Have you ever heard of the song by Glenn Frey, “The Heat Is On”? No pun intended, but the heat is certainly on! Heat index values over 110F have made things sticky and oppressive across the state. As I drove into work on Thursday morning, the humidity was so high that I had to defrost…Read more about The Heat and Humidity Is On, But Will It Last?[Read More]
Climate and Weather
6Drought and abnormally dry conditions continue to improve across most of Indiana (Figure 1). There seem to be a few counties – particularly along the western border – that have not been getting as much rain as elsewhere. Those areas are still at least abnormally dry through August 8, 2023. However, additional rain events over…Read more about Seasonable Temperatures Expected to Continue[Read More]
As the dog days of summer continue in folklore through August 11, the temperatures and humidity have increased to heat advisory status throughout the weekly outlook. Figure 1 shows the average temperatures over the last week, reaching into uncomfortable territory. Outlooks for temperatures in the 6-10 day and 8-14 day show a probability for above…Read more about Heat Continues through the Near Future[Read More]
Timely rains have returned over the past few weeks and have helped crop conditions across the state. Now that we are entering critical corn and soybean growth stages, cooler temperatures and rain are certainly welcome. Although rains have returned, they continue to be inconsistent. Vigo, Sullivan, and Lawrence counties had locations receiving more than 8…Read more about Drought Conditions Continue to Improve. Will this Continue?[Read More]
While drought has been on many people’s minds lately, Indiana has had several rain events pass through that brought much-needed moisture. Unfortunately, the entire state has not benefited evenly from these events. True to most summertime precipitation, where and when the rain falls can be quite spotty. Periodically, a nice front will pass through, but…Read more about Indiana’s Winners and Losers with Recent Precipitation[Read More]
After several weeks of little-to-no rain, Indiana welcomed some much-needed precipitation over the last several days. While amounts ranged from 1-to-3 inches (except for a few counties in west-northwest Indiana (Figure 1)), the state is still several inches from recovering from the deficit and relieving most impacts. The U.S. Drought Monitor this week (based upon…Read more about Our Hope for Rain Came True. Is it Enough?[Read More]
Temperatures warmed into the 80s by the end of Memorial Day weekend, but low dew point temperatures made the heat bearable. The air felt dry, and any time I would stand up from my lawn chair, I would be shocked by static electricity. The state average temperature between May 1 and May 30 was 62.3F,…Read more about Dry Conditions Continue, Drought Conditions Expected to Worsen[Read More]
Cool mornings and warm afternoons have made conditions pleasant across the state. Through the first 17 days of May, temperatures ran 1.5◦F above normal (Figure 1). Indiana Climate Divisions 1 and 7 had the largest departures, which were 2.1◦F and 2.0◦F above normal, respectively. Since April 1, growing degree days (GDD) have accumulated between 260…Read more about Recent Localized Rainfall; Warm Temperatures and Below-normal Precipitation Forecasted[Read More]
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]
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]