FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) – Drought has continued to expand across northeast Indiana and northwest Ohio. You can take a look at our current drought map by clicking the link below.
Drought area expands and very little rain forecasted
A reminder that drought is a notable lack of precipitation. The drought monitor tracks the conditions and places areas into a certain drought category based on a number of factors. Monitoring drought includes tracking changes in precipitation, temperatures, surface water, and groundwater. Drought categories include moderate drought, severe drought, extreme drought, and exceptional drought.
This warm and dry pattern that is setting up and looks to sustain itself for awhile is not a good trend with the fall approaching. Crops are likely to become more stressed, which will result in at least some loss of crop yields. This will in tern result in fruit and vegetable prices going up in the stores as the fall goes on. You can also anticipate an increasing risk of field fires, especially later on in the fall when more dry vegetation is around and weather systems bring an increase in winds. Water conservation efforts will also be needed in order to properly water farm fields.