Strong Storms Return on Wednesday Following Terrific Tuesday

A terrific Tuesday with sunshine and seasonal temperatures has given way to a stronger storm system, which will bring moderate to heavy rain through the rest of the week.

Tuesday started off chilly across much of the state, with temperatures near freezing. However, the day was marked by mostly sunny skies and seasonal temperatures, with highs reaching the mid-to-upper 50s in some areas. Winds were relatively light out of the east at 5-10 mph.

As night fell, clouds increased, and temperatures cooled to the mid-50s. It became breezy, with winds gusting up to 20-25 mph overnight.

Wednesday brings a severe weather threat, with two rounds of showers and thunderstorms expected. The first round will move through early in the morning, bringing a chance of showers and storms mainly to the northern part of the state. However, there will be plenty of dry time during the afternoon, when temperatures climb into the mid-to-upper 70s and winds gust up to 40 mph.

A line of showers and thunderstorms is expected to move through later in the day and evening, bringing a risk of damaging winds, hail, and tornadoes. The timing looks like it will be between 5:00 p.m. and 1:00 a.m. Thursday.

Another concern is the potential for moderate to heavy rain throughout the rest of the week into the first part of the weekend. A flood watch has already been issued for Indianapolis and Southern Indiana, with rainfall potentially exceeding 3 inches in some areas.

The extended forecast looks like this: Rain will be likely on Thursday and Friday, with temperatures remaining in the 60s. Some scattered showers are possible on Saturday, with highs reaching the upper 50s. It looks like the weekend will start to dry out by Sunday and Monday, but temperatures will fall to the mid-50s on Sunday and only the 40s on Monday.