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Water Survey

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  • Increased risk of drought conditions in Illinois

    May 23, 2023 8:00 am

    Weather conditions have been dry in the past four to six weeks in parts of northeastern, western, and central Illinois. Forecasts for the next 7 to 10 days show very dry weather and above normal temperatures, which will likely worsen already dry conditions in the state and potentially cause rapid-onset drought conditions in some areas.

  • brown marmorated stinkbug

    Improved pest degree day calculators are available for the 2021 growing season

    Feb 4, 2021 10:45 am

    Two updated pest degree day calculators from the Prairie Research Institute (PRI) are now available for commodity and specialty crop growers in Illinois, featuring seven-day weather forecasts, graphs, and insect emergence maps to track accumulated degree days and light for the most notorious pests.

  • Illinois was warmer and wetter than normal in August and in the summer

    Sep 4, 2018 1:30 pm

    The statewide average temperature for Illinois in August was 74.9 degrees, 1.3 degrees above normal. The statewide average rainfall was 5.25 inches, 1.66 inches above normal, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey at the University of Illinois. 

  • Illinois was Cold and Dry in November

    Dec 1, 2014 3:45 pm

    November was much colder and drier than average. The statewide average temperature was 34.3 degrees, which is 8.2 degrees below average, and the fourth coldest November on record, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel, Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

  • brown grass on lawn

    Illinois team contributes to vital weekly drought assessment

    Aug 28, 2020 12:00 pm

    Determing which areas of the U.S. and of Illinois are experiencing drought is a critical function of the U.S. Drought Monitor. A team of Illinois scientists led by Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford provides input on the state drought determination every week. 

     

     

  • Illinois State Water Survey to Study Nippersink Creek

    Mar 15, 2016 10:30 pm

    The Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) announced today that new hydrologic and hydraulic modeling of Nippersink Creek will be performed in partnership with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources-Office of Water Resources (IDNR-OWR) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The study will help local communities to identify areas of high flood risk along Nippersink Creek for flood mitigation planning.

  • Illinois State Water Survey to Inventory Private Wells in McLean and Tazewell Counties – Well Owners Asked to Help

    May 1, 2010 1:15 am

    The Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) is set to conduct an inventory of private wells in the rural areas surrounding Armington, Congerville, Danvers, Deer Creek, Goodfield, Hopedale, Mackinaw, McLean, Minier, Morton, and Stanford to determine water levels, pump settings, and well depths for all local wells.

  • Illinois State Water Survey and U of I Extension Team up to Reduce Flood Risk

    Sep 15, 2010 1:00 am

    The Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) and the University of Illinois (U of I) Extension are teaming up to help Illinois communities better understand and reduce their flood risk.

  • Illinois State Water Survey and the U.S. Geological Survey drill new deep sandstone monitoring well in Kendall County

    Mar 22, 2016 10:15 pm

    The Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) completed drilling of a new deep sandstone monitoring well in December 2015. The monitoring well is located in Kendall County, southeast of the town of Newark, IL. The 1,180 feet deep borehole has two nested wells, one which is open to the St. Peter Sandstone and one that is open to the deeper Ironton-Galesville Sandstone. The wells will monitor changing groundwater levels in these aquifers, which are an important source of groundwater for municipal and industrial needs.

  • Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel to retire in December

    Nov 14, 2018 2:00 pm

    Jim Angel, Illinois State Climatologist, has announced that he will retire in December 2018 after 34 years at the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS). In his current position, Angel has served as the primary source of science-based weather and climate information and services for the state of Illinois since 1997.

  • Illinois Soil Temperatures were Warm in Mid-April

    Apr 16, 2015 3:00 pm

    Soil temperatures were slightly above the long-term average in the middle of April, according to Jennie Atkins, Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring (WARM) Program Manager at the Illinois State Water Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois.

  • Illinois soil temperatures are cool in mid-September

    Sep 16, 2022 9:45 am

    Soil temperatures fell during the first two weeks of September as cooler weather moved into the state. 

  • Illinois soil temperatures are cooler than normal in mid-April

    Apr 20, 2023 2:00 pm

    Cooler weather in mid-April has caused Illinois soil temperatures to fall.

  • Illinois Soils Warm Over the First Half of March

    Mar 18, 2016 10:30 pm

    Soil temperatures increased through the first half of March, according to Jennie Atkins, Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring (WARM) Program manager at the Illinois State Water Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois.

  • soils in cornfield

    Illinois soils have cooled in mid-August

    Aug 17, 2023 9:15 am

    A change in weather has cooled soils across Illinois in mid-August, according to Jennie Atkins, Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring (WARM) program manager at the Illinois State Water Survey.

  • Illinois Soils Cooler, Drier in Mid-August

    Aug 17, 2017 3:45 pm

    Soil temperatures at depths of 4 inches under sod averaged 75.8 degrees in Illinois during the first half of August, 1.2 degrees below the long-term average and 4.0 degrees lower than the same period in 2016

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    Illinois soils are warmer, drier in mid-July

    Jul 15, 2019 2:15 pm

    Soils in mid-July are continuing to warm across the state, surpassing average temperatures from last year, according to Jennie Atkins, Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring (WARM) Program manager at the University of Illinois’ Illinois State Water Survey.

  • Illinois soils are warmer and wetter in mid-October

    Oct 18, 2021 1:15 pm

    A wet October has caused soil moisture to rise across the state.

  • Illinois soils are slightly cooler in mid-August

    Aug 18, 2021 1:00 pm

    Soil temperatures have decreased in mid-August as cooler weather moved into the state.

  • Illinois soils are cooling in the first half of October

    Oct 18, 2023 9:30 am

    Soil temperatures have fallen 10 to 20 degrees so far in October, which is normal for this time of year.

  • Illinois soils are cooler in mid-August

    Aug 16, 2022 4:00 pm

    Cooler weather has led to lower soil temperatures in the first half of August in Illinois, according to Jennie Atkins, Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring (WARM) program manager at the Illinois State Water Survey.

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    Illinois soils are cooler and wetter in mid-June

    Jun 18, 2019 8:45 am

    Soil temperatures are increasing after a cooling period the second week of June, according to Jennie Atkins, Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring (WARM) Program manager at the Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

  • Illinois soils are cooler and drier in mid-September

    Sep 14, 2023 2:15 pm

    Cooler weather in the past week has led to lower soil temperatures throughout the state in mid-September.


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    Illinois’ soils are cooler and drier in mid-April

    Apr 17, 2020 9:00 am

    Colder weather entering Illinois has caused soil temperatures to fall, according to Jennie Atkins, Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring (WARM) program manager at the University of Illinois’ Illinois State Water Survey.

  • Illinois soil conditions are hot and dry in June

    Jun 17, 2021 1:45 pm

    Warmer weather has led to higher than normal soil temperatures for Illinois in June.

  • Illinois’ mild winter might benefit insect pests this spring

    Mar 9, 2023 2:45 pm

    Above normal air temperatures this winter kept Illinois average soil temperatures higher than usual. These mild conditions are favorable for insect pests that overwinter in Illinois, but many other factors will affect insect populations for the upcoming growing season, according to scientists at the Prairie Research Institute (PRI), a part of the University of Illinois.

  • Illinois’ June weather was hotter and drier than average

    Jul 5, 2022 9:45 am

    June temperatures in Illinois were above normal with a prolonged heat wave mid-month, according to Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford at the University of Illinois’ Illinois State Water Survey. The rainfall was below normal for June.

  • Illinois in 2012: Second Warmest and Tenth Driest on Record

    Jan 2, 2013 2:00 am

    The year 2012 will long be remembered for the drought and the exceptionally warm temperatures. While the data for December are still preliminary, 2012 was the second warmest and tenth driest year on record for Illinois, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey at the University of Illinois.

  • Illinois has warm, wet June

    Jul 2, 2018 2:00 pm

  • Illinois has Warmer, Drier Soils in Mid-April

    Apr 18, 2016 8:15 pm

    Warmer weather in the second week of April brought warmer and drier soils, according to Jennie Atkins, Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring (WARM) Program manager at the Illinois State Water Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois.

  • Illinois Has Fourth Wettest Year on Record

    Jan 5, 2010 1:45 am

    Based on preliminary data in Illinois, the statewide average precipitation for 2009 was 50.3 inches, 11 inches above normal. This was the fourth wettest year on record for the state based on data going back to 1895, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey

  • Illinois has Four Odd Tornado Seasons in a Row

    Mar 25, 2015 3:00 pm

    The 2015 tornado season thus far in Illinois and the rest of tornado alley is incredibly quiet. However, this quiet start is no reason to relax if the past few years are a guide, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel at the Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

  • Illinois has dry soils in mid-September

    Sep 18, 2017 2:00 pm

    Illinois received 0.20 inches of rain for the month as of September 17, 1.59 inches below the long-term average. Dry weather in August and September has led to low soil moisture across Illinois.

  • Soybeans ready for harvest

    Illinois has cooler, wetter soils in mid-September

    Sep 17, 2020 8:00 am

    Soil temperatures have cooled the first half of September. Wetter weather the past two weeks has led to increases in soil moisture for northern and central Illinois. 

  • Illinois Has a Cool, Dry August

    Sep 1, 2017 2:30 pm

    August was cool across the state and dry in most places in Illinois, capping off a summer that was cool and wet, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel, Illinois State Water Survey, 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.

  • Illinois groundwater resources interactive map

    Jul 18, 2016 11:30 am

    Illinois has an abundance of groundwater resources that supply millions of gallons of water per day to public, irrigation, and commercial/industrial systems. Groundwater resources are unevenly distributed throughout Illinois due to the state’s complex bedrock and glacial geology. This interactive map depicts the three major aquifer systems in Illinois and the public water supply (PWS) wells that extract groundwater from them. Users can select or query wells based on spatial location or attribute, and then can view reported withdrawals in an attribute table or in graph view. Users can also export data found in the attribute tables as a CSV file and can output maps in various formats for printing.

  • Illinois Farm Bureau highlights vital stats available from WARM

    Dec 15, 2017 2:45 pm

    Wind speed, precipitation, soil temperatures and pest degree days. Farmers can get those vital statistics and more from the Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring Program (WARM). More than 150,000 visitors--farmers, governmental agencies, industry and academics--regularly check the website at isws.illinois.edu/warm.

  • Illinois drought impacts continue into the fall

    Sep 14, 2023 2:30 pm

    Drought intensified again in Illinois at the end of the growing season, increasing the risk of fire and blowing dust as harvest approaches. River levels have also dropped near or below low stage, leading to navigation concerns.

  • Illinois drought and soil moisture conditions worsen in mid-June

    Jun 15, 2023 10:00 am

    Northeastern and central Illinois are now experiencing severe drought, as dry conditions persist across the state in the second week of June, causing soil moisture levels to drop and record-low water levels in some areas of the Illinois River. Also, corn and soybeans in parts of southwestern, central, and northeastern Illinois are showing signs of slow growth, according to Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford and Jennie Atkins, Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring (WARM) program manager at the Illinois State Water Survey.

  • metal rain gage standing in field of brown plants

    Illinois Climate Network marks 30 years of monitoring Illinois weather and soil

    Jan 31, 2019 10:45 am

    It’s been 30 years since the Illinois State Water Survey launched the Illinois Climate Network (ICN) to monitor the state’s weather and soils. The 19 ICN stations around the state collect data on wind speed and direction, air temperature, humidity, precipitation, barometric pressure, solar radiation, soil temperatures and soil moisture. Water Survey staff also calculate data on dew point, degree days, potential evapotranspiration, and temperature inversion. All of this information—an annual total of 2 million records—is used by farmers, researchers, and businesses for decision making and planning.

  • Illinois April temperatures were a roller coaster of highs and lows

    May 2, 2023 10:15 am

    April gave Illinoisans a taste of summer in the first half of the month, only to revert to winter-like conditions in the last week of the month. Overall, average temperatures were slightly above normal in April and precipitation was nearly 1.5 inches below normal with a record-setting dry week, according to Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford at the Illinois State Water Survey.

  • Illinoisans Experience Spring-like Weather in January

    Jan 9, 2008 7:15 pm

    On January 7, winter weather gave way to spring-like conditions with record-breaking warmth, heavy rains, and severe weather across Illinois. Record high temperatures were set at several locations, including Peoria (67 degrees), Chicago (65 degrees), and Champaign (67 degrees), according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey (http://www.sws.uiuc.edu), a division of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

  • Illinoisans experienced bone-chilling weather changes in October

    Nov 2, 2018 11:30 am

    The Illinois weather in October 2018 dished up a mixed bag of conditions with temperatures in the 90s, the first fall frost, the first snow of the season, and widespread heavy rains, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel at the Illinois State Water Survey.

  • Eric R. Larson and Sally McConkey standing in the U. of I.’s Red Oak Rain Garden. Photo by Fred Zwicky

    How do we measure community disaster resilience?

    Aug 12, 2022 8:15 am

    In a new study, retired Illinois State Water Survey engineer Sally McConkey and Eric R. Larson, a professor of natural resources and environmental sciences, examined the metrics used at a county scale for national assessments to determine whether communities are prepared to withstand and recover from natural disasters such as floods and fires. 

  • Hot and stormy end to summer

    Sep 2, 2021 8:15 am

    August temperatures were largely above normal across Illinois. Because of the heat and humidity, August precipitation was accompanied by frequent severe weather events including several tornadoes, hail, and strong winds.

  • Higher soil temperatures this winter foretell potential crop pest problems

    Mar 5, 2024 3:15 pm

    Winter 2023-24 has been warm throughout Illinois, creating conditions ripe for insects to overwinter, according to scientists at the Prairie Research Institute (PRI) at the University of Illinois.  

  • High-density Network Measures Incredible Differences in Recent Heavy C-U Rains

    Jun 27, 2007 7:00 pm

    A high-density raingage network identified large differences in rainfall amounts from June 26-27 storms across Champaign County, Illinois. Amounts ranged from 2.58 inches just west of the I-57/I-72 interchange (west of Champaign) to less than 0.20 inch (southeast Urbana).

  • 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.

  • Heavy Rains Strike Parts of Illinois in May

    Jun 2, 2016 7:45 pm

    The statewide average precipitation for May was 4.52 inches, just 0.08 inches below normal. However, heavy rains struck parts of Illinois, causing flooding. Some areas received up to 10 inches of precipitation by the end of the month, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel at the Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.