT. 

0915 PM     HAIL             3 SE FISH LAKE          41.54N 86.50W
05/14/2018  E0.25 INCH       LA PORTE           IN   TRAINED SPOTTER  



0855 PM     TSTM WND GST     LA PORTE                41.57N 86.73W
05/14/2018  M48 MPH          LA PORTE           IN   AWOS             

            AWOS STATION PPO, LA PORTE. 

0840 PM     HAIL             1 NNW TRAIL CREEK       41.71N 86.86W
05/14/2018  M0.25 INCH       LA PORTE           IN   COCORAHS         

Environment

300 mb analysis from May 14th 8pm. Note the strong upper level jet across the Great Lakes. Upward vertical motions were favored in entrance region of this upper jet streak across southern Lower Michigan/northern Indiana	MLCAPE (Mixed Layer CAPE) from May 14th 8pm. Instability magnitude was increasing from the south through the evening hours.	DCAPE (Downdraft CAPE) from May 14th 8pm. This parameter measures the tendency for more rapid downdraft accelerations. Note the axis of high DCAPES (1000-1500 J/kg) nosing into northwest and north central Indiana.

850 mb moisture transport from May 14th 8pm. Note the strongest low level moisture transport axis from eastern Missouri into northwest Indiana.	Effective shear from May 14th, 8pm. Note the axis of greatest effective shear (greater than 40 knots) across southern Lower Michigan/northern Indiana). This higher shear environment allowed for better storm organization.	700-500 mb temperature lapse rates from May 14th 8pm. Note the storms across northern Indiana are about to move into an environment characterized by steeper mid level lapse rates (7-8 deg C/km). These steep lapse rates can often help to promote large hail.

PWAT (Precipitable Water) from May 14 8pm.