CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The statewide average temperature for Illinois in July was 77.7 degrees, 1.9 degrees above normal. While it was warm and uncomfortably humid, it was only the 19th warmest July on record, tied with 1986 and 1952, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey (http://www.isws.illinois.edu).
The warmest July on record was in 1936 at 83.1 degrees, 5.4 degrees warmer than this year. By contrast, last July was the coldest on record at 70.2 degrees, 7.5 degrees cooler than this year. Statewide records extend back to 1895.
The average rainfall for July in Illinois was 5.6 inches, 1.8 inches above normal, ranking as the 13th wettest July on record. The wettest July was in 1958 with 8.03 inches.
The largest rainfall totals occurred in western and far northern Illinois as well as central Illinois along Interstate 70. Rainfall amounts of 8 to 12 inches were common in these areas. Elizabeth and Freeport reported the largest monthly totals in the state with 14.12 and 13.46 inches, respectively.
Southern Illinois was much drier in July with amounts of only 1 to 3 inches in many locations. In fact, the U.S. Drought Monitorcategorized southern Illinois as being "abnormally dry" based on dry conditions in both June and July. While wet in June, the area approximately bound by Moline, Kankakee, Danville, Springfield, and Peoria was dry in July.
The National Weather Service calls for an increased chance of warmer-than-normal temperatures in Illinois in August. The precipitation outlook for August is neutral (equal chances of above, below, and near-normal rainfall).
The Illinois State Water Survey at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a division of the Institute of Natural Resource Sustainability, is the primary agency in Illinois concerned with water and atmospheric resources.