Extreme Cold/Wind Chill — Decatur, Indiana

2026-01-26 to 2026-01-27 · Decatur, Indiana

Event narrative

Temperatures during the 26-27th overnight were as low as 2F, while breezy winds were sustained as high as 20-25 mph...resulting in marginally extreme wind chills as low as -21F.

Wider weather episode

A deep upper trough reinforced by a series of short waves plunging arctic air through interior North America, maintained persistent anomalous cold over central Indiana through January's final week, which was enhanced by a deep snow pack over most zones. Temperatures from early on the 26th through the 31st most often ranged from negative single digits up to the teens to around 20 degrees, with isolated periods featuring minimum temperatures as low as -20 degrees, or maxmum temperatures as low as widespread single digits on the 26th. Corresponding sustained winds were most often under 10 mph when resultant wind chills approached or exceeded the negative 20 degree criteria, although higher speeds of 10-20 mph occasionally occurred, especially on the 26th. The only criteria temperature observation was in Randoph County on the morning of the 30th.

Criteria wind chills were most prevalent during both the 26th daytime and the 26-27th overnight, occurring in 22 of the region's 39 counties during both periods. Extreme cold occurred again in 15 zones within the 28th's AM hours. Further extreme cold was confined within the same four central to northeast central Indiana counties, during overnights of both the 28-29th and 29-30th; although wind chill values just shy of criteria were scattered across mainly northern portions of central Indiana. A final period of extreme cold occurred prior to dawn on February 1st in two counties. Overall, 29 central Indiana counties observed extreme cold during at least one period, and 16 of these zones observed criteria on at least 3 periods, most often the 26th through the 28th. Spatial distribution of extreme cold was most consistent over the region's north-central quadrant, while exhibiting a subtle trend from all west-central zones on the 26th to a few east-central zones thereafter.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1312722. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.