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Water Survey

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  • Warmest Year to Date for the Midwest, Near Normal August

    Sep 11, 2012 7:45 pm

    August 2012 brought relief to much of the Midwest region in the form of near-normal temperatures and much needed rainfall.  No state in the nine-state Midwest region ranked in the top 40 warmest Augusts on record, according to the Midwestern Regional Climate Center (http://mrcc.isws.illinois.edu) at the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS).  Records date back to 1895.

  • Near-Normal August after a Hot and Dry Summer for Illinois

    Aug 31, 2012 7:45 pm

    After months of exceptionally warm temperatures and drought, Illinois finally experienced temperatures and precipitation closer to normal in August, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel at the Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

  • No Surprise: July was Hot and Dry in Illinois

    Aug 7, 2012 7:45 pm

    This July was the second warmest and fourth driest on record, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign.

  • June in Illinois: Hot and Dry

    Jul 3, 2012 7:45 pm

    Following the warmest spring on record, June continued to be hot and dry in Illinois, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel at the Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

  • Study Shows NE Illinois Should Have Enough Water to 2050

    Jun 18, 2012 7:45 pm

    Water supplies in NE Illinois should be adequate for the next 40 years, yet communities should still analyze their own situations and work with neighboring communities to avoid conflicts in the years ahead, according to Scott Meyer, hydrologist with the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) at the University of Illinois.

  • Illinois Had the Warmest Spring on Record

    Jun 1, 2012 7:45 pm

    Spring in Illinois-March, April, and May-was the warmest on record dating back to 1895, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey.

  • State Climatologist digs up historical weather records for Illinois

    May 23, 2012 7:00 pm

    The oldest official weather records ever found in Illinois, dating back to 1820, reveal temperature data that showed remarkable accuracy given the technology of the day, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey.

  • Study Gleans Insights on How Lake Breezes Move Through Chicago

    May 1, 2012 7:00 pm

    Lake breezes that bring some relief on a scorching summer afternoon are thought to move more slowly through Chicago than through the surrounding suburbs. Scientists at the Illinois State Water Survey have discovered that this is often not the case and have gained new insights into the mysteries of how cities affect winds off a lake.

  • ISWS is Pioneer in Tracking Tornadoes by Radar

    Apr 9, 2012 8:00 pm

    The Illinois State Water Survey played a key role in developing tornado-tracking technology used today to issue warnings of impending severe storms.  While testing radar equipment to measure rainfall rates in 1953, ISWS meteorologists were the first to photograph and document a hook echo, a classic sign of tornado development.

  • Warmest March on Record for the Midwest

    Apr 3, 2012 8:15 pm

    March was the warmest on record for the nine-state Midwest region, based on preliminary temperature data.  The average temperature for the region was 50.3 degrees Fahrenheit, which breaks the previous record of 46.9 degrees set over 100 years ago in 1910, according to the Midwestern Regional Climate Center (http://mrcc.isws.illinois.edu) at the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS).

  • March 2012 Was the Warmest March on Record for Illinois

    Apr 3, 2012 8:00 pm

    The statewide average temperature for March was 54.9 degrees, 13.8 degrees above normal, making March 2012 a record-setting month, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey (http://www.isws.illinois.edu).

  • Early Warmth in 2012 and the Climatology of the Last Spring Freeze in the Midwest

    Mar 26, 2012 8:15 pm

    With warm weather seemingly stationary across the Midwest, many people are wondering if we have seen the last of freezing temperatures.  Climatology tells us that there is still the possibility for a late freeze, according to the Midwestern Regional Climate Center at the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS).

  • Awareness of Flood Risk Lessens Losses

    Mar 24, 2012 8:00 pm

    Damages as a result of flooding happen unnecessarily every year in the U.S. and in the U.K., much to the shock of many home and business owners who suffer losses in floodplain areas.  It is vital to raise public awareness for citizens who are at risk for flood losses and must understand how much risk they face and how to mitigate the hazard, according to speakers at the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) and University of Leeds workshop in Champaign on April 17.

  • Warmer Soil Temperatures Continue Into February and March

    Mar 11, 2012 8:00 pm

     Soil temperatures continued to rise across Illinois in February and March, according to Jennie Atkins, Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring (WARM) Program Manager at the Illinois State Water Survey.

  • National Groundwater Awareness Week: March 11–17, 2012

    Mar 1, 2012 8:15 pm

    About half the U.S. population receives its drinking water from wells. Many cities in Illinois, including Champaign-Urbana, Normal, and most of the western and southern suburbs of Chicago, get some or all of their drinking water from groundwater sources.  In addition, almost all rural residents use groundwater. During National Groundwater Awareness Week, we want to promote stewardship of this important resource, to protect and conserve it.

  • February Tornadoes Are Rare But Violent

    Mar 1, 2012 8:15 pm

    Harrisburg, Illinois was struck by a deadly tornado on February 29, leading to six reported deaths and widespread damage. While more common during spring and summer in Illinois, tornadoes sometimes occur in February, said Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

  • Mild Winter Leads to Warmer Soil Temperatures

    Feb 27, 2012 8:15 pm

    The mild winter weather has led to higher soil temperatures in comparison to last winter based on temperatures collected at weather stations across the state, according to Jennie Atkins, Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring (WARM) Program Manager at the Illinois State Water Survey.

  • Groundwater is plentiful for water supplies in future years, but surface water may be lacking, especially for Springfield, putting East-Central Illinois communities at risk for water shortages in a serious drought, according to George Roadcap, Hydrogeologist with the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) in the Prairie Research Institute at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.Study Identifies Cities Where Water Shortages May be a Future Issue in East-Central Illinois

    Feb 14, 2012 8:30 pm

    Groundwater is plentiful for water supplies in future years, but surface water may be lacking, especially for Springfield, putting East-Central Illinois communities at risk for water shortages in a serious drought, according to George Roadcap, Hydrogeologist with the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) in the Prairie Research Institute at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

  • January 2012: Where is Winter?

    Feb 6, 2012 8:30 pm

    January is over, and still the weather is mild.  Two-thirds of the way into the season, and Illinois is enjoying its 6thwarmest winter since 1895, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey (http://www.isws.illinois.edu).

  • Rainy and Dry, Chilly and Warm: 2011 Was a Unique Year

    Jan 10, 2012 8:30 pm

    The year 2011 was the 10th wettest year and a year of extreme monthly temperatures and precipitation, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel at the Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  • December in Illinois: Warm with Little Snow

    Jan 3, 2012 8:30 pm

    The statewide average temperature for December 2011 in Illinois was 35.7 degrees, 5.9 degrees above average. This ranked as the ninth warmest December on record with statewide records going back to 1895, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

  • MRCC Climatologist Appointed to World Meteorological Organization Expert Task Team

    Dec 20, 2011 8:00 pm

    Nancy Westcott, research climatologist at the Midwestern Regional Climate Center (MRCC), was recently appointed as the North American representative to the Task Team on Climate Data Rescue, initiated by the World Meteorological Organization's Commission for Climatology.

  • November: An Interesting Month for Weather in Illinois

    Dec 7, 2011 9:00 pm

    November in Illinois was the sixth wettest November on record and the ninth warmest, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.  In addition, the drought in central and western Illinois has ended due to the above average rainfall.

  • A Dry October in Illinois

    Nov 4, 2011 12:45 am

  • Fall 2011 Precipitation in the Midwest: From Shortage in the West to Surplus in the East

    Nov 3, 2011 9:00 pm

    In the Midwest during the fall of 2011, precipitation was plentiful in the eastern Midwest but scarce in western parts of the region (meteorological fall is September through November), according to the Midwestern Regional Climate Center at the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS).

  • Unseasonably Dry And Warm Conditions Kick Off October In The Midwest

    Oct 17, 2011 9:15 pm

    It was an unseasonably dry and warm start to October across the Midwest.  On average, the Midwest experienced only 23 percent of its normal precipitation during the first 12 days of October, and temperatures were an average of 6 degrees above normal, according to Steve Hilberg at the Midwestern Regional Climate Center at the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS).

  • September: A Cool Month in Illinois

    Oct 7, 2011 9:15 pm

    The statewide average temperature in Illinois was 63.2 degrees, 3 degrees below average, and the 13th coolest September on record for the state.  The coolest September was in 1918 with 59.3 degrees, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel at the Illinois State Water Survey.

  • Public Meeting on Arsenic in Tolono Wells to be Held Oct. 4

    Sep 23, 2011 9:15 pm

    The Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) is presenting information and outcomes from a study on arsenic concentrations found in resident wells in the Tolono area on Tuesday, October 4, 2011.

     

  • High Arsenic Levels in Well Water are Scattered Across Tolono Area

    Sep 6, 2011 9:15 pm

    Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) findings of a study on arsenic in drinking water from wells near Tolono, IL showed no discernable pattern of elevated arsenic levels except in the small subdivision south of Tolono where the safe drinking water issue was initiated, according to Walt Kelly, ISWS groundwater geochemist.

  • August: Drought Arrives in Illinois

    Sep 6, 2011 9:15 pm

    The statewide average precipitation was 2.06 inches, 1.6 inches below average and 56 percent of average. This was the 13th driest August on record since 1895, based on preliminary data, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey (http://www.isws.illinois.edu).

  • 2011 Midwest Summer

    Sep 6, 2011 9:15 pm

    Summer (June through August) in the Midwest was marked by above average temperatures, especially in July and early August, and extreme precipitation conditions.  Drought conditions occurred for half of the Midwest, while at the same time, several severe precipitation events resulted in flash flooding, breaking 17 all-time precipitation records, according to the Midwestern Regional Climate Center at the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS).

  • July: A Month of Extremes for Illinois

    Aug 4, 2011 9:15 pm

    July could be described as a month of extremes for Illinois. Hot and humid weather was persistent throughout the month. Meanwhile, heavy rains occurred in parts of northern and southern Illinois while central Illinois struggled with dry weather, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey (http://www.isws.illinois.edu).

  • Wet Month Leads to Seventh Wettest Spring for Illinois

    Jun 6, 2011 12:45 am

    The statewide average rainfall for Illinois in May was 5.6 inches, 1.3 inches above average for the month. Combined with the 2.8 inches in March and 7.3 inches in April, the total rainfall for this spring was 15.7 inches. This is the seventh wettest spring on record since 1895 and 4.3 inches above average, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey (http://www.isws.illinois.edu).

  • ISWS Website for Water Supply Operators Offers New Social Media Features

    Jun 6, 2011 12:45 am

    Operators of water systems that serve small communities face many challenges:  overcoming compliance issues with few resources and a lack of money to train staff.  That’s where the Illinois State Water Survey’s www.smallwatersupply.org website can help.

  • Artificial Intelligence Scores High in Accuracy to Predict Water Contamination

    Jun 6, 2011 12:30 am

    New, effective solutions are revealed when scientists use computer programs that simulate human intelligence to forecast drinking water contamination in agricultural areas, according to Momcilo Markus, hydrologist at the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS), a division of the Prairie Research Institute at the University of Illinois.

  • ISWS Engineer is Elected Chair of the ASFPM

    May 31, 2011 12:45 am

    Sally McConkey, Water Resources Engineer at the Illinois State Water Survey, has been elected Chair of the Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM). She began her one-year term on May 19.

  • New Online Map Tracks Freezing Temperatures

    May 18, 2011 12:45 am

    The Midwestern Regional Climate Center (MRCC) in the Illinois State Water Survey, a division of the Prairie Research Institute at the University of Illinois, has provided a new tool for users to glean information on the occurrences of freezing temperatures to help assess the vulnerability of spring flowers and plants.

  • Lessons Learned from 1950s' Heat Wave Show Planning Needed for Future Severe Events

    May 18, 2011 12:45 am

    Studying the impacts of a widespread, long-lasting heat wave in 1954 foretells increased power and water shortages if a weather event of that magnitude were to happen today, according to Nancy Westcott, climatologist at the Illinois State Water Survey, a division of the Prairie Research Institute at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

  • ISWS Staff Will Measure Private Wells in McHenry County

    May 17, 2011 12:00 am

    The Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) will contact well owners in McHenry County in May and throughout the summer for permission to measure water levels in wells as part of a multi-year investigation to support future policies for managing water resources in the county.

  • Record-Setting Rainfall in April for Illinois

    Apr 29, 2011 12:15 am

    The statewide average rainfall for Illinois in April was 7.45 inches, nearly double the average rainfall of 3.83 inches for the month. This exceeds the old record of 7.13 inches set in 1957, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey (http://www.isws.illinois.edu).

  • Soil Temperatures Important for Spring Field Work

    Apr 7, 2011 12:15 am

    With the arrival of spring, Illinois farmers are monitoring soil temperatures for decisions in the field. Soil temperatures across the state have been on the rise, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

  • No Surprises for March: Near Average Temperatures

    Apr 5, 2011 12:15 am

    The statewide average temperature for Illinois in March was 41.0 degrees, just 0.1 degrees below the 1971–2000 average, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey (http://www.isws.illinois.edu).

  • Tenth Wettest February on Record for Illinois

    Mar 7, 2011 12:30 am

    The statewide average precipitation in Illinois for February was 3.39 inches, 1.46 inches above normal. This ranks as the tenth wettest February since statewide records began in 1895, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey (http://www.isws.illinois.edu).

  • ISWS Scientist Honored for Contribution to Meteorological Sciences

    Feb 7, 2011 12:30 am

    The American Meteorological Society at its Annual Conference in Seattle during January 24–27, 2011 awarded the distinction of Honorary Member to Stanley A. Changnon, a scientist at the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

  • Lake Effect Adds a Punch to the Latest Snowstorm

    Feb 3, 2011 12:30 am

    Conditions earlier this week were exactly right for Lake Michigan to help the latest intense snowstorm drop up to 2 feet of snow in the Chicago area, according to David Kristovich, head of the Center for Atmospheric Science at the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS).

  • December 2010 in Illinois–Cold and Snowy

    Jan 3, 2011 12:30 am

    The statewide average temperature for December was 24.0 degrees, which is 5.8 degrees below normal. This ranks as the 12th coldest December on record, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey (http://www.isws.illinois.edu).

  • Warm November in Illinois

    Dec 3, 2010 12:30 am

    The statewide average rainfall for October was 1.4 inches, 1.5 inches below normal. This ranks as the 20th driest October on record, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey (http://www.isws.illinois.edu).

  • October Solar Radiation in Illinois: Record High in 2010, Record Low Last Year

    Nov 10, 2010 12:45 am

    Did it seem to you that the weather in October was quite a bit sunnier than in Octobers of the past? Do you remember last October as being rather cloudy?

    If these are your impressions, you are correct, according to Bob Scott, Director of the Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring Program at the Illinois State Water Survey. Scott operates an array of weather sites across the state called the Illinois Climate Network, and one of the sensors on the stations measures solar radiation.

  • November Snow Climatology for the Midwest

    Nov 4, 2010 12:45 am

    In the Midwest, November is typically the first month of the cold season when measureable snowfall occurs over a majority of the region, according to the Midwestern Regional Climate Center at the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS).  However, it is not uncommon for northern portions of the Midwest to experience their first snowfall in October.

  • October Was Warm and Dry in Illinois

    Nov 3, 2010 12:00 am

    The statewide average rainfall for October was 1.4 inches, 1.5 inches below normal. This ranks as the 20th driest October on record, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey (http://www.isws.illinois.edu).