It's a new year! While that means a reset and fresh start on many things, the same can't be said about our weather. The truth is, we're still trying to make up for the rainfall deficit we built up last year.
2022 featured a soggy spring, but that wasn't enough to offset a rather dry stretch through the summer and fall. Last year brought about 35" of precipitation. While that may sound impressive, it's nearly 9" below average. Our lack of wet weather put 2022 in the books as Indy's driest year in twelve years.
A precipitation deficit like the one we inherited from last year brings a lasting impact into 2023. The newly released drought monitor shows moderate drought continues across pretty much the entire state of Indiana. Areas around Richmond are even facing severe drought. Wayne County would need more than 6” of rain to end the drought conditions there. Most of the rest of Indiana would need 3-6” of rainfall over the next month to improve the moderate drought. A pretty tall order during the winter months.
When it comes to wet weather, the very young year of 2023 is off to an encouraging start. Within the first few days, we're already nearing one inch of rainfall in what is typically one of our driest months of the year. It’s not going to do much to improve out drought, but it’s a start. Looking down the road, the next couple of weeks are leaning toward near to slightly above average precipitation. With a trend toward above average temperatures as well, chances are most of that precip comes in the form of rain or a wintry mix.
