The story of excessive rain and soil moisture continues and the 7-day precipitation forecast suggests this wet pattern will continue (Fig. 1). When looking at the precipitation percent of mean for May 1-30, 2019, the southern half of the state received near normal amounts.
So far for the month of May, temperatures across the state vary by nearly 2˚F above normal in the southeast and almost 3˚F below normal in the extreme northwest. Similarly, the same trends can be seen in the Modified Growing Degree Days as they are based on temperature (Fig 1). The main story continues to be the precipitation for most of the state. Since January 1, precipitation is between 3 to 9 inches above normal in spots. Adding observed near normal to slightly above normal precipitation for the month in some areas is really delaying folks in the agriculture industry (Fig 2). Looking at the short term outlook from the Climate Prediction Center (Fig 3 & 4), much of the state has above normal chances for seeing above normal temperatures and precipitation over the 6 to 10 day and 8 to 14 day outlooks. Our active weather pattern doesn’t[Read More…]
Near term, Sunday looks like the next most likely precipitation event around the state. The active pattern seems to continue, with chances of rain continuing about every 3-4 days. Meanwhile, temperatures begin to trend more summer-like, with 80 degree days coming statewide, and likelihood for above average temperatures in the 6-10 day outlook high (see map, cpc.ncep.noaa.gov). Important to note: high temperatures and excessive moisture favor many different kinds of disease and insect development. Scout any crops that have been planted for disease development or infestation and act accordingly. Contact your local Purdue Extension office for help in identifying problems or economic thresholds for treatment.
The biggest topic seems to be how wet it is and how much more rain Indiana can expect. So far, May has experienced near-normal precipitation throughout the central part of the state with 0.5”-2” in southern and northern regions (Figure 1).
Rain, rain, go away! I hesitate to scream that too loud, though, for fear of a drought. That seems to be the weather and climate, these days – one extreme or another.
No reason exists to expect drought anytime soon in Indiana, with much of the state remaining rather wet after last weekend’s showers. One good new development exists.
Indiana Climate and Weather Report – 4/17/2019
The southern half of Indiana seems to be drying out where the central and northeast parts of the state have experienced above normal precipitation, with amounts in some places exceeding 1” more than normal over the past 2 weeks.
April is indicative of vegetation rapidly greening up, accumulating growing degree-days, and those infamous April showers.
As March wraps up, both temperature and precipitation appear to be near normal for the month. This is hard to imagine given the variability experienced throughout the month!
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