A COLD AFTERNOON

Cloudy skies Thursday afternoon have put a strangle hold on temperatures holding them in the middle and upper 40's.  While the day's official high will go into the books as 57 degrees (at 12:15 AM) the afternoon temperatures have not been this cool since March 26th - 7 months ago.

WARMING UP - BUT FOR HALLOWEEN?

A southwest wind will develop Friday afternoon and bring a quick warm up for the weekend.  Friday will be sunny and cool with highs in the upper 50's but Saturday could jump to near 70 degrees.  Brisk southwest winds will take shape under sunny skies but Sunday there are some forecast differences.  Halloween will feature a near by cold front and a developing low pressure system.  A couple of computer models push the cold front through Indianapolis and drop the high temperatures into the lower 60's.  other solutions hold off on the fronts passage and bring showers in Sunday night / Monday morning.  Stay tuned we will update the 7 Day Forecast later tonight.

The powerful autumn storm that spawned tornadoes Tuesday will continue to influence  the Indianapolis weather forecast through Friday morning.

Gusty winds are still blowing Wednesday afternoon - with peak wind gusts over 35 miles per hour.  A second cold front will push through the city early Thursday morning and bring an end to the 70 degree high temperature streak.  Wednesday's 72 degree high was the 5th straight day in the 70's and the 17th day above 70 for the month.  This October has produced more 70 degree warmth than any of the last 15 years.

COLD AIR ON THE MOVE

Winter has made and appearance across the U.S. for the first time this year.  Residents of North Dakota are shoveling away up to 8 inches of snow and their first blizzard of the season.  The colder air will settle into Indiana and much of the U.S. overnight.  Frost and Freeze advisories are posted as far south as Texas.  The first official freeze of the season is possible Friday morning across the city.  The average first freeze is October 16th.

Southerly winds will return by Saturday.  High temperatures are forecast to jump into the lower 70's Saturday and possibly Sunday for Halloween.  Rainfall chances look slim, most likely not arriving until late Sunday or more likely Monday.

The new enhanced scale has a scale for 28 different items from barns to trees.  The national weather service then determines the amount fo damage on each of these structures through a sliding scale.  This extra step helps them to be able to better decipher wind speeds sustained.  It has proven to be more accurate and better.  Here's a link to the actual chart that the national weather service uses to determine wind speeds of tornados.   

ENHANCED FUJITA SCALE

A record setting storm system that spawned tornadoes and delivered damaging winds will influence central Indiana's weather for a few more days.  This storm system's central pressure dropped barometer's to record lows in several cities across the Midwest.

The massive storm system across the central U.S. had a minimum central pressure of 28.23" or 956 mb (equivalent to the minimum pressure of a Category 3 hurricane). This breaks the old record of 28.28" (958 mb), set on Jan. 26, 1978, during the Blizzard of 1978.  This is also lower than the March 1993 Super storm and storm that sank the Edmund Fitzgerald in 1975.

The lowest barometer reading in Indianapolis was 28.64" set in May of 1988.  Tuesday's lowest pressure reading was 29.32" (989.4").

SEVERE STORMS ACROSS THE STATE

Over 300 severe weather reports occurred across the country, most over Indiana and Ohio.  A EF0 Tornado was confirmed by the National Weather Service in Howard County just southeast of kokomo.  The winds were estimated at 65 to 85 miles per hour and damaged homes in the area.  8 tornadoes touched down across the state Tuesday - most have been confirmed as EF0 or EF1 storms.

PORTER CO. (EF0) 

LaPORTE CO. (EF1)

HOWARD CO. (EF0)

WABASH CO. (EF0)

HUNTINGTON CO. (EF 1)

HUNTINGTON CO. (EF0)

WHITLEY CO. (EF1)

DEARBORN CO. (Unknown)

Tornado damage in Howard County Tuesday afternoon.

Most of the state was battered by severe winds - in excess of 70 miles per hour, toppling trees and power lines.  In Greenfield (Hancock Co.) a wind gust of 77 miles per hour was recorded.  In Indianapolis a gust of 61 miles per hour was reported.

Brisk winds will continue Wednesday and Thursday as the powerful storm slowly departs.  Winds may gust to 35 miles per hour Wednesday afternoon.

COLD AIR DIVES SOUTH

It's been a mild October so far.  The month is averaging 3 degrees per day above normal and 17 of the last 20 days have been at or above normal.  Tuesday's high of 75 marked the fourth consecutive day in the 70's and this is the 8th straight month above average.

A second cold front arrives early Thursday morning and will deliver the first official freeze of the season to Indianapolis.  The lowest temperature so far has been 35 degrees on the 22nd.  The average first freeze date in the city is October 16th.

WARMING UP THIS WEEKEND

Computer forecasts still hint at 70 degrees warmth again this weekend but rain chances are possible again for Halloween.  Longer Range - Monday / Tuesday look cooler and wet.

Tornado Confimed in Howard County.  Four tornadoes confimed state wide.

SEVERE STORMS HAVE DEPARTED INDIANA TUESDAY AFTERNOON BUT STRONG WINDS WILL DEVELOP THROUGHOUT THE DAY.  A WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT.

Severe storms raked across central Indiana early Tuesday morning prompting a tornado watch and several tornado warnings. Widespread reports of trees and power lines are down across the state.  Homes have been damaged in Howard Co. where an EFO (65-85 mph winds) tornado was confirmed by the NWS Tuesday afternoon.  

DAMAGE IN HOWARD CO. TUESDAY MORNING

SEVERE WEATHER REPORTS

JET STREAM ROARS OVERHEAD

A 170 mile per hour jet stream that pushed the fast moving thunderstorms into the state early Tuesday will cross the state this afternoon.  Strong winds will filter down to the surface and produce gusts of over 50 miles per hour.  A High Wind Warning is in effect through 8 PM for northern Indiana and a Wind Advisory is in effect for central Indiana.

Temperatures have slipped into the 60's after early morning high temperatures reached the lower 70's before thunderstorms arrived.  A blustery and cooler afternoon is expected with temperatures slowly falling through the day.

A Tornado Watch remains in effect for parts of Southern Indiana...a High Wind Warning will remain in effect for the entire state through 8 this evening.

A Severe Thunderstorm Warning has just been issued for Clay, Fountain, Montgomery, Parke, Putnam, Tippecanoe, Vermillion, Vigo, and Warren counties until 8:45am. This will be the first round of severe thunderstorm warnings that can be expected today as a powerful Midwest storm system works through the region.

The main threat with the system today will be wind damage with gusts to 70 miles per hour. There is an isolated threat for a tornado or two, however we expect that threat to diminish in the coming hours.

The storms will work West to East this morning. They're already affecting our Western counties and will invade Central Indiana and Eastern Indiana now through noon.

Updates to come on Fox59.com and on air on Fox59 news.

A ROUND OF SEVERE STORMS TUESDAY

A fast moving line of thunderstorms are expected to develop early Tuesday morning and quickly race across central Indiana.  Fueled by strong winds above the surface - any storms that develop will have the potential of producing damaging winds.  The strongest of these thunderstorms could also rotate - there is the potential of a tornado or two.  The Storm Prediction Center has placed most of Indiana under a Moderate Risk of severe storms Tuesday.

BAROMETER DROPS TO POSSIBLE RECORD LEVELS

The central pressure of the autumn storm is forecast to drop to 960 millibars over Minnesota Tuesday night.  That's good enough to break records across much of the upper Midwest.  This storm will take on the same characteristics of the November 1975 storm that sank the Edmund Fitzgerald on lake Superior.  The storm dropped to 980 mb or equivalent to a Category 3 hurricane.  High Wind Warnings are posted for several states Tuesday.  A Wind Advisory is in effect for all of central Indiana Tuesday afternoon.  Gusts could top 50 miles per hour after early thunderstorms.

COLDEST AIR OF THE SEASON

Cold air will spill south behind a second front Wednesday night.  Temperatures Thursday night into Friday morning could dip to the freezing mark for the first time this season.  To date the coolest of the season is 35 degrees on the 22nd.  The average first freeze date in Indianapolis is October 16th.

We're going to flip the switch in the weather department. The dry stretch will finally come to an end as significant rainfall is expected in the coming days. Today will be no exception.

A few showers dotted Live Guardian Radar this morning. With the heating of the day showers will become more numerous and a few thunderstorms will develop. Many locations will remain dry, and today will not be a wash out by any means. However, any storms that develop will contain gusty winds and will have the potential to turn strong. While I'm not expecting widespread severe weather today, I can't rule out an isolated warning or two. Temperatures are also going to remain well above average with highs topping out in the 70's as a Southwest breeze will continue to blow around 20 mph, gusts to 30.

Tonight showers and storms are likely as a wet pattern will take hold for days to come. Lows tonight will be warmer than late with temperatures dipping into the upper 50's to near 60 degrees.

A complex of storms remain to our South and West and eventually more rain and thunderstorm activity can be expected. The threat for severe weather will also increase.

Join me tonight on Fox59 news at 10 for a live look at Guardian Radar, what you can expect for your Monday morning commute, and when severe weather could invade Central Indiana. For the latest on the rain today and this evening follow me on facebook: Lauren Jones Fox59 and twitter: fox59lauren.

Have a great day.

Live Guardian Radar will remain free of rain...for most of us today. A few early morning showers developed across the state and afternoon and evening showers will persist mainly North and West of the city.

A heavy downpour can be expected within any cluster of rain that will develop today. An isolated thunderstorm can't be ruled out either. With that said, much of the state will remain dry. Mostly cloudy conditions will be the norm this afternoon...but again, some areas will see enough sunshine to warm into the upper 70's to near 80 degrees. While sunshine will be a driving force for our high temperatures today, it won't be out of the question for areas seeing a thicker cloud deck to see temperatures in the low to mid 70's.

Warmer air, dry air, and gusty winds will also persist today resulting in a Red Flag Warning effective until 6pm. Overnight lows will also be warmer than the last two overnights as the clouds will act as a blanket and keep most locations in the 50's.

While some areas will see a chance for rain today and tonight, more significant rain can be expected in the coming days while the threat for thunderstorms will also increase.

Join me tonight on channel 4 at 10pm and on Fox59 news after baseball for the latest timeline on the wet weather and how long we'll see temperatures in the 70's. For daily updates make sure to follow me on Facebook: Lauren Jones Fox59 and twitter: fox59lauren.

Have a great day!

What a morning! And, a very cold morning at that. Terre Haute, Shelbyville, and Bloomington all dipped to 27 degrees this morning...by far the coldest air we've seen in months! Indy hit 35, Lafayette 30, Muncie and Peru 31.

If one morning was enough for you, you're in luck, warmer air is expected in the coming days. An area of high pressure brought us the cold blast overnight and gradually the same high will work eastward....and as a result our weather pattern will change drastically.

Overnight a few more clouds will work in as lows will dip into the low to mid 40's. Winds will also increase overnight as we'll see a stiff southwest wind work in. This wind will help keep us warmer overnight and it will also increase our temperatures tomorrow. Highs will top out in the 70's tomorrow. Combine warmer than average temps, breezy conditions, dry air, and a Fire Weather Watch has been issued for tomorrow.

While most of the day will be dry tomorrow there is a chance for rain. Tomorrow will mark the first day of a very active weather pattern in the coming days. Join me until 6pm this evening and again on Fox59 news at 10 tonight for the latest timeline on the rain and just how warm we'll get.

Have a great day!