Several weeks ago, Indiana received enough rain to eliminate drought across the state, leaving behind just a few counties in Abnormally Dry (D0) status. Fortunately, this week has been relatively quiet, allowing many areas to alleviate flooding issues. The U.S. Drought Monitor kept those Abnormally Dry areas nearly the same this week (Figure 1), so[Read More…]
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Bill Walton, the legendary basketball player, sports announcer and perhaps the most outspoken and famous Grateful Dead fan, passed away in May leaving behind enough quirky quotes and euphemisms to make Yogi Berra proud. In a now viral clip since his passing, Mr. Walton reflects on teachings from his legendary coach and former Purdue basketball[Read More…]
The remnants of Hurricane Beryl brought much-needed rain to the state, although some areas experienced excessive totals. In addition, sporadic power outages were reported as a result of wind gusts exceeding 30 mph. The Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow (CoCoRaHS) volunteer network once again proved essential, with observations ranging from just under 0.4 inches[Read More…]
With recent rain storms across the state, watering may not be at the forefront of everyone’s minds. But as we head deeper into summer it is food to remember most of Indiana is in a state of abnormal dryness to moderate drought, continuing similar conditions from previous years. With that in mind, we should be[Read More…]
As I write this article, in a cool, air-conditioned office, I hear others talking about how hot it is outside. I see weather app icons showing bold suns that stress how sunny and hot conditions are and will continue to be. I read Special Weather Statements, issued by the National Weather Service, about an extended[Read More…]
As of writing, it appears we’re heading into the start of meteorological summer (June 1) with a wet meteorological spring on the books. Meteorological spring will end with over 15 inches of rain from March 1 through the end of May, making it the 24th wettest Spring on record for Indianapolis. Keep in mind, records[Read More…]
Allergy season is in full swing. At least, it is for me. Runny nose, itchy eyes, and consistent drainage that I have to clear in the shower every morning. We love spring, right?? That’s enough complaining for now. Indiana’s April 2024 average temperature was 55.1°F (3°F above normal), which was good enough for 14th warmest[Read More…]
It’s gonna be… I mean… it’s already May! How can this be? Early spring flowers have already cycled through, I’m on record pace for mowing my yard, and field activity has been delayed due to a wet April. April began a bit cool with several mornings having frost advisories and freeze warnings, which was not[Read More…]
There was an interesting conversation among drought experts this week about how best to communicate drought, particularly when surface conditions appear so saturated. I thought of Indiana a lot during this discussion because with all the rain the state has received over the last several weeks (over twice the normal amount!), there is localized flooding,[Read More…]
An old saying predicts that March will go out “like a lamb”. Another saying predicts April’s wetness with “April showers bring May flowers”. A lot seems to have happened across Indiana since April began, but March finished the month with below-normal rainfall (except for the northern counties) and above-normal temperatures. Does this describe conditions that[Read More…]
The 2023-2024 meteorological winter (December, January, and February) has concluded, but it seems as if we only experienced a couple weeks of winter-like weather this season. Indiana’s average temperature was 35.8°F, which was 5.3°F above normal. This was good for Indiana’s second warmest winter since records began in 1895. The warmest winter on record was[Read More…]
Many areas around the Midwest continue to creep towards an increasing drought situation (Fig. 1). Currently almost 80% of the Midwest is listed as being abnormally dry to exceptional drought (Fig. 2). Current soil moisture data indicates that most of the Midwest is very dry (Fig. 3). Going into the fall it’s very important[Read More…]
Many trees are planted for their beautiful fall color, especially in locations where the climate provides reliable autumn weather. I have said this multiple times during extension talks and conversations with submitters to the PPDL, but I seem to have not experienced a ‘normal’ fall since moving to Indiana with how erratic the weather has[Read More…]
Remember the pre-Christmas freeze? What about the extremely long fall? The Midwest experienced above-average temperatures through most of the winter, but those extremely cold temps in late December made for more than a few pipes to freeze in the southern part of the Midwest. The dichotomy in weather patterns over the last several years has[Read More…]
Since early June, Indiana has been seeing abnormally dry and moderate drought conditions gradually expand and intensify across the state. Conditions peaked in early July when over 94% of the state was classified as either Abnormally Dry (D0; 55% of Indiana) or Moderate Drought (D1; 39% of Indiana) according to the U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM). [Read More…]
About ten years ago I was listening to a talk by a climatologist. She indicated that data is trending towards more floods and more droughts in the Midwest. At first listen this made absolutely no sense. How can a place simultaneously have more flooding and more drought? Well, if you’ve paid attention over the last[Read More…]
On the third Thursday of every month, the national Climate Prediction Center releases their 3-month climate outlook for temperature and precipitation. These outlooks are presented as the level of confidence (i.e., probability of occurrence) for conditions to be above or below normal. Since last fall, these outlooks have been consistently favoring above-normal temperatures and precipitation[Read More…]
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