INDIANA — Every Thursday the Drought Monitor is updated and this week our drought conditions have improved! Indianapolis picked up just shy of 4″ of precipitation, totaling 3.97″. That’s 0.85″ above normal for the month of January!

Currently, 49.32% of the state is drought-free! 50.68% is currently under abnormally dry conditions with 1.37% under moderate drought conditions. Marion County is currently drought-free!

What does this mean? Each category means there will likely be different impacts from different factors around the state. “Abnormally dry” usually means the grass will turn brown, gardens will need to be watered more frequently, and crops are stressed. Once we hit the “Moderate” drought stage, there are more noticeable changes. Crops become more stressed, your lawn needs to be watered more often, and water levels begin to decrease.

The higher up the scale the drought goes, the more severe the impacts will be to crops, your lawn, and water levels. As we continue to climb the scale on the drought monitor, more dangerous conditions also begin to set up, causing concern for fire.

Looking ahead to next week

Over the next 6-10 days, there is an above-average chance of precipitation across the state and the region. Some good news for our drought conditions!