INDIANA — A week of rain and unseasonable warmth in January replenished the ground with enough water to eliminate dry conditions across Indiana except for the far northern part of the state. The report by the State Climate Office, based at Purdue University, is good news for crop farmers, who rely on rain and snow over the winter to “recharge” soils with water needed for spring plantings.
The climate office said light rain fell every day during the warm spell and became heavy on Jan. 13, with as much as 6 inches of rain for the week in the extreme southwest counties. One to 3 inches was common elsewhere, except for extreme northwest Indiana.
The outlook for soil moisture recharge into the early spring is encouraging, the climate office said.
The latest monthly report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration signals a cool February with equal chances of above-normal, normal or below-normal precipitation. Further ahead, the outlook through April — a busy month for farmers planting their crops — favors above-normal precipitation.