Essay On Indiana Geography

Indiana is one of the smallest states in the mid-western region. Despite being sandwiched in between Illinois and Ohio, the state's natural characteristics show quite the contrast of north to south across its landscape. Farming and agriculture dominate most of the land throughout Indiana, and its weather exhibits a startling amount of variation.

The entire state of Indiana belongs to the hot-summer humid continental climate category. This category includes four varying seasons, and a large quantity of humidity and precipitation. Precipitation is extremely common throughout the year, and the annual average is about forty inches, with the southern area usually receiving more than the north. Annual temperatures tend to be a few degrees warmer most of the time in the south than in the north, only because of differing latitudes.

Even though it isn’t the wettest part of the year, winter is the
cloudiest season. The northern and especially northwestern parts of the state, most often receive more snow than the south, due solely to the winds that blow across Lake Michigan that produce lake effect snow bands. Lake effect snow tends to be the heaviest near Lake Michigan, but occasionally, snow showers and cloudiness extend all the way down to the central part of Indiana. Snow amounts vary erratically each season, but the average range lands between fifteen and seventy inches across the entire state of Indiana. Snowfall starts most often around late November and ends towards late March. Daytime high temperatures in January, the coldest month of the year, average around thirty five degrees Fahrenheit, with overnight lows averaging around eighteen degrees Fahrenheit.

Summer weather in Indiana can range from being pleasant to being extremely hot and humid.
Daytime highs average in the mid-eighties and overnight lows in the mid-60s, but quite often, heat waves cause these temperatures to sky rocket. Combined with elevated humidity, temperatures can feel quite oppressive. Fortunately, extended periods of searing heat are rare, as cold fronts regularly usher in relatively cooler and drier Canadian air. Droughts can occasionally occur during summer, causing disruption to the state's agricultural backbone. On the other hand, thunderstorms are common during the summer months as well. Temperatures in spring and fall lie between the extremes of winter and summer, but can fluctuate significantly within a short time span as warm and cold air masses battle for control. This clash of differing air masses causes severe weather, particularly in spring, which is peak tornado season in the state. Spring is also the wettest time of the year and can bring floods, whereas autumn tends to be much drier, often the sunniest and least humid
season.