WEST LAFAYETTE – Climatologist Dev Niyogi at Purdue University said dry conditions throughout much of Indiana have caused an early harvest to begin in the state. Nearly all of Indiana’s 92 counties show some signs of drought or dry conditions.

            Niyogi said weather in October will determine how widespread a drought will be for the 2011 growing season. He said La Nina conditions – cooler than normal Pacific Ocean surface temperatures – have been shifting temperatures and rainfall across the country.

            “During La Nina, we are particularly prone to drought in March, but we will watch the conditions, including land-falling tropical systems, snow and precipitation, in the winter to see what sort of deficit we end up with,” he said.

            To view a map of conditions for each of Indiana’s counties, visit http://www.drought.unl.edu/dm/DM_state.htm?IN,MW.