Prairie Research Institute

blog posts

• Record-Wettest August in Illinois

  Sep 1, 2016 5:00 pm

  The statewide average rainfall for August was 6.89 inches, 3.30 inches above normal and the wettest August on record, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel, Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

• ISWS Partners on Project to Help Communities Prepare for Climate Extremes

  Sep 1, 2016 5:00 pm

  Climatologists from the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) are partnering with the American Planning Association in a two-year project to assist five Illinois pilot communities in preparing for more frequent climate extremes using current weather and climate data.

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  State Climatologist: A mild August wraps up summer in Illinois

  Sep 1, 2022 4:15 pm

  Mild temperatures in August this year in Illinois followed a heatwave in May, above average temperatures in June, and a cooler July.

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  August wrapped up a mild and drier summer in Illinois

  Sep 1, 2023 2:45 pm

  The heatwave in late August was intense, but the average temperature and rainfall for the month were nearly normal based on long-term records, according to Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford at the Illinois State Water Survey. Likewise, the summer season temperature was within 1 degree of normal with slightly drier conditions. 

• Summer - One of the Warmest and Wettest on Record

  Sep 2, 2010 1:00 am

  This summer was one of the warmest and wettest on record, based on preliminary data. The statewide average temperature for summer (June–August) in Illinois was 76.4 degrees, 2.7 degrees above normal and the seventh warmest summer on record, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey (http://www.isws.illinois.edu).

• 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.

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  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.

• Soils Across Illinois Damp at the End of September

  Sep 23, 2014 3:45 pm

  Soils are damp across the state at the end of September, according to Jennie Atkins, Water and Atmospheric Resources Manager at the Illinois State Water Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois.

• 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).

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  October brought real fall to Illinois this year

  Nov 1, 2022 3:00 pm

  October in 2021 was warm and rainy, putting a damper on fall festivities in Illinois, but this year’s October did not disappoint fall lovers, according to Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford at the University of Illinois’ Illinois State Water Survey. Temperatures and precipitation were below average.

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  October in Illinois had warm temperatures and plenty of rain

  Nov 2, 2021 10:45 am

  October 2021 in Illinois was the eighth warmest and the fourth wettest October on record going back to 1895, according to Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford at the University of Illinois’ Illinois State Water Survey.

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  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. 

• Warm and Damp November in Illinois

  Dec 1, 2015 2:15 pm

  Illinois experienced its third wettest and tenth warmest November on record, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel, Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

• 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.

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  Big temperature swings in November, wrapping up an otherwise mild fall

  Dec 8, 2022 2:15 pm

  Temperature swings in November were extreme in Illinois with slightly cooler than normal temperatures overall, according to Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford at the University of Illinois’ Illinois State Water Survey. Meanwhile, most of the state had drier than normal conditions, which extended the dry streak in summer and fall. Near to above normal snowfall fell across the state.

   

• 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.

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  State Climatologist describes December's cold snap and warm up

  Jan 3, 2023 8:15 am

  The extreme temperatures and wind chill values that Illinoisans experienced before the holidays are very unusual for late December, only occurring in northern and central Illinois once every 20 to 25 years. In the last week of the month, high temperatures ranged from the low 50s to mid-60s, between 10 and 25 degrees above normal.

• Midwest Experiences Warmest and Wettest December on Record

  Jan 6, 2016 10:30 pm

  In a year when many state records were broken, 2015 ended with historically warm temperatures and well above-normal precipitation, leading to the warmest and wettest December on record for the Midwest, according to the Midwestern Regional Climate Center (MRCC) at the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS).

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  Testing for lead in private wells

  Jan 27, 2021 12:00 pm

  To prevent public health crises that result from widespread lead contamination in drinking water, community water supplies are required to closely monitor their drinking water quality. 

• January in Illinois Presented Wild Temperature Swings

  Feb 2, 2016 10:30 pm

  Illinois temperatures in January showed some very large swings in which the highs and lows tended to cancel each other out, with a monthly temperature of 26.7 degrees, or just 0.3 degrees above average, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel, Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

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  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.

• Wettest February Ends Third Wettest Winter

  Mar 4, 2008 7:15 pm

  This past February was the wettest on record in Illinois with statewide records going back to 1895. The 4.48 inches of precipitation was 2.49 inches above average. February is typically one of the driest months of the year, averaging only 1.99 inches, 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.

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  Another Mild February Ends Another Weak Winter in Illinois

  Mar 5, 2024 9:45 am

  Preliminary findings showed that February 2024 was the 3^rd warmest and 4^th 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.  

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  Researchers update Illinois standards for storm frequencies

  May 2, 2019 10:45 am

  Researchers at the Illinois State Water Survey have recently applied newer data to update Bulletin 70, the publication that provides the state standards for expected extreme storms. Engineers who design these sewers and culverts are typically required by county or community ordinances to use data from Bulletin 70 to build adequate structures based on a predefined magnitude and duration of storms.

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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.

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  State Climatologist reported that April temperatures and precipitation fluctuated in Illinois

  May 4, 2020 9:00 am

  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.

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  Drought takes hold after a warm and dry May

  Jun 6, 2023 8:30 am

  The typical May showers were largely absent for most of Illinois, according to Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford at the Illinois State Water Survey. Most of the state ended the month between 1 and 4 inches drier than normal, with drought conditions affecting soil moisture and streamflow. 

• 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).

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  Summer started mostly warm and dry in Illinois

  Jul 2, 2020 1:30 pm

  The preliminary statewide average June temperature was 73.7 degrees, 1.8 degrees above the 30-year normal, according to Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford at the University of Illinois’ Illinois State Water Survey. The preliminary statewide average total June precipitation was 3.70 inches, 0.51 inches below the 30-year normal.

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  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.

• End-of-June Rainfall Provides Remarkable Transformation

  Jul 6, 2007 7:45 pm

  "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.

• 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.

• Future Groundwater Supplies are a Concern for Growing Illinois Communities

  Aug 24, 2009 10:00 am

  Population growth may be an economic boon for communities and counties, but the subsequent increased water demand could threaten the amount and quality of public water supplies available within the next few decades, according to Scott Meyer, hydrogeologist at the Illinois State Water Survey, a division of the Institute of Natural Resource Sustainability at the University of Illinois.

• Climatologist compares rainfall from Hurricane Harvey with Chicago storms

  Sep 25, 2017 2:15 pm

  What would happen if the rain from Hurricane Harvey that fell in Houston, Texas, hit Chicago? The result would be unlike any rainstorm that Chicago has ever seen, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel.

• September was dry and warm in Illinois

  Oct 2, 2017 2:15 pm

  The statewide average rainfall in September was 0.78 inches, 2.45 inches below normal and the 5th driest September on record, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel at the Illinois State Water Survey.

• Sixth Warmest September in Illinois

  Oct 3, 2016 4:00 pm

  September was the sixth warmest on record with statewide records going back to 1895. The statewide average temperature was 70.7 degrees, 4.5 degrees above normal, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel, Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

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  September Was Cool and Wet for Illinois

  Oct 7, 2014 3:45 pm

  September was 1.5 degrees cooler than average and 0.88 inches wetter than average for Illinois, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel, Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

• Soil Temperatures Warmer than Normal in Mid-October

  Oct 17, 2016 4:45 pm

  CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Soil temperatures in Illinois were 1 to 2 degrees above normal in mid-October, according to Jennie Atkins, Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring (WARM) Program manager at the Illinois State Water Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois.

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  Cool fall temperatures continued in October

  Nov 3, 2020 1:00 pm

  October was much cooler than average across Illinois, 2.6 degrees below the 30-year normal for the month, according to Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford at the University of Illinois’ Illinois State Water Survey. The preliminary statewide average October temperature was 51.8 degrees.

• Widespread shallow groundwater contamination found in Southwestern Illinois cave streams and springs

  Nov 17, 2016 4:45 pm

  Researchers have detected prescription and over-the-counter medications and personal care products in Illinois groundwater, an indication that humans are contaminating water that is vital to aquatic life.

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  Cold November brings an end to meteorological autumn

  Dec 2, 2019 3:45 pm

  November temperatures were well below the long-term average across the state, breaking hundreds of local daily records. The preliminary statewide November average temperature was 35.6 degrees, about 7 degrees below our 30-year normal and tied for the ninth coldest on record.

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  November brings a warm end to fall

  Dec 2, 2020 9:30 am

  According to Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford, November was much warmer and slightly drier than average across Illinois. The preliminary statewide average November temperature was 46.6 degrees, 4.1 degrees above the 30-year normal and tied for the ninth warmest on record. Preliminary statewide average total precipitation for November was 2.94 inches, 0.53 inches less than the 30-year normal, and the 70th driest on record.

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  November puts an end to a warmer and drier fall

  Dec 4, 2023 10:15 am

  The average statewide temperature was above the 30-year average in November, according to Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford at the Illinois State Water Survey. Precipitation was 2.34 inches below average, making it the eighth driest of that month on record. 

• Fall Brings Near-Record Warmth to the Midwest

  Dec 8, 2015 2:15 pm

  Warm conditions blanketed the Midwest during the 2015 fall season (September-October-November), bringing near-record seasonal and monthly temperatures, according the Midwestern Regional Climate Center (http://mrcc.isws.illinois.edu/), Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS).

• 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.

• Chance of a White Christmas in Illinois

  Dec 15, 2014 3:45 pm

  It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, but will it be white?  A white Christmas is defined as at least an inch of snow on the ground on Christmas Day. It should come as no surprise that the highest odds are in northern Illinois, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel, Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

• 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.

• 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).

• Heavy Rain in Southern Illinois Results in Widespread Flooding

  Mar 19, 2008 7:15 pm

  A storm system moving slowly through southern Illinois since March 17 has produced rainfall totals that have already exceeded 8 inches in some places south of Interstate 70, 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.

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  Temperature swings were typical for March in Illinois

  Apr 1, 2022 2:30 pm

  As is typical for March weather, Illinois temperatures varied from day to day, with an average statewide temperature 1.5 degrees above normal, according to Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford at the University of Illinois’ Illinois State Water Survey. March average precipitation was 1.32 inches above normal.