SOUTH BEND, Ind.-- March Madness is not just a term we can use for basketball, but it’s also appropriate for last month’s severe weather. The Northern Indiana National Weather Service Office says that along with the Chicago NWS Office, they lead the entire U.S in the most Severe Thunderstorm Watches issued in 2026. Busy is understatement for severe weather so far this year.
- March 6th- The afternoon storm, that developed rapidly, produced several tornadoes in Southwest Michigan. The storm started in Cass County and continued to track northeast to Calhoun County, where it weakened.
- March 10th- A night storm, where a tornado touched down in Starke County, which prompted a Tornado Emergency in the area. This was only the 3rd Tornado Emergency the NWS Northern IN office has ever issued. The last one being issued in 2024.
- March 31st- Strong storms moved through Michiana with severe storms impacting Kosciusko County. Wind and hail were the main impacts, in Mentone specifically. We are awaiting more information from the NWS.
The recent weather events occurred when Michiana had above average temperatures and that is not a coincidence. Warmer, moist air fuels storms, allowing them to intensify. Each severe weather event had highs in the 60s and 70s lead up to and on the day storms occurred. Those highs are 20-30 degrees above average for early spring.
We saw this shift begin in 2016 where severe weather started to appear more frequently in March. Before 2016, there were more major winter events than severe weather. As warmer days continue to occur earlier, this could likely extend severe weather season into early spring.