"The most outstanding feature of June weather was the change from very dry conditions the first 18 days to very wet ones the rest of the month. As a result, crops, lawns, and gardens recovered quickly from abnormally dry conditions that began in May," says State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey (http://www.sws.uiuc.edu), a division of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Statewide June precipitation in Illinois was 4.47 inches (0.39 inches above normal), and statewide temperatures were 72.7°F degrees (0.8°F above normal). "That's quite a switch from the first 18 days of June, only 1.03 inches statewide, less than half the 2.42-inch normal for that period. The last 12 days of June had 3.44 inches, about twice the 1.66-inch normal," says Angel.

The National Weather Service July outlook calls for an increased chance for below normal temperatures in much of western Illinois. Far western Illinois, around Quincy, also is expected to have an increased chance for above normal precipitation. "This predicted pattern of cooler, wetter conditions in western Illinois is related to the expectation of continued above normal rainfall in Texas, Oklahoma, and Missouri," says Angel.

The rest of the state will have equal chances for July temperatures and precipitation above, below, or near normal. The July–September outlook calls for an increased chance for above normal temperatures but equal chances for precipitation above, below, or near normal.

Disclaimer: Data used for all statistics provided herein are from the Midwestern Regional Climate Center and are based on preliminary data.