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Water Survey

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  • August was Cool and Dry in Illinois

    Sep 5, 2017 3:45 pm

    The statewide average temperature in August was 70.6 degrees, 3 degrees below normal. This was the 12th coolest August on record, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel at the Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

  • August Rainfall, Heaviest on Record in Northeastern Illinois

    Aug 24, 2007 7:45 pm

    "Rainfall amounts in northeastern Illinois already have established this as the wettest August and wettest summer since regional records began in 1895. As of the morning of August 24, rainfall for northeastern Illinois (including those counties from Boone to LaSalle and eastward) averaged 11.32 inches, 8.10 inches above normal, and beating the 1987 record of 11.02 inches. Totals for JuneAugust thus far in this area averaged 20.02 inches, 8.91 inches above normal, and beating the 1972 record of 19.26 inches," 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.

  • August Provided Illinois with Extremes: Rainfall Records in North and Drought in South

    Sep 10, 2007 7:30 pm

    "Rainfall amounts in northeastern Illinois established this as the wettest August and wettest summer since regional records began in 1895. Rainfall for northeastern Illinois (including those counties from Boone to LaSalle and eastward) averaged 11.47 inches, 7.33 inches above normal, and beat the 1987 record of 11.02 inches. JuneAugust totals thus far in this area averaged 20.05 inches, 8.02 inches above normal, and beat the 1972 record of 19.26 inches. Northwestern Illinois received 8.45 inches in August, 4.05 inches above normal and the 5th wettest on record. Its JuneAugust total was 19.18 inches, 6.69 inches above normal and the 4th wettest on record," 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.

  • 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).

  • August caps off a mild summer

    Sep 5, 2024 8:00 am

    The final month of summer had mild temperatures, except for an intense heat wave in the final few days of the month, wrapping up a mild season overall, according to Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford at the University of Illinois’ Illinois State Water Survey.

  • August and Summer Were Cool and Dry in Illinois

    Sep 5, 2013 1:00 am

    The statewide average precipitation for August was 1.38 inches, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel, Illinois State Water Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois.  It was the third driest August on record and 2.22 inches below the 1981-2010 average.

  • A Snowy, Rainy March in Illinois

    Apr 3, 2017 4:15 pm

    Statewide precipitation averaged 3.62 inches, 0.66 inches above normal. The highest monthly total precipitation was in Lockport with 7.22 inches, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel at the University of Illinois’ Illinois State Water Survey.

  • A Snowy Christmas in Illinois is Rare

    Dec 14, 2009 1:45 am

    Every year in December, weather forecasters are asked the age-old question:  Will we have a white Christmas this year? An analysis of Illinois' history shows the chances are slim, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel at the Illinois State Water Survey.

  • Ask me anything: WARM team

    Apr 14, 2020 11:00 am

    Environmental chemist Jennie Atkins manages the Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring (WARM) Program, which monitors and measures Illinois' waters, soils, and climate. WARM works with municipalities, industries, state agencies, and environmental groups to develop monitoring plans to address major watershed issues. 

  • 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.

  • Arsenic in Private Wells is Hot Topic at ISWS Water Testing Lab

    Sep 16, 2008 12:30 am

    September 18 is World Water Monitoring Day

    Since the national drinking water standard for arsenic became more stringent in 2006, arsenic in Illinois groundwater has become a health concern, especially for private well owners. Community water supplies are government-regulated, but private well owners must monitor their own water for safety, according to Brian Kaiser, associate chemist at the Illinois State Water Survey Public Service Laboratory at the University of Illinois Institute for Resource Sustainability.

  • A Rainy June Set a New Record for Illinois

    Jul 1, 2015 2:45 pm

    The statewide average precipitation for June 2015 in Illinois was 9.53 inches, or 5.33 inches above the average June precipitation. This was the wettest June on record for Illinois, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel, Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

     

  • frost on flower bud

    April's temperature roller coaster ends colder, wetter than average

    May 4, 2020 1:45 pm

    According to Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford, April ended colder and wetter than average across the state. The preliminary statewide average April temperature was 49.2 degrees, 3.4 degrees below the 30-year normal and tied for the 27th coldest on record going back to 1895. The preliminary statewide average total April precipitation was 4.36 inches, 0.58 inches above than the 30-year normal and the 43rd wettest on record.

  • April in Illinois was Warm and Wet

    May 5, 2014 4:00 pm

    The statewide average temperature for April was 51.9 degrees, only 0.7 degrees below average. While it continues the string of below-average months that stretched all the way back to November, this month had the smallest departure from average, according to Jim Angel, Illinois State Climatologist at the Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

  • April in Illinois was Much Wetter than Last Year

    May 2, 2013 2:30 am

    April was the 4th wettest on record for Illinois with 6.90 inches of rain, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel at the Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois. That total was 3.13 inches above the long-term average of 3.77 inches for the month.

  • April conditions in Illinois featured colder weather and frequent rainfall

    May 3, 2022 8:30 am

    April was colder than normal in Illinois, with freezing temperatures occurring into mid-month and as far south as St. Louis Metro East, according to Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford at the University of Illinois’ Illinois State Water Survey. Rainfall in April was frequent but averaged near normal statewide for the month.

  • April brought a mix of winter, spring, and summer weather

    May 3, 2021 12:45 pm

    Illinois temperatures varied considerably in April from way above to significantly below normal, according to Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford at the University of Illinois’ Illinois State Water Survey.

  • snow on pine branches

    April 2019: An active weather pattern and late-season snow

    May 1, 2019 4:30 pm

    April 2019 will be a month remembered for a continuation of an active and stormy weather pattern across Illinois, with two short-lived, yet notable and uncommon late-season snow events which impacted many in the northern portions of the state.

  • April 2018 was second-coldest on record for Illinois

    May 1, 2018 11:45 am

    Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel reports that the statewide average temperature for Illinois in april was 44.7 degrees, 7.9 degrees below normal. The only colder April on records was in 1907, with an average temperature of 43.1.

  • Another very weather-active July in the books

    Aug 7, 2024 11:15 am

    After a drier than normal June, Hurricane Beryl and an active, stormy July resulted in statewide precipitation of 7.01 inches, 2.95 inches above the 1991-2020 average and the third wettest on record, according to Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford at the University of Illinois’ Illinois State Water Survey.

  • Another Mild February Ends Another Weak Winter in Illinois

    Mar 5, 2024 9:45 am

    Preliminary findings showed that February 2024 was the 3rd warmest and 4th driest on record back to the 1800s in Illinois, according to Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford at the University of Illinois’ Illinois State Water Survey.  

  • Annual precipitation records were broken across the Midwest

    Jan 7, 2019 3:30 pm

    More than 120 stations across the Midwest had their wettest year on record in 2018, according to the Midwestern Regional Climate Center (MRCC) at the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS). 

  • Anniversary of First Hook Echo Tornado Captured on Radar

    Apr 9, 2015 3:00 pm

    Today is the 62nd anniversary of the first documented case of a tornado detected by radar. Illinois State Water Survey staff captured the historic event on film on April 9, 1953. This discovery helped lead to the first national weather radar network in the United States, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel, Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

  • Jim Angel

    Angel talks climate, career with Illinois News Bureau

    Dec 3, 2018 8:45 am

    News Bureau physical sciences editor Lois Yoksoulian spoke with State Climatologist Jim Angel about his career, climate change and the recently released National Climate Assessment.

  • An active February finishes climatological winter

    Mar 3, 2022 9:15 am

    The preliminary statewide average February temperature was 27.2 degrees, 3.0 degrees below the 1991–2020 average and tied for 42nd coldest on record going back to 1895. The preliminary statewide average total February precipitation was 3.41 inches, 1.48 inches above the 1991–2020 average and the 9th wettest on record statewide.  

  • snow-covered trees hanging over a path

    A mostly mild January ends with winter storms in Illinois

    Feb 2, 2021 9:45 am

    January was quite a bit warmer and slightly wetter than average across the state, according to Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford at the University of Illinois’ Illinois State Water Survey.

  • A mild October had a chilly end

    Nov 2, 2023 11:30 am

    Most of October in Illinois had above average temperatures, until a weather shift in the last few days of the month brought a shockingly cold Halloween and even snow in some areas, according to Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford at the Illinois State Water Survey. 

  • A mild January in Illinois

    Feb 1, 2017 4:30 pm

    The statewide average temperature in January was 31.4 degrees, 5.0 degrees above normal, and the 14th warmest January on record, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

  • A lack of rain prompts drier soils across Illinois in mid-June

    Jun 17, 2020 8:00 am

    Drier weather has led to declining soil moisture across Illinois, according to Jennie Atkins, Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring (WARM) program manager at the Illinois State Water Survey.

  • A Dry October in Illinois

    Nov 4, 2011 12:45 am

  • A dry June prolonged Illinois’ drought

    Jul 3, 2023 8:15 am

    Dry weather from April to June has caused the most serious drought in Illinois since 2012, according to Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford at the Illinois State Water Survey. In June, crop conditions worsened, and the air quality at the end of the month was the worst the state has seen in years.

  • Above-Average Temperatures for April in Illinois

    May 4, 2015 2:00 pm

    Although April had a few cold stretches, the statewide average temperature for the month was 54.1 degrees, 1.7 degrees above average, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel, Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

  • 2022 begins with a dry and cold January

    Feb 2, 2022 1:00 pm

    The preliminary statewide average January temperature was 21.1 degrees, 5.6 degrees below the 1991–2020 average. The preliminary statewide average total January precipitation was 1.17 inches, 1.14 inches below normal.

  • 2014 Marks the 4th Coldest Year on Record for Illinois

    Jan 5, 2015 3:15 pm

    The statewide average temperature for 2014 was 49.4 degrees F, which is 2.9 degrees below average.  The year was tied with 1912 and 1979 for fourth place, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel, Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

  • 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).

  • 2006 Ranks as 9th Warmest Year for Illinois

    Jan 3, 2007 8:30 pm

    "Based on preliminary data, temperatures of 54.0°F statewide (1.8°F above 30-year normals) made 2006 the 9th warmest year in Illinoissince 1895. This was largely the result of a record-setting January last year with an average temperature of 37.9°F, 13.3°F above normal," said State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey (http://www.sws.uiuc.edu), a division of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

  • 14th Illinois River Conference – Working Locally-Reaching Globally

    Jul 29, 2013 2:00 am

    “Working Locally-Reaching Globally”, the theme for the 14th Biennial Governor's Conference on the Management of the Illinois River System, offers a look at the river system, the local work being done to protect it, and its place on a global scale. The conference will be held on October 1-3, 2013 at Peoria's Four Points by Sheraton.

  • 12th Biennial Conference on the Management of the Illinois River System

    Feb 28, 2009 8:00 pm

    The Illinois State Water Survey is Co-Sponsoring:The Twelfth Biennial Conference on the . Management of the Illinois River SystemOctober 20-22, 2009Hotel Pere Marquette, Peoria, IL