Fort Wayne, IN – Northern Indiana is facing historic drought conditions, with Fort Wayne on pace to record its driest year since records began in 1897, according to the U.S. National Weather Service Northern Indiana.
As of November 1, the city has received only 20.85 inches of precipitation, which is 13.20 inches below normal for this time of year. The agency says this marks Fort Wayne’s largest year-to-date rainfall deficit ever recorded entering November.
Fort Wayne has seen only about half of its typical annual rainfall, and would need 3.56 inches or more before year’s end to avoid breaking the 1962 record for driest year, when 24.40 inches fell.
The prolonged dry conditions have also pushed Extreme Drought status across roughly 40% of Allen County, particularly in the southeast. It’s the first time such severe drought has affected the area since 2012.
Officials caution that this fall’s dryness could impact next spring’s planting season, depending on how much precipitation and snowmelt occur over the winter months.
