CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Based on preliminary data, the statewide average temperature for Illinois in April was 58.4 degrees, 6.2 degrees above normal and the warmest April on record. This beats the old record of 58.2 degrees set in 1955, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey (http://www.isws.illinois.edu).

The statewide average precipitation in April was 3.5 inches, 0.3 inches below normal. However, areas in western Illinois received the most precipitation, more than 5 inches in some locations. An observer in Matherville (Mercer County) reported 6.5 inches for the month.

The warm and dry conditions were favorable for field work in most parts of the state. This is unlike last year when 6.0 inches of precipitation fell in April, 2.2 inches above normal, leading to significant planting delays across the state.

The latest National Weather Service outlook for May calls for equal chances of above-, below-, and near-normal temperatures across Illinois and the Midwest. Much of the Ohio River Valley, including Illinois south of Interstate 70, has an increased chance of above-normal precipitation. Meanwhile, areas in Illinois north of Interstate 70 have equal chances of above-, below-, and near-normal precipitation.

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.