Indiana's Weather and Climate

About this book

There's more to Indiana weather than what greets us when we go outdoors. Ever wonder why the daily weather report is so erratic? Why the seasons seem to come too early or start too late? Whether there really is such a thing as global warming? This fascinating and informative book tells the story behind the daily forecast, seasonal variations, and climate change. It explains why there are seasons in this part of the world and examines some of their more dramatic aspects – thunderstorms, tornadoes, floods, droughts, and snowstorms. Here you'll find information on forecasting, weather satellites, and data collection; on faraway events that influence Indiana's weather, such as El Niño; and on long – and short-term changes in Indiana's climate beginning more than 1000 years ago. Air pollution, urban heat islands, "the LaPorte anomaly" – it's all here in this comprehensive and up-to-date reference.

Contents

PREFACE

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 1. WHY THE SEASONS?

Sun and Earth
Days, Nights and Sun in the Sky
Temperatures
Of Interest: Temperature Scales
Climatological Seasons
Clouds
Precipitation
Air in Motion
Air Masses and Fronts
The Westerlies
Jet Streams and the Seasons
In Summary

CHAPTER 2. SPRING

Thunderstorms
Airmass (Ordinary) Thunderstorms
Supercell Thunderstorms
Tornadoes: Formation and Characteristics
Tornado Intensity: The F Scale

Indiana Tornadoes (S. C. Pryor)
Tornado Forecasting - Watches and Warnings
Tornado Occurrence in Indiana
Of Interest: Storm Chasing (G. Bierly)
Where Do Tornadoes Occur?
Of Interest: Doppler Radar

When Do Tornadoes Occur?
Worst Tornadoes in Indiana History
In Summary: Tornadoes

CHAPTER 3. SUMMER

Thunder, Lightning and Hail
Lightning
Hail
Extremes I. Floods
Extreme Precipitation in Indiana (J. Howe and S.C. Pryor)
Calculating Extremes
Extremes II. Drought
Worst Case Droughts in Indiana
Of Interest: Monitoring Drought
People and Summer
Cooling Degree Days
Sunburn
Heat and Heat Waves

CHAPTER 4. FALL

A Quiet Transition Season
Autumn Leaves
Dew, Frost, Mist and Fog
Of Interest: Moisture in the Air
Air Quality (S. C. Pryor and A. M. Spalding)
Air Quality Standards
Of Interest: Five Criteria Air Pollutants
The Air Quality Index
Air Quality in Indiana
Emissions of Pollutants
Monitoring Air Quality
How Clean is Our Air?
Air Quality: In Summary

CHAPTER 5. WINTER

The Continent Effect
Winter Precipitation
Of Interest: Sound and Snow
The Lake Effect (C. Clark)
Cold Weather
Heating Degree Days
Windchill
Some Recent Severe Winters

CHAPTER 6. MONITORING THE WEATHER

Weather Sayings (R.L. Baker)
Above and Below the Sky
Rain on Sunday
Of Interest: Weather Satellites
The National Weather Service (J. Kwiatkowski)
The Work of Local Offices - The FOs
Of Interest: A TV Weather Forecast (Chuck Lofton)
The Cooperative Weather Program (R. Kenyon)
History
The Cooperative Observer
Station Requirements
Of Interest: The Historical Climate Network
Acquisition of Data

CHAPTER 7 INDIANA'S PRESENT CLIMATE - THE LARGER VIEW

Connecting Climates
El Niño and La Niña
Of Interest: The Thermocline
ENSO and Indiana's Climate (G. Bierly)
The Midwestern Climate Center (K. E. Kunkel)
Climate Data
Climate Monitoring and Information Dissemination
Applied Research

CHAPTER 8. INDIANA'S PRESENT CLIMATE - THE STATE VIEW

Indiana State Climate Office
The Normal Climate (K. Scheeringa)
Temperature
Precipitation
Other Climatic Features
Recent Climate: A Common Sense Climate Index
Some Local Influences
The Urban Heat Island
Of Interest: Indianapolis Heat Island
Hills and Valleys
The LaPorte Anomaly (Z. Payne)
Wind Power in Indiana (S. Stadler)


CHAPTER 9. INDIANA'S PAST CLIMATES

Reading the Past
Ice Age Indiana
Ice Events in Indiana
The Last 1000 Years of Indiana's Climate (J. Speer)
Of Interest: Time Keeping
Indiana: Climate Interpretations
A Pollen Study
A Lake Core Study
1000 Years - Concluding Comments
Indiana Diaries and Letters (C. Craig)
Interpreting the Records
Example of an Indiana Climate Reconstruction
The Last 100 Years

CHAPTER 10. INDIANA'S FUTURE CLIMATES

The IPCC and Protocols
Modeling the Future
Global Warming
Of Interest: Future US Climates
Indiana's Future Climate
Of Interest: EPA Assessment
Impacts of Climate Change in Indiana
Summary

CONVERSION TABLES

GLOSSARY

ADDITIONAL REFERENCES and WORKS CITED

INDEX

Customer Reviews

Biography

John E. Oliver (1933-2008) was Emeritus Professor of Physical Geography and Director of the Climate Laboratory at Indiana State University. He authored or edited 12 books, including The Encyclopedia of World Climatology.