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  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Cool, Wet Weather Slows Northern and Central Illinois Planting

    May 3, 2007 8:15 pm

    "Combined with cooler temperatures, wet April conditions led to widespread corn planting delays in the northern two-thirds of the state, where precipitation averaged 4.05 inches (0.46 inches above normal) and up to 5–7 inches at some locations. April temperatures averaged 49.5°F statewide (2.7°F below normal), and statewide precipitation was 3.75 inches (just 0.05 inches below normal), based on preliminary data. Southern Illinois was drier, averaging 3.38 inches (0.74 inches below normal), and planting there is further along," 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Soil Moisture Levels Slightly above Normal in the Middle of May

    May 15, 2013 2:30 am

     Soil moisture levels are slightly above normal in Illinois for the middle of May, according to Jennie Atkins, Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring (WARM) Program Manager at the Prairie Research Institute, Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

  • Cooler, Wetter Soils in Mid-May

    May 16, 2016 7:00 pm

    Soils were wetter and cooler than average over most of Illinois in mid-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.

  • Soil temperatures are rising across Illinois

    May 17, 2017 4:00 pm

    Soil temperatures at depths of 4 inches under sod averaged 67.5 degrees in Illinois on May 15, 5 degrees higher than the long-term average. Daily highs were in the 60s and 70s for most of the state.

  • 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.

  • Very Dry May, 8th Warmest on Record

    Jun 1, 2007 8:15 pm

    "May 2007 was the 8th warmest and 23rd driest May since 1895. Statewide May precipitation in Illinois was 2.62 inches (1.65 inches below normal), and statewide temperatures were 67.3°F degrees (4.5°F above normal). Fortunately, short-term impacts of the dry weather were minimal because of abundant soil moisture from rainfall in previous months. Timely and widespread rains across northern and central Illinois over the Memorial Day weekend also provided relief for shallow-rooted corn and soybeans in those areas," 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • May brought a cool end to a warm spring

    Jun 2, 2021 8:15 am

    May temperatures varied substantially across Illinois, with an average temperature 2.5 degrees below the 30-year normal, according to Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford at the University of Illinois’ Illinois State Water Survey.

  • Fifth Wettest Spring on Record

    Jun 3, 2009 11:15 am

    Wet conditions in March, April, and May resulted in 15.9 inches of rain, 4.5 inches above normal and the fifth wettest spring since statewide records began in 1895. May precipitation was 6.0 inches, 1.7 inches above normal and the 19th wettest May on record, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey (http://www.isws.illinois.edu).

  • rain on umbrella

    May 2019: Exceptionally wet and stormy across Illinois

    Jun 3, 2019 3:30 pm

    May 2019 will be a month remembered for exceptional, record-breaking wet conditions locally, as well as an active, stormy, and at times severe weather pattern across the state.

  • Wet Month Leads to Seventh Wettest Spring for Illinois

    Jun 6, 2011 12:45 am

    The statewide average rainfall for Illinois in May was 5.6 inches, 1.3 inches above average for the month. Combined with the 2.8 inches in March and 7.3 inches in April, the total rainfall for this spring was 15.7 inches. This is the seventh wettest spring on record since 1895 and 4.3 inches above average, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey (http://www.isws.illinois.edu).

  • ISWS Website for Water Supply Operators Offers New Social Media Features

    Jun 6, 2011 12:45 am

    Operators of water systems that serve small communities face many challenges:  overcoming compliance issues with few resources and a lack of money to train staff.  That’s where the Illinois State Water Survey’s www.smallwatersupply.org website can help.

  • Wet Weather Continues for Illinois

    Jun 9, 2008 1:15 am

    For the fifth time this year, the monthly statewide precipitation has been above average, resulting in the third wettest January-May since 1895, 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.

  • Warm May wraps up very mild spring

    Jun 10, 2024 1:00 pm

    This spring was the fourth warmest start to any year on record in Illinois, and the summer has a high chance of above normal temperatures, according to Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford at the University of Illinois’ Illinois State Water Survey.

  • Fourth Warmest Spring in Illinois

    Jun 11, 2010 1:15 am

    Based on preliminary data, the statewide average temperature for spring in Illinois was 55.3 degrees, 3.3 degrees above normal and the fourth warmest spring on record. Warmer than normal conditions prevailed in all three spring months of March (2.5 degrees above), April (6.2 degrees above), and May (1.3 degrees above), according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey (http://www.isws.illinois.edu).

  • Soil Moisture Levels Decreasing from Last Week’s Highs

    Jun 16, 2014 3:00 pm

    Soil moisture levels are falling from the highs seen last week due to storms across the state, according to Jennie Atkins, Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring (WARM) Program Manager at the Illinois State Water Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois.

  • Warmer, Drier Soils in Illinois the First Half of June

    Jun 16, 2017 3:00 pm

    Soil temperatures at depths of 4 inches under sod averaged 77.7 degrees in Illinois on June 14, 4.7 degrees above the long-term average.

  • Soil Moisture Levels Remain Slightly Above Normal

    Jun 17, 2013 2:30 am

    Soil moisture levels remained slightly above normal in the middle of June, according to Jennie Atkins, Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring (WARM) Program Manager at the Prairie Research Institute, Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

  • Wet Soil Conditions Continue Throughout Illinois

    Jun 17, 2015 2:45 pm

    Soil conditions throughout Illinois remain wet as most of the state experienced higher than normal rainfall in the first two weeks of July, 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 Warmer and Drier across Illinois in Mid-June

    Jun 17, 2016 7:45 pm

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

  • ISWS Scientists Contributed to Reports Associated with the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize

    Jun 28, 2017 8:00 pm

    Two Illinois State Water Survey atmospheric scientists, Stanley Changnon and Kenneth Kunkel, contributed to reports issued to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with Al Gore.

  • Second Wettest June on Record for Illinois

    Jul 1, 2010 1:15 am

    Illinois has experienced the second wettest June on record, based on preliminary data. The statewide average precipitation for June was 7.8 inches, 3.7 inches above normal, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey (http://www.isws.illinois.edu).

  • June in Illinois: Warmer and Wetter than Average

    Jul 1, 2014 3:00 pm

    The statewide average precipitation for June 2014 in Illinois was 6.78 inches, 2.58 inches above average and the 8th wettest June on record, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel, Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

  • 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.

     

  • rain on umbrella

    June 2019: Stormy and wet with a warm finish

    Jul 1, 2019 4:30 pm

    June 2019 will be a month remembered for a continuation of above average precipitation and near to seasonably cool temperatures, despite an unseasonably warm finish.

  • June brought all kinds of weather to start the summer in Illinois

    Jul 1, 2021 2:15 pm

    June in Illinois started out particularly warm and ended with above average rainfall from numerous storms, according to Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford at the University of Illinois’ Illinois State Water Survey.

  • Wettest January-June on Record for Illinois

    Jul 2, 2008 12:45 am

    Monthly statewide precipitation has been above average every month in the first half of 2008, resulting in the wettest January-June since 1895, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey (http://www.sws.uiuc.edu), at the Institute of Natural Resources Sustainability at the University of Illinois.

  • Wet June and Wettest Year-to-Date in Illinois

    Jul 2, 2013 2:30 am

    The statewide average precipitation for June 2013 in Illinois was 5.2 inches, which is nearly 1 inch above the 1981–2010 average. It was more than double the June 2012 total of 1.8 inches, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel, at the Illinois State Water Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois.

  • Record June Rain, Flooding Inundates Midwest

    Jul 2, 2015 2:45 pm

    Heavy rain and flooding highlighted a wild month of June across the central portions of the Midwest.  The wettest state was Illinois, where a precipitation record that has stood for over 100 years was broken, according to Bryan Peake, service climatologist at the Midwestern Regional Climate Center (http://mrcc.isws.illinois.edu), Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS).

  • June in Illinois: Hot and Dry

    Jul 3, 2012 7:45 pm

    Following the warmest spring on record, June continued to be hot and dry in Illinois, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel at the Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

  • June Was Warm and Dry in Illinois

    Jul 5, 2016 7:30 pm

    The statewide average temperature for June in Illinois was 74.8 degrees, which was 2.9 degrees above normal and the 14th warmest June on record, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel, Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

  • June was Warm with Extreme Rainfall Variations across Illinois

    Jul 5, 2017 3:00 pm

    The average temperature for June in Illinois was 72.8 degrees, 0.9 degrees above normal, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel with the Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

  • ISWS Climate Models Predict Extreme Heat Waves in Mid-and Late-21st Century

    Jul 13, 2010 1:15 am

    Heat waves that we have experienced recently will likely pale in comparison to what’s ahead in 50 years if greenhouse gas emissions continue at the current rate, according to Xin-Zhong Liang, Ph.D., Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) atmospheric scientist at the University of Illinois and assistant professor in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences.

  • Soil Moisture Levels Decline Slightly in Illinois

    Jul 15, 2013 2:15 am

    Soil moisture levels at depths of 2 inches declined an average of 15 percent from June, according to Jennie Atkins, Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring (WARM) Program Manager at the Prairie Research Institute, Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

  • Record Wet Start to the Year in the Midwest

    Jul 16, 2013 2:30 am

    Following the drought-stricken 2012, the first six months of 2013 are off to a record wet start in much of the Midwest.  Year-to-date regional precipitation totals rank as the wettest January-to-June period on record (records start in 1895) for the Midwest, according to the Midwestern Regional Climate Center (http://mrcc.isws.illinois.edu) at the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS).

  • Soil Moisture High in Northern and East-Central Illinois

    Jul 16, 2014 3:00 pm

    Soils in northern and east-central Illinois are beginning to dry out after the rains of last weekend, according to Jennie Atkins, Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring (WARM) Program Manager at the Illinois State Water Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois.

  • Visit the ISWS at the 2018 Illinois State Fair!

    Jul 16, 2018 8:00 am

    Water Survey staff will be demonstrating how contamination moves through groundwater and into private wells and how well pumps work, and will provide free information on testing and maintenance of private wells, in Conservation World from August 10 through August 19.

  • Soil Moisture Increases in Southern and Western Illinois

    Jul 18, 2016 7:30 pm

    Increased rainfall led to rises in soil moisture levels during the first half of July, according to Jennie Atkins, Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring (WARM) Program manager at the Illinois State Water Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois.

  • Wet Weather Challenges the 2008 Growing Season

    Jul 29, 2008 12:45 am

    Although recent Illinois weather conditions have been ideal for crops, many areas have been affected by late planting and significant flooding across the state, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey.

  • July in Illinois–Cool and Dry

    Aug 1, 2013 2:00 am

    The statewide average temperature for July in Illinois was 73.3 degrees, 2 degrees below the 1981-2010 average. It currently ranks as the 19th coolest July on record, dating back to 1895, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel, at the Illinois State Water Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois.

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    July 2019: Prolonged stretch of abnormally wet weather comes to an end

    Aug 1, 2019 3:30 pm

    July 2019 signaled the end of a persistent and historic stretch of abnormally wet conditions across Illinois, along with several notable periods of significantly above average temperatures.