I’ve been plotting growing degree days for Lafayette for the last 15 years or so. This year we continue to track earlier than usual. This is a trend that seems to be continuing each year. See Figure 1. If you want to look at data more closely related to your location, the Indiana State  Climate…Read more about Spring temperatures[Read More]

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 about A Bit of Rain Coming Our Way[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 about Midwestern Regional Climate Center Launches New Experimental Weed Emergence Scouting Tool[Read More]

The earlier and warmer spring temperatures we have been seeing the last few years in Indiana are continuing this year. See Figure 1. What we see is that for each year in the past 15 years temperatures have warmed up earlier than the long term average. Luckily only one year over this period was extremely…Read more about Indiana spring temperatures[Read More]

Wet pattern to return 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…Read more about Weather from the Indiana State Climate Office[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 about Tracking tornadoes over time[Read More]

Summer just had to throw us a going away party in the form of extreme heat! Temperatures soared into the 90s during the final week of August, with heat index values over 100°F for much of the state. Lafayette, South Bend, and Fort Wayne all set daily records on Tuesday, August 27th for maximum temperatures…Read more about A Major Cool-Down On The Way[Read More]

Since the start of July, most of Indiana has received at least 2 inches with up to 8 inches of precipitation (Figure 1).  Except for southeastern and east-central Indiana, this precipitation has been well above normal (Figure 2).  As a result, most locations have seen an improvement in the U.S. Drought Monitor (Figure 3).  There…Read more about Recent rain improves drought across Indiana[Read More]

Happy Independence Day from the Indiana State Climate Office! Temperatures were much more pleasant over the past seven days (June 24-July 1) compared to the heat experienced in mid-late June. Across Indiana, temperatures varied from below to above normal from north to south (Figure 1). Southern Indiana had locations with temperatures up to 1°F above…Read more about Variable Temperatures, Sporadic Rainfall, and Growing Drought[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 about Hot and dry conditions ahead[Read More]