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…]
Beth Hall
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…]
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…]
I have been seeing a lot of reports around the state about overly wet conditions with impacts such as running field tiles, high-leveled lakes and streams, field ponding, and difficulty getting into the fields for planting. It certainly feels likes it has been raining a lot around the West Lafayette area. Figure 1 shows how[Read More…]
There is some very exciting news this week for Indiana with respect to the U.S. Drought Monitor. For the first time since April 25, 2023, the entire state is void of any Abnormally Dry (D0) or Drought (D1-D4) conditions. I would include the map but … drumroll, please … there’s nothing to show! This is[Read More…]
Something exciting happened this past Monday that many of you might be glad is over and no longer filling your news feed – the total solar eclipse. The Indiana State Climate Office, however, is now getting a chance to dig into the data collected from the Purdue Mesonet – a collection of 14 weather stations[Read More…]
Recent precipitation events have allowed periodic rainfall to hit most places across Indiana. Over the last few weeks, at least half an inch of rain has fallen with some areas in central and northern Indiana receiving two to four inches! This has meant that Abnormally Dry (D0) and Moderate Drought (D1) conditions have not be[Read More…]
For the past seven weeks, abnormally dry conditions gradually spread and intensified across Indiana to eventually cover over 98% of the state. Conditions were looking dire, those with late-planted crops may have started getting worried, and water supply managers may have started expressing quiet concerns for those reliant upon groundwater. Then the rain came. Over[Read More…]
The last several weeks have seen very little precipitation across Indiana. Figure 1 illustrates how much was received compared to the climatological normal amount from May 9 through June 7. The entire state received amounts less than normal (where normal would be 100 percent on the map) with central and northeastern Indiana having received less[Read More…]