Putnam lies within severe drought area

Many areas of central Indiana have received significantly below average rainfall since the beginning of spring, the National Weather Service office at Indianapolis reports.

For example, prior to Thuirsday afternoon’s storm, Indianapolis International Airport had received 5.87 inches since April 1, which is 6.82 inches below normal using the 1991-2020 normals period. Lafayette was 9.0 inches below normal, with similar values across western and northwestern parts of central Indiana. Further south and east, precipitation deficits are not as dry.

For the month of June, rainfall totals through Wednesday at Indianapolis are less than one inch (0.91), according to weather reports.

Severe drought conditions are now present over the western and northwestern parts of central Indiana -- including Putnam and all of its contiguous counties of Parke, Montgomery and Hendricks along with portions of Clay, Owen and Morgan -- with a large area of moderate drought conditions across central portions of the area and abnormally dry conditions across southern portions of central Indiana. At this time, more than 52 percent of Indiana is in moderate or severe drought.

Volunteer observers across the area indicate lower than typical water levels in ponds and streams, with some near drying up altogether. Reports also indicate lawn stress and that some lawns have gone dormant. There are also indications of stress from trees and shrubs.

Some crop stress is starting to be reported, and there is also a report of farmers moving livestock to areas of land with more water resources about two months earlier than usual. The USDA reports that 59 percent of Indiana has top soil moisture that is rated as short to very short. The USGS also indicates that groundwater levels in most locations are well below normal.

Meanwhile, the Indiana Department of Homeland Security reports several counties in western and northwestern Indiana are under burn bans.

Over the last 30 days, rainfall in central Indiana has ranged from 10 percent to 50 percent of normal across the area. The most significant rainfall deficits over the last 30 days in central Indiana were located in counties west of Howard County and north of Putnam County.

The Climate Prediction Center outlook indicates a lean toward near to below normal temperatures and above normal precipitation for the weekend.

USGS streamflow maps show below normal to much below normal streamflow levels across most of central Indiana, with a few sites still recording normal values but a few recording streamflows that are the all-time low for this time of the year.