CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Soil moisture levels are normal in Illinois for the start of the growing season, according to Jennie Atkins, Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring (WARM) Program Manager at the Illinois State Water Survey.

Soil moisture at 2 inches for Illinois in the second week of April was slightly above normal, averaging 0.35 water fraction by volume (wfv).  This is significantly higher than last year when moisture levels averaged just 0.23 wfv during the same time period.

Soil moisture levels at deeper depths (4 to 59 inches) were within 3 percent of normal levels.

Soil temperatures averaged 52.6 degrees F at 4 inches under sod during the second week of April, 1.5 degrees above normal.  Temperatures were highest in the southern portion of the state where soil temperatures averaged 56.5 degrees.  Temperatures in central and northern Illinois averaged 52.7 degrees and 45.6 degrees, respectively.

The Illinois State Water Survey’s WARM Program collects hourly and daily weather and soil information at 19 stations across the state.  Daily and monthly summaries can be found at the WARM website (http://www.isws.illinois.edu/warm/) and in the Illinois Water and Climate Summary (http://www.isws.illinois.edu/warm/climate.asp). 

Maps of soil temperatures and moisture levels can also be found at the WARM website (http://www.isws.illinois.edu/warm/soiltemp.asp).