The hot, dry conditions in Indiana may have one bright spot - creating a more fiery display of fall leaves in some parts of the state. But that's not much solace for farmers, gardeners, boaters and fishermen plagued by a weather system that shows no signs of dissipating soon.
During the first half of August, a streak of 14 consecutive days of 90 degrees or hotter was recorded in Indianapolis, the longest such hot period since 1983. In addition to the heat, a dry spell that began during April persisted and worsened, with much of central Indiana experiencing its driest period during this time frame since 1966. Some portions of eastern Indiana experienced the driest conditions in 53 years, said Logan Johnson of the National Weather Service's Indianapolis office. The result is an increased area of the state labeled in the moderate to severe drought categories and a further drop of soil moisture, groundwater and reservoir levels, and river flow.
While recent rains are welcome, they are still scattered around the state and won't change the overall picture for areas affected by the unusually dry conditions, said Dev Niyogi, state climatologist at the Purdue University-based Indiana State Climate Office.
Weather factors indicate that through November there is an enhanced likelihood of continued above-normal temperatures for most of the state and continued widely scattered precipitation, Johnson said. Indiana is stuck in a neutral weather pattern that has halted rain from the tropics and the West, major sources of precipitation for Indiana in a normal summer.
Though these conditions are sobering, Niyogi said it's part of the Midwest's climate variability.
"While more research is clearly needed, at this point it does not seem likely that the current drought is anything different than a naturally occurring variation in our climate pattern," said Niyogi, who also is a Purdue assistant professor of agronomy and earth and atmospheric sciences. "We have had a highly variable drought this year with counties showing some areas that are not impacted while other parts of the same county have severe drought."
The 2007 weather statistics create a mosaic effect on color-keyed precipitation and temperature maps compiled from information gathered by volunteers with the Cooperative Weather Service Network and the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network. The National Weather Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and Indiana State Climate Office create the maps and analyze the information.