Champaign, Ill.  –  Soil temperatures in Illinois are warmer than normal, according to Jennie Atkins, Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring (WARM) program manager at the Illinois State Water Survey.

Soil temperatures at 4 inches under bare soil averaged 48 degrees on Nov. 15, 7 degrees warmer than the long-term average. Daily highs ranged from the high 40s in northern Illinois to the mid-50s in the south, with daily lows in the 40s for most of the state.

Temperatures have decreased significantly from a week earlier, when unseasonably warm weather led to 4-inches-bare soil temperatures 15 degrees higher than historical averages, with daily maximums reaching into the high 60s. 

Overall, the first two weeks of November have been dry in Illinois. According to the Midwestern Regional Climate Center, Illinois has received 1.13 inches of precipitation as of Nov. 15, 0.54 inches below normal. Due to the dryness, soil moisture had been decreasing for most of the month. However, rain this past weekend (Nov. 14 and 15) caused moisture levels at 4 inches to increase 11% on average.  Improvements were seen at depths of 8 inches and less. No changes were observed at depths of 20 inches and greater.

The Illinois State Water Survey’s WARM program collects hourly and daily weather and soil information at 19 stations across the state. Hourly and daily data can be found at the WARM website. 

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Media Contact:   Jennie Atkins, (217) 333-4966, jatkins@illinois.edu
Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring

The Illinois State Water Survey at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a division of the Prairie Research Institute, is the primary agency in Illinois concerned with water and atmospheric resources.