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Water Survey

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  • 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.

  • Groundwater Awareness Week: March 10-16, 2013

    Mar 1, 2013 2:45 am

    In the spring, just before peak water use season begins, is a good time to check that your water well is working properly and that your water is safe to drink, according to Walt Kelly, interim head of the Center for Groundwater Science at the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS), University of Illinois.

  • winter scene in the woods

    A wild February ended an otherwise mild winter

    Mar 2, 2021 8:00 am

    The cold season came with a vengeance in February, bringing bitter cold and snow across the state. The preliminary statewide average February temperature was 20.0 degrees, 11.1 degrees below the 1991–2020 average.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • July brought sweetcorn…and floods, drought, heat, smoke, and tornadoes

    Aug 3, 2023 1:45 pm

    In one month, Illinoisans experienced severe heat, lingering drought and flash floods, strong storms, and poor air quality. This was not your typical July, according to Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford at the Illinois State Water Survey. 

  • solar eclipse

    Water Survey researchers tracked weather changes during the eclipse

    Sep 14, 2017 3:00 pm

    An Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) team documented the eclipse at the Dixon Springs Agricultural Center in Simpson, Illinois, to learn how the atmosphere responded to rapid changes in solar radiation as the moon blocked the sun. At the same time, another team recorded climate conditions every 10 seconds at 19 Illinois locations.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • May was cool and wet in Illinois

    Cool, wet May ends wet spring

    Jun 2, 2020 9:00 am

    May was much colder and moderately wetter than average across Illinois, bringing an end to a wet climatological spring season. The preliminary statewide average May temperature was 60.5 degrees, 2.2 degrees below the 30-year normal and the 39th coldest on record. Preliminary statewide average total precipitation for May was 5.41 inches, 0.81 inches wetter than the 30-year normal and the 25th wettest on record.

  • ISWS Engineer is Selected to Serve on New FEMA Council

    Jul 17, 2014 3:45 pm

    Sally McConkey, Water Resources Engineer at the Illinois State Water Survey, has been selected as a member of the newly created Technical Mapping Advisory Council for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), as directed by Congress.

  • Scientific Models Use Weather Data to Predict State's West Nile Virus Infection Rates

    Aug 4, 2016 7:15 pm

    As this year's West Nile virus (WNV) transmission season begins, researchers from the University of Illinois have made available forecasting models they created for each of the nine climate areas of Illinois to predict mosquito infection rates on a weekly basis. Mosquitoes transmit WNV to humans.

  • A warm, dry September extended summer in Illinois

    Oct 4, 2021 8:15 am

    The statewide average temperature of 69.4 degrees in September was 2.6 degrees above average, but the humidity was lower than in the previous months. 

  • El Niño and the Midwest

    Nov 19, 2015 2:15 pm

    What effect could El Niño have on winter in the Midwest and the rest of the United States? Find out on the new El Niño webpage from the Midwestern Regional Climate Center (MRCC), located at the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS). (http://mrcc.isws.illinois.edu/mw_climate/elNino/index.jsp)

  • 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.

     

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • New collaboration with the United Kingdom Focuses on water challenges

    Jan 13, 2013 2:00 am

    The Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) at the Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois, has signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on water-related projects with faculty at the Water@Leeds Research Centre, University of Leeds in the United Kingdom.  This collaboration will focus on topics such as climate change, water quality and supply, flooding, drought, and regulatory issues.

  • 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 

  • Sixth Wettest April on Record

    May 1, 2009 11:30 am

    April statewide rainfall averaged 6.2 inches, 2.4 inches above normal and tied with 1983 for the 6th wettest April since statewide records began in 1895. The wettest April on record was 7.1 inches in 1957. Normal statewide April rainfall is 3.8 inches, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey (http://www.sws.uiuc.edu).

  • Water Survey simulation of Aug. 12 Gibson City flood

    Water Survey simulation matches progress of Gibson City flood

    Aug 24, 2021 2:45 pm

    A model simulation produced by the Illinois State Water Survey shows the progression of the flood in Gibson City from the morning to the evening of Aug. 12, 2021

  • Free Online Program Educates Homeowners with Water Wells

    Nov 19, 2012 7:30 pm

    Homeowners in small communities and rural areas without a public water supply often don’t fully understand how to manage, operate, and protect their private well.

  • November 2013 in Illinois – Cold and Dry

    Dec 2, 2013 1:30 am

    November 2013 will always be remembered for the tornado outbreak on November 17, 2013, that produced 25 tornadoes across Illinois based on the latest reports. While not as dramatic, weather conditions for the month of November were colder and drier than average, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel at the Illinois State Water Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois.

  • Gov. Rauner appoints ISWS scientist George Roadcap to Mahomet Aquifer Task Force

    Dec 22, 2017 2:45 pm

    Illinois State Water Survey hydrogeologist George Roadcap is among those appointed to the Mahomet Aquifer Task Force, which has been charged with protection of the Mahomet Aquifer, a primary source of drinking water for 500,000 Central Illinois residents.

  • Warm year in Illinois ends with a cold, dry December

    Jan 3, 2018 2:00 pm

    2017 was the sixth warmest year on record in Illinois with a statewide average temperature of 54.3 degrees, or 2 degrees above normal, in spite of the very cold ending to December.

  • 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).

  • New online county maps highlight flood hazard areas in Illinois

    Feb 8, 2008 7:15 pm

    Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) engineers are bringing county floodplain maps into the 21st century, from two-dimensional paper products to digital illustrations using the latest geographical software and technology. The updated, online maps are easily accessible to community stakeholders for use in reducing the risk for flood damage.

  • Soils Warmer than Average across Illinois this Winter

    Feb 22, 2016 10:30 pm

    Soil temperatures in Illinois have been above normal for most of the winter, according to Jennie Atkins, Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring (WARM) Program manager at the Illinois State Water Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Tenth Warmest March on Record in Illinois

    Apr 6, 2016 10:15 pm

    March 2016 was the 10th warmest March on record with an average temperature of 46.5 degrees, 5.2 degrees above normal. Illinois was not alone; essentially the entire US was warmer than normal in March, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel, Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

  • A Wet May, Spring, and Year to Date for Illinois

    Jun 3, 2013 2:30 am

    The statewide precipitation for May was 6.87 inches, 2.25 inches above the long-term average, and the 12th wettest May on record, according to Jim Angel, Illinois State Climatologist at the Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois.

  • physical model in which vertical rods extend from a map to show groundwater level changes in the Joliet, Illinois, area

    ISWS innovates in analysis and visualization of groundwater data

    Sep 18, 2020 10:15 am

    Water Survey staff have developed innovative ways to analyze and visualize groundwater data, from painstakingly soldered flow models using electricity, to digital flow models like the widely used Prickett-Lonnquist Aquifer Simulation Model (PLASM), to more recent interactive maps and a new approach to developing potentiometric surfaces using MODFLOW.

  • 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.

  • Fall begins with warm September in Illinois

    Oct 4, 2024 11:30 am

    The first three weeks of September were extremely dry across much of the Midwest, with the remnants of Hurricane Helene providing drought relief for parts of Illinois, according to Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford at the University of Illinois’ Illinois State Water Survey.

  • Second Wettest Year on Record for Illinois

    Jan 9, 2009 8:15 pm

     Illinois experienced its second wettest year on record when 50.7 inches of precipitation fell in 2008. This was 11.4 inches above normal. Only 1993 was wetter with 51.2 inches. Nine of the 12 months in 2008 received above-normal precipitation, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey (http://www.isws.illinois.edu).

  • 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.

  • Wet Soil Conditions in Illinois

    Jun 17, 2017 2:45 pm

    Higher than normal rainfall across most of the state has led to wet soil conditions,  according to Jennie Atkins, Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring (WARM) Program Manager at the Illinois State Water Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois.

  • State Climatologist: July brought its typical calamity in Illinois

    Aug 1, 2022 4:00 pm

    Rain inundated the south-central and northern parts of Illinois in July, causing flooding, according to Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford at the University of Illinois’ 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. 

  • 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.

  • Soil Temperatures Higher than Normal in Mid-September

    Sep 16, 2016 4:00 pm

    Soil temperatures in Illinois are averaging 3 to 5 degrees above the long-term averages, according to Jennie Atkins, Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring (WARM) Program manager at the Illinois State Water Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Second Wettest October on Record

    Nov 2, 2009 10:00 am

     Based on preliminary data in Illinois, the statewide average rainfall was 8.9 inches, 6.0 inches above normal. This is the second wettest October on record for the state based on data going back to 1895. It almost beat the wettest October on record, 9.2 inches set in 1941, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey (http://www.isws.illinois.edu).

  • December Finished Cold in Illinois

    Jan 7, 2014 4:15 pm

    In December, the statewide temperature of 25.5 degrees was 4.4 degrees below average, making it the 20th coldest December on record since 1895. However, it is far short of the record coldest December of 1983 when the statewide temperature was only 17.1 degrees, 8.4 degrees colder than this December, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel at the Illinois State Water Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois.

  • 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.

  • 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.