After the last several weeks of predominantly dry conditions, the national climate outlooks are finally showing confidence that temperatures should start shifting to cooler than normal and precipitation will be wetter than normal (Figure 1). Hurricane Laura will definitely help the precipitation side of that prediction with current tracks having the strongest rainfall amounts in the southern counties. Expect the rest of this week to stay on the warmer side, but by next week, temperatures should seem much more pleasant. From August 30th through September 7th (the period when the national Climate Prediction Center is showing confidence for these conditions), the normal amount of precipitation is between 1.25 and 1.50 inches. Average high temperatures are normally between 75°F (northern counties) and 85°F (southern counties). Therefore, keep these climatologically normal conditions in mind when interpreting the climate outlooks for below-normal temperatures and above-normal precipitation. The probability of a La Niña developing[Read More…]
33 articles tagged "Climate and Weather".
Rain moved across Indiana earlier this week, bringing much-needed precipitation to the northern counties. Unfortunately, the 30-day rainfall totals are still up to two inches below normal (Figure 1). The southern and southwestern counties are well above normal and could likely use a break for the next few days! Good news for those tiring of excessive heat conditions! Climatologically, the hottest day of the year (maximum temperature) is July 27th, so things should start to get cooler for the rest of the season. That does not mean cool and less humid every day, but hopefully we can start putting those hot, humid days behind us! In fact, the climate outlooks through August 24th is showing slight confidence for below-normal temperatures (Figure 2). This same period is also predicted to have below-normal precipitation so perhaps things will get more comfortable without leading to abnormally dry conditions. To help better monitor current[Read More…]
When ground level ozone is high enough to trigger an Air Quality Action Day alert from the Indiana Dept. of Environmental Management (IDEM) it is a reminder that crops may be injured by ozone. A number of areas around the state have experienced alerts in recent days, e.g. July 14 in S. Indiana. If crops show the symptoms described below and ozone levels have been high, consider the possibility of ozone injury. Ozone is a gas with three oxygen atoms per molecule. It is formed in the air when nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds react in the presence of sunlight. Ground-level ozone is a primary component of smog. Ozone harms people by aggravating existing breathing problems like asthma and injuring lung tissue. It harms sensitive plants by damaging leaf tissue, reducing the capacity to photosynthesize. IDEM issues daily air quality forecasts for ground level ozone from May to September,[Read More…]
(This article is modified from one published in issue 537 of this newsletter written by Sarah E. Hulick and Steve Reiners, Department of Horticulture Science, Cornell University, NYSAES. Liz Maynard also contributed to this article.) Recent storms have brought hail to parts of Indiana. Loss of yield and quality in vegetable crops due to hail depends on the crop, stage of growth, amount of injury, and future growing conditions. Disease control is absolutely essential after hail damage. Surviving plants will also benefit from a sidedressing of nitrogen about a week after the damage occurred. The following is a summary of all the information we could find relating to hail and vegetable recovery. Bell Peppers. A study was conducted in North Carolina to determine the impact of hail on the incidence of bacterial spot. The hailstorm occurred 38 days after transplanting when the plants were still young and recovery was possible.[Read More…]
The past 30 days have been met with warmer than normal temperatures in the northern counties and drier than normal conditions throughout most of the state (Figures 1 and 2). This warm and dry environment is conducive to developing drought – particularly with the increased evapotranspiration rates. While climate outlooks are calling for increased confidence of above-normal precipitation throughout the rest of July, these events are likely to remain spotty with inconsistent coverage across the state. For planning purposes, it may be helpful to know what the forecast is for reference evapotranspiration (ET0). The National Weather Service provides a nice graphical tool (https://digital.weather.gov/) where users can zoom into their area of interest and then view a variety of variables for future time periods out to six days (e.g., Figure 3). Several derivations of the forecasts of reference evapotranspiration (FRET) can be found at the very bottom of the variable pull-down[Read More…]
The roller coaster ride of Indiana weather continues. Things were drying out across the state with signs of browning lawns, rolling vegetation leaves, and lowering pond and stream levels. Then the rains came. Most of the state received between 2 and 3 inches of precipitation from June 20 through 29th – with wetter areas to the south and drier areas to the northeast. While this may seem good enough to relieve any concerns about drought developing, the temperatures have been high to encourage the evaporation of those wet surfaces. As a result, the US Drought Monitor has kept most of the state at “Abnormally Dry”. The climate outlook for July 8-14 shows increased confidence of below-normal precipitation with the possibility of this dryness continuing into mid-July. Additionally, probabilities are significant that temperatures will be above normal – further exacerbating any dryness due to lack of rainfall. The climate outlook for[Read More…]
Indiana has been very dry the last several weeks (Figure 1) and conditions are starting to show in lawns and fields. This dryness has been exacerbated by low humidity and warmer temperatures (Figure 2). After a nice respite this past weekend, temperatures will start rising again into the weekend, but may not seem too uncomfortable with humidity remaining low at the front end of that warming period. The short-term forecast is calling for a slight chance of precipitation over the next seven days, but expect it to be light and spotty. The good news is the climate outlooks for the rest of June is showing increased probabilities of above-normal precipitation (Figure 3), … but will it be enough to compensate for the deficit we have been facing these past few weeks? It is too early to know for sure, but there are no major storm systems on the horizon, nor[Read More…]
The month of May was sprinkled with a record-breaking freeze over Mother’s Day weekend, followed by heavy rainfall the following weekend, with a roller coaster of cool periods and extremely warm periods. We often think of spring as being that transition between winter and summer with lots of ups and downs, but those extremes from one week to the next made it difficult to know what to expect more than a few days out. By the time the month ended, precipitation was slightly below normal in the southwestern and west-central parts of Indiana with the rest of the state slightly above normal. May’s temperatures averaged to only 1°F to 2°F below normal. This is a great example of how averaging data can mask the extremes that made up reality! What will June be like? The latest national Climate Prediction Center outlooks for June are showing increased confidence for above normal[Read More…]