It is May, the sun is shining, of course the wind is blowing, and the weather forecast is calling for warmer temperatures. Things are looking up from here. Despite the warm start and cool end to April, the preliminary statewide average temperature ran 1.2°F above normal (Figure 1). The largest temperature departures occurred in northern…Read more about Warmer Temperatures on the Way[Read More]
Climate and Weather
Most of us know a temperature lower than 32°F would kill tender vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, melons, and cucumbers. Home gardeners would wait to plant those crops after the last frost passed, but commercial farmers may take the risk of planting earlier to capture early-season premium prices. Farmers use various strategies, i.e., high tunnels, low…Read more about Check Soil Temperatures Before Planting Cold Sensitive Crops[Read More]
Through the first 18 days of April, temperatures ran 5.5◦F above normal statewide (Figure 1). The largest deviations occurred in central and northern Indiana. Despite the wet start to the month, wind, abundant sun, low humidity and reduced precipitation accounted for drying conditions across the state. Statewide, precipitation averaged 69 percent of normal. Surprisingly, tillage,…Read more about Return to Below-Normal Precipitation, Variable Temperatures, and Enhanced Freeze Risk[Read More]
Indiana experienced near-normal temperatures for March as the state averaged 40.9◦F, despite the record warmth at the beginning of the month (Figure 1). Weather stations in central, southern, and eastern Indiana experienced record-breaking high temperatures during the first week of March (Figure 2). Cold weather returned during the third week, with several daily low maximum…Read more about Stormy End to March, Elevated Chances for Above-Normal Temperatures through Mid-April[Read More]
This Spring has already tested emergency response services. Much of Indiana is experiencing severe weather (thunderstorms, heavy rain, strong straight-line winds, and tornadoes). Indiana PREPared (www.inprepared.org) has a number of resources about severe spring weather events. Two specific sites to check out are our “Spring & Summer Severe Weather” page and “Flood Resources for Educators…Read more about Emergency Preparedness[Read More]
As we near springtime in Indiana, the more things change, the more they stay the same. Much like the winter season, which has produced warm and relatively wet conditions across most of the state, the Climate Prediction Center calls for continued above-average temperatures and precipitation. The one exception is northwest Indiana in a line from…Read more about Warm, Wet Spring Predicted for Indiana[Read More]
Chance for above-normal precipitation in about 2 weeks, but for this time of the year, that doesn’t mean much. Freezing temperatures and even some snow fell in Indiana earlier this week forcing us to accept that winter is coming. Figure 1 shows how much colder than normal those minimum temperatures got early Tuesday, October 18th….Read more about Brrrr, that was Cold![Read More]
The Midwestern Regional Climate Center recently released a freeze date tool. It makes it easy to find historical temperature information that may help growers plan. This article provides a quick introduction to the tool. Many readers are familiar with the average first fall frost and last spring frost dates, and the frost-free growing season between…Read more about A Look at the Freeze Date Tool from Midwestern Regional Climate Center[Read More]
After another wet weekend and cooler temperatures to start this week, it may be surprising to hear that conditions will be changing back to warm and dry for the next several weeks. Climate models are strongly favoring above-normal temperature throughout the rest of September with a slight favoring of below-normal precipitation. Abnormally dry conditions continue…Read more about Warm, Dry Conditions Ahead[Read More]