CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The statewide average temperature for July was 70.3 degrees in Illinois, which ties the record for the coolest July set back in 2009, according to the Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel at the Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

Map produced by NOAA funded project SCIPP

July 1936 (82.8 degrees) was the warmest July on record, followed closely by July 2012 (81.8 degrees). In just six years, Illinoisans have experienced the second warmest and twice the coldest July on record.

“The July 2014 average temperature is based on preliminary data so it is very likely that we will break the tie with 2009 as more data arrive,” Angel said.

The cool weather was not just for Illinois. The Midwest experienced temperature departures in the range of 4 to 8 degrees below average for July, and most of the U.S. to the east of the Rocky Mountains had below-average temperatures for the month. Meanwhile, the West and, in particular, the northwest U.S., were exceptionally warm.

The statewide average precipitation was 3.4 inches, which is 0.65 inches below average. The first two weeks of July were exceptionally wet for most of the state, while the rest of the month was dry. Dry conditions prevailed from St. Louis and eastward across Illinois. The wet June and cool July temperatures did help moderate the impact of this dry weather so far.

The latest forecasts from the National Weather Service indicate that cooler and wetter than average conditions will prevail over the next two weeks.