Extreme Cold/Wind Chill — Montgomery, Indiana

2026-01-19 · Montgomery, Indiana

Event narrative

Temperatures on the morning of the 19th were as low as 4F, while gusty winds were sustained as high as 25 mph...resulting in extreme wind chills as low as -25F.

Wider weather episode

Following a period of active winter weather, much of central Indiana remained entrenched in a cold, arctic air mass as the 19th began. While ambient temperatures were not as deep into the negatives as previous events, a tightening pressure gradient across the region resulted in significantly higher wind speeds, which served as the primary driver for hazardous conditions.

West-northwest winds gusting to around 25-30 mph across central Indiana ushered in the cold by mid-morning on the 19th, with ambient lows holding steady at mainly single digit degrees across the impacted northern and central zones. These intense breezes led to a primary period of criteria wind chills for several counties, including Warren, Montgomery, Clinton, and Tipton. Wind chills fell to -20 to -25 within the 19th 0800-1100 EST period, with the most severe conditions observed in Montgomery County where the combination of single digit air and 25 mph sustained winds produced a -25 wind chill.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1306658. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.