March has been welcoming Indiana like a lion with below-normal temperatures and a combination of above and below normal precipitation (see figure). Snowfall accumulated across the state ranging from less than 1” in the southwest and northwest to as much as 3-4” in the southeast part of Indiana. This precipitation has caused drought to be absent across the state, but monthly and seasonal climate outlooks from the Climate Prediction Center (https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/) suggest an increasing chance of below normal precipitation over the next few months. While temperatures will continue to gradually warm throughout spring, there are still significant risks for a late season freeze. The typical date of the last hard (28°F or less) freeze is late March in southern Indiana to late April in northeast Indiana. However, hard freezes have occurred as late as mid-April in the southeast counties into mid-May for northern Indiana. According to the Weather Prediction Center (https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/threats/threats.php), there are no weather hazards predicted over the next week. However, some soils across the state are well saturated due to recent rain and snow events, so any additional rain in the forecast could cause localized flooding.
Dr. Beth Hall is the new Indiana State Climatologist. She hopes to get more engaged with communities across the state and is looking forward to providing regular climate and weather reports throughout this vegetable season. Please feel free to contact her at bethhall@purdue.edu or (765) 494-8060
