Indiana temperature rises .5 degrees

Does the summer heat seem worse than usual? That might be because Indiana -- and the rest of the United States -- is hotter than it used to be.

A new study from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says Indiana’s average annual temperature has risen 0.5 degrees Fahrenheit based on weather data from 1981 through 2010.

While 0.5 degrees might not seem like a lot, the Union for Concerned Scientists’ website says it can create big changes in extreme weather and precipitation patterns.

In the long run, incremental increases in average annual temperature could dramatically alter Indiana’s climate.

The UCS predicts that by the end of the century, Indiana’s average winter temperature will have increased five to seven degrees Fahrenheit and summer temperatures eight to 10 degrees.

The NOAA’s study showed annual average maximum and minimum temperatures are rising across the country, not just in Indiana. Some states are seeing average annual minimum temperatures increase as much as 0.9 degrees Fahrenheit and average annual maximum temperatures increase as much as 0.7 degrees Fahrenheit.

The UCS predicts based on climate data that Indiana will become drier as annual temperatures increase.

Indiana will still receive about the same amount of annual rainfall, the UCS predicts, but the increased temperatures will speed up the evaporation of water, leading to more droughts.

The increasing temperatures coupled with increasing dryness is a recipe for more brush and forest fires, the NOAA reports.

The agency says the fire season has grown considerably longer in most states than it was 30 years ago.

The NOAA also says that 2000-10 was the warmest decade on record and that temperatures are still on an upward trend.

— Zach Ammerman