Growing concern due to lack of rainfall

 

The dry conditions in Michiana have been a growing concern this Fall season. 

Rainfall totals started falling behind back in the month of July and we continue to fall short now as we wrap up the month of September. In the last 3 months, we have fallen 3.1" below normal. 

For the month of September, we have only seen 9 days with rain, leaving us 1.28" below normal for the month. Due to the lack of rainfall, a good portion of Michiana is now in the "abnormally dry" range on the drought monitor and this region is expected to expand during the month of October. 

October Outlook

Looking ahead to the new month, October's trend is very similar: dry. While the month's average should be near 3.32", we will start out the first week of the month with minimal rainfall. If we keep the very dry trend, we could see some locations in Michiana fall into the "Moderate" drought category. 

Impacts

If the dry weather continues, the concern for potential fires will grow for local counties. As people begin burning their leaves, the dry conditions may cause officials to issue burn restrictions. If a fire is not properly contained whether you are burning leaves or enjoying a campfire, it could spread quickly in a very dry environment. This is something that the DNR in both Michigan and Indiana will be watching closely in the coming weeks. For more information on safe campfire tips, click here.