More Fair Week Thunderstorms Rattle the Area

Pat Jarboe sent in this picture of the goat show. It is the one week out of the year when your meteorologist can go from hero to goat in less than 5 minutes. Although the good news is the worst of the weather did miss us and hold off until after folks had already left the fairgrounds for the night. Mark Kirby, our Tippecanoe Emergency Management Agency director did a good job of making sure to send those storm spotters out just in case the storms came a little earlier. We kept in touch throughout the evening and the timing worked out perfectly for everybody involved. We were both relieved that those 60 mph wind gusts missed the Tippecanoe Fair grounds by a good 40 miles to the south.

1:18 a.m. Time to get some rest as all of our severe thunderstorm watches in our viewing area will be canceled!

Alright, I just confirmed this with the National Weather Service at Indianapolis. The worst is over and no severe weather is expected. Our best chance of severe weather was with that cell that just missed Montgomery County. It will be a long night down in Indianapolis, but here in Lafayette we should be able to salvage a little bit of shut eye! There are a few isolated storms up near Chicago and more popping out in Iowa but the atmosphere has stabilized and I do not expect any more weather watches. We could see one more round of showers on Tuesday about midday, but we should dry out for the evening and we have one of our nicest fair weather forecasts on record coming your way! Make sure to watch Kelly this morning for the latest and I will check back with you later this evening. Thanks for blogging. You all are just GREAT! Have a good night.

1:05 a.m. The worst is over as warning just misses Montgomery County

It was a close call but that one dangerous cell has moved just south of Montgomery County and a severe thunderstorm warning is in effect for Putnam County. I am still concerned about some localized rainfall amounts of 2 to 3 inches before the rain tapers off around 3 a.m. Please be careful out there if you are driving. It is tough to see flooded out roadways.

12:51 a.m. Lightning is finally showing signs of letting up for most of us! One more strong thunderstorm cell is moving toward southern Montgomery County.

We have one more vivid lightning producing cell than may nip extreme southern Montgomery County. This storm could still put out a brief warning for damaging isolated wind gusts of 60 mph and large hail. So right now if you are south of Crawfordsville in Montgomery County batten down the hatches. The worst part of that cell will be just south of you, but better safe than sorry. We are not out of the woods yet. I will check back!


12:20 a.m. Update: Lightning Strikes Telephone Pole on North Side of Frankfort (Power Outages)

We may not have any warnings but we still have some vicious lightning and I just got a call from Chris in Frankfort and he has confirmed some small pea size hail. More importantly he told me of an incredible lightning strike with a huge blue flash as it hit a telephone pole. Some folks apparently were out on their porches when this happened. Thank goodness they are all now inside and safe. I am glad lightning did not strike anybody. Small pea size hail was also reported. This activity will be exiting Clinton County by 1 a.m. Another target area of concern is Montgomery County between now and 1 a.m. for vivid lightning, small hail, and wind gusts of 45 mph.

I just called home and the dog and my wife are wide awake with the loud crashes of thunder around the area. It is a good thing my kids are sleeping soundly in Wisconsin at Grandma's and Aunt Shelli's house. My daughter Abbey would certainly be awake and on my case! Our bed would certainly be full of kids and our dog! I think the worst of these thunderstorm's bite will be between now and 1 a.m. Then the worst should be over. I will be here at work until I can give the all clear. So for now the big thing I want to pass along is that I think we will be okay tonight as long as you do not go out on your porch. Also remember if you have to be traveling or driving around the area over the next couple of hours a quick one to two inches of rain has fallen in spots with another inch of rain possible. Be careful of lowland flooding and ponding of water on the roadways.


12:14 a.m. Update:

THUNDERSTORMS WITH WIND GUSTS OF 45 MPH AND SMALL HAIL ARE POSSIBLE IN SOUTHERN CLINTON COUNTY. ANOTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORM CELL IS NEAR VEEDERSBURG AND WILL BE NEAR CRAWFORDSVILLE BY 12:45 A.M. THE MAIN THREATS WILL BE VIVID LIGHTNING, SMALL HAIL, AND WIND GUSTS TO 45 MPH.


12:00 A.M.
A WEATHER TEAM 18 ALERT: THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN INDIANAPOLIS HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 A.M. FOR BENTON, WARREN, FOUNTAIN, TIPPECANOE, MONTGOMERY, CARROLL, CLINTON, AND HOWARD COUNTIES. THUNDERSTORMS WITH WIND GUSTS OF 45 MPH AND SMALL HAIL ARE POSSIBLE IN SOUTHERN TIPPECANOE COUNTY. THESE STORMS ARE MOVING TOWARD FRANKFORT. ANOTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORM CELL IS EXPECTED IN FOUNTAIN AND MONTGOMERY COUNTIES.