blog posts

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  Warm and dry, but enjoyable, October

  Nov 5, 2024 3:30 pm

  Most of last month was somewhat to extremely dry across Illinois, marking the state’s 10th driest October on record, according to Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford at the University of Illinois’ Illinois State Water Survey.

• 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.

• Soil temperatures were warmer than normal in mid-November

  Nov 16, 2017 2:30 pm

  Soil temperatures at 4 inches under bare soil averaged 43.4 degrees on November 14, 4.5 degrees below the long-term average. Daily maximums reached into the low 50s with Fairfield reporting the day’s highest temperature at 52.7 degrees.

• November in Illinois: Cool and dry with a dash of snow

  Dec 1, 2017 2:45 pm

  November in Illinois was slightly cooler and slightly drier than average, says the Illinois State Climatologist.

• 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).

• Ninth Warmest Fall on Record for Illinois

  Dec 11, 2007 7:30 pm

  "Fall temperatures averaged 57.0 degrees, 2.9 degrees above normal and the 9th warmest fall since 1895. This was largely the result of warmer September and October temperatures that were 3.6 and 4.9 degrees above normal, respectively. Statewide temperatures in November averaged 41.6 degrees, only 0.1 degree below normal," 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.

• Chances of a White Christmas in Illinois This year

  Dec 14, 2012 7:30 pm

  What are the chances of a white Christmas in Illinois this year?  Historically, the highest odds are in northern Illinois, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel at the Illinois State Water Survey.

• Cold, dry December ends a warm year in Illinois

  Jan 4, 2017 4:30 pm

  The statewide average temperature for December was 28.6 degrees, 1.3 degrees below normal, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel, Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

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  December brought warm and dry weather to end 2020

  Jan 4, 2021 10:45 am

• 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

• 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.

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  A warm start to January, followed by snow and record-breaking cold

  Feb 1, 2019 2:15 pm

  January 2019 will be a month remembered by an unseasonably warm start, followed by a torrent of winter storms, and ending with a monumental Arctic air outbreak that shattered many record-cold temperatures across the state.

• January Was Warmer, Wetter than Usual

  Feb 2, 2007 8:30 pm

  "Despite the recent cold spell, statewide January temperatures of 29.5°F were 4.7°F above normal, and precipitation of 3 inches was 1.07 inches above normal, based on preliminary data. Temperatures were well above normal the first half of January (12.7°F above) and slightly below normal the second half (2.8°F below), the third consecutive month with above normal temperatures. November–January temperatures were 4.2°F above normal, the 7th warmest such period on record since 1895," 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.

• January 2015 in Illinois: Cool and Dry

  Feb 2, 2015 3:15 pm

  January 2015 in Illinois was slightly cooler and drier than average. The statewide temperature was 25.4 degrees, 1 degree below average and the 53rd coldest on record, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel, Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

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  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.

• January in Illinois: Wet Conditions Despite the Lack of Snow

  Feb 4, 2013 2:00 am

  Snowfall was below average in January, but the statewide precipitation—which includes both rain and melted snow—was 3.9 inches, nearly 2 inches above average, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

• Soils were warm throughout the state this winter

  Feb 24, 2017 4:30 pm

  Warmer winter soils may have an impact on agriculture and crop pest control this spring, according to researchers at the University of Illinois' Prairie Research Institute.

• National Groundwater Awareness Week: March 8–14, 2015

  Feb 27, 2015 3:15 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.

• Winter Finally Arrives in Illinois in February

  Mar 1, 2013 2:45 am

  Snowfall was below average in January, but the statewide precipitation—which includes both rain and melted snow—was 3.9 inches, nearly 2 inches above average, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

• February: More Rain, Less Snow

  Mar 3, 2009 8:00 pm

  February statewide precipitation averaged 2.45 inches, 0.52 inches above normal. Ft. Massac State Park reported the highest monthly precipitation total of 6.03 inches, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey 

• Seventh Coldest February on Record Wraps Up Winter in Illinois

  Mar 3, 2015 3:15 pm

  The statewide average temperature for February was 18.6 degrees, which is 12.3 degrees below the 1981-2010 average and the 7th coldest February on record. In comparison, February 2014 was the 9th coldest at 19.5 degrees, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel, Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

• February breaks record for warm temperatures in Illinois

  Mar 3, 2017 4:30 pm

  February was the warmest February on record for Illinois, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel at University of Illinois’ Illinois State Water Survey.

• This Winter was the 4th Coldest on Record in Illinois

  Mar 4, 2014 4:15 pm

  The average statewide temperature for the three core winter months of December, January, and February was 20.8 degrees. It was 8.2 degrees below average and the fourth coldest December-February period on record, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel at the Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

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  February’s roller coaster weather wraps up winter

  Mar 4, 2025 12:15 pm

  The month of February is known for bringing cold weather in Illinois, but it also often sees some of the biggest day-to-day temperature changes — as it did last month, according to Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford at the University of Illinois’ Illinois State Water Survey.

• Snowy, Wet February, 9th Coldest on Record

  Mar 5, 2007 8:30 pm

  "Old Man Winter weather arrived in full force across much of Illinois in February, the 9th coldest on record since 1895, with a statewide temperature of 21.9°F, 8.9°F below normal, based on preliminary data. Snowfall generally was 2–6 inches (southern Illinois), 6–25 inches (central Illinois), and 12–25 inches (northern Illinois). Heaviest amounts occurred in east-central Illinois, with Sidell (Champaign County) reporting 27.5 inches, the most for any Illinois station.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• March was Cold and Dry in Illinois

  Apr 1, 2014 4:15 pm

  The statewide average temperature for March in Illinois was 33.8 degrees, which was 7 degrees below average and the 8th coldest March on record. Combined with the colder-than-average January and February made this the 4th coldest start (23.6 degrees) for Illinois for the year to date, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel at the Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

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  March 2019: A cold start with a stormy, wet finish to the month

  Apr 1, 2019 2:30 pm

  March 2019 will be a month remembered for an unseasonably cold start, followed by an active and wet weather pattern which resulted in a continuation of excess soil moisture, and major flooding events on many local streams and rivers.

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  March was warmer with above average precipitation in Illinois

  Apr 2, 2020 9:15 am

  March was warmer and wetter than average across the state, according to Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford.

• 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).

• 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.

• 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).

• March Was Warmer and Drier than Normal

  Apr 6, 2010 1:45 am

  Based on preliminary data in Illinois, the statewide average temperature for March was 43.6 degrees, 2.5 degrees above normal. This ends a three-month streak of colder than normal temperatures that occurred this winter, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey (http://www.isws.illinois.edu).

• Soil Moisture and Temperatures Dictate Spring Planting Dates

  Apr 8, 2010 1:45 am

  Once springtime arrives, Illinois crop producers begin watching and waiting for optimal soil moisture and temperatures to kick off the 2010 planting season.  Soil moisture at the end of March was above average over much of Illinois, according to Bob Scott, meteorologist of the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

• Soil Moisture Levels Near Normal for the Start of the Growing Season

  Apr 16, 2013 2:45 am

  Soil moisture levels are normal in Illinois for the start of the growing season, according to Jennie Atkins, Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring (WARM) Program Manager at the Illinois State Water Survey.

• Soil moisture levels high across Illinois

  Apr 16, 2014 4:00 pm

  Soil moisture levels in Illinois are high 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 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 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.

• Warm Soils Reported Throughout Illinois

  Apr 18, 2017 4:15 pm

  Soil temperatures rose steadily over the first half of April, increasing 11.5 degrees during the first 15 days. At depths of 4 inches under sod, temperatures averaged 54.9 degrees for the period, 4.4 degrees higher than the long-term average.

• Weather was Average for April in Illinois

  May 2, 2016 8:00 pm

  Colder temperatures in the first half of April in Illinois were nearly canceled out by warmer temperatures in the second half of the month, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

• A Wet April and Record-Warm January-April in Illinois

  May 2, 2017 4:15 pm

  The statewide average precipitation for April in Illinois was 7.01 inches, 3.23 inches above normal and the second wettest April on record, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel at the University of Illinois’ Illinois State Water Survey.

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  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.

• Soil Moisture Levels Increased in Early May

  May 18, 2015 2:45 pm

  Soil moisture increased slightly throughout the state the first half of May, according to Jennie Atkins, Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring (WARM) Program Manager at the Illinois State Water Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois.

• Increase in Soil Moisture due to Recent Rains

  May 19, 2014 4:00 pm

  Recent rains across Illinois have led to increases in soil moisture levels, 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 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.

• May Was Warm and Wet in Illinois

  Jun 1, 2015 2:45 pm

  Despite cool weather at times, May was 2.3 degrees above average on temperature and 1 inch above average on rainfall, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel, Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

• May in Illinois: Warmer Than Average, Dry in the West

  Jun 2, 2014 4:00 pm

  The statewide average temperature for May in Illinois was 63.9 degrees F, which is 1.2 degrees above average. This is the first month for temperatures to be above average in Illinois since October 2013, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel, Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.