Diagnosing abiotic (non-living) problems in plants can be challenging due to the many interacting factors and varying levels of plant tolerance. In many cases, reviewing the recent weather history of a given area provides valuable insight into the possible causes of observed symptoms. Over the past few weeks, several samples submitted to the Purdue Plant[Read More…]
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The last few weeks have been on the drier side, particularly for northwestern and west-central Indiana (Figure 1). While temperatures have been seasonal, they are still gradually increasing as we approach summer. Therefore, evapotranspiration rates are starting to increase. This has resulted in the U.S. Drought Monitor classifying much of northern Indiana as Abnormally Dry[Read More…]
Midwestern farmers have faced a buildup of pesticide resistance in pigweeds (waterhemp and Palmer amaranth), highlighting the importance of scouting to detect weeds early in their growth stages. Otherwise, weed escapes are a common issue as herbicides lose their efficacy when weeds are allowed to grow long enough into their growth cycle. The Midwestern Regional[Read More…]
Despite the wet start to the month, the entire state saw less than 50 percent of normal rainfall from April 10 to 16, and in some cases, less than 10 percent of normal rainfall (Figure 1). This was helpful, especially as some locations still deal with river flood warnings and ponded and saturated fields. This[Read More…]
Indiana has already experienced several tornadoes this year with more certainly to come. Of course, this is not unusual since Indiana is often considered on the far northeastern edge of “Tornado Alley”. Tornadoes get their energy from the battle between the cooler, drier Canadian air moving southeastward and the warmer, more humid air coming north[Read More…]
While our daytime highs across the state were in the upper 70s, our nighttime lows have been in the 30s (even into the upper 20s) in some places. This could get us thinking about the timing of the first frost and freeze events of the season, when the 7-day average 4-inch soil temperature falls before[Read More…]
While our entire state did not receive the amount of rain from the remnants of Hurricane Helene compared to other states, most of Indiana did receive at least an inch of precipitation over the past few weeks with some southern counties receiving over five inches (Figure 1). General impacts have been greener lawns (don’t put[Read More…]
Pattern changes, like the one we’ve experienced in the middle of the month, are quite typical for August. The humidity decreases a bit, the soils dry out, and sometimes, like we’ve recently experienced, the temperatures drop quite dramatically. It can be refreshing and exciting for Fall lovers to experience some crisp, cool air in mid-August.[Read More…]
After a period of hot and humid weather where heat indices reached triple digits in some locations, we welcome cooler than normal temperatures for the next several days. It is still summer, though, so sweaters, mittens, and scarves will not be necessary! There were a few temperature records broken over the August 5-6, 2024, period,[Read More…]
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…]
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…]
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…]
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