Drought Information Statement for central Indiana Valid January 5, 2024 Issued By: NWS Indianapolis, IN Contact Information: nws.indianapolis@noaa.gov This product will be updated February 2, 2024 or sooner if drought conditions change significantly. Please see all currently available products at https://drought.gov/drought-information-statements. Please visit https://www.weather.gov/ind/DroughtInformationStatement for previous statements. U.S. Drought Monitor SEVERE DROUGHT IN PLACE ACROSS SOUTHERN PARTS OF CENTRAL INDIANA Drought intensity and Extent D2 (Severe Drought): Brown, Bartholomew, Clay, Owen, Daviess, Greene, Jackson, Jennings, Lawrence, Martin, Monroe, Sullivan D1 (Moderate Drought): Howard, Vermillion, Parke, Putnam, Morgan, Johnson, Shelby, Decatur, Knox, Vigo, Carroll, Tippecanoe, Clinton, Tipton, Madison, Delaware, Randolph, Fountain, Montgomery, Boone, Hamilton, Henry, Hendricks, Marion, Hancock, Rush D0 (Abnormally Dry): Warren Recent Change in Drought Intensity Four Week Drought Monitor Class Change 1 class degradation over much of both northern and southern parts of central Indiana Strip across central Indiana unchanged 1 class improvement over Warren county Precipitation For most of central Indiana, precipitation over the past 30 days has been 25-75% of normal, with the driest conditions over the eastern counties Temperature For most of central Indiana, average temperatures over the last month have been 6 to 8 degrees above normal Summary of Impacts Low to very low flow on area rivers and streams Low to very low pond and lake levels Agricultural Impacts Soil Moisture very dry, especially subsurface soil moisture Fire Hazard Impacts No current impacts reported Concerns developing for above normal spring wildland fire potential Other Impacts None reported Mitigation Actions None reported Hydrologic Conditions and Impacts Much below normal streamflow over the East Fork White and most of the White basins Below normal streamflow over the Wabash basin Agricultural Impacts Soil moisture is very dry Fire Hazard Impacts No current concerns, but increasing concerns for wildland fire potential this spring No county burn bans are in effect Seven Day Precipitation Forecast The seven day precipitation total forecast shows potential for beneficial precipitation across the state. Widespread precipitation amounts of one to 1.5 inches are forecast across central and northern Indiana, with 1.5 to approaching 2 inches possible along the Ohio River Long-Range Outlooks January outlooks lean toward above normal temperatures and equal chances for all outcomes for precipitation Drought Outlook Drought is expected to persist across all of central Indiana for the next three months