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Water Survey

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  • State Climatologist digs up historical weather records for Illinois

    May 23, 2012 7:00 pm

    The oldest official weather records ever found in Illinois, dating back to 1820, reveal temperature data that showed remarkable accuracy given the technology of the day, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey.

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    Illinois soils are cooler and wetter in mid-June

    Jun 18, 2019 8:45 am

    Soil temperatures are increasing after a cooling period the second week of June, according to Jennie Atkins, Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring (WARM) Program manager at the Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

  • Illinois soils are slightly cooler in mid-August

    Aug 18, 2021 1:00 pm

    Soil temperatures have decreased in mid-August as cooler weather moved into the state.

  • corn being harvested

    Soils remain warm in mid-November

    Nov 17, 2020 9:15 am

    November soil temperatures in Illinois are warmer than normal, with the average temperature at 4 inches under bare soil reaching 48 degrees on Nov. 15, 7 degrees warmer than the long-term average. 

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    Most of Illinois has warmer, drier soils in mid-September

    Sep 17, 2019 9:00 am

    Warmer weather has caused higher than normal soil temperatures for Illinois, according to Jennie Atkins, Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring (WARM) Program manager at the University of Illinois’ Illinois State Water Survey.

  • 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.

  • Illinoisans experienced bone-chilling weather changes in October

    Nov 2, 2018 11:30 am

    The Illinois weather in October 2018 dished up a mixed bag of conditions with temperatures in the 90s, the first fall frost, the first snow of the season, and widespread heavy rains, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel at the Illinois State Water Survey.

  • gloomy clouds

    January in Illinois was cold and dry

    Feb 2, 2018 9:45 am

    January in Illinois was colder and drier than normal without much snow, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey at the University of Illinois.

  • water professional measuring well

    Well assessment tool now available for well inspectors

    Feb 15, 2017 4:30 pm

    Sanitarians, drillers, and other professionals who evaluate private well safety can use a new, thorough well assessment tool from the University of Illinois’ Prairie Research Institute (PRI) to better learn how to assist homeowners and identify potential problems with family wells.

  • Illinois soils are warmer and wetter in mid-October

    Oct 18, 2021 1:15 pm

    A wet October has caused soil moisture to rise across the state.

  • Illinois State Water Survey and the U.S. Geological Survey drill new deep sandstone monitoring well in Kendall County

    Mar 22, 2016 10:15 pm

    The Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) completed drilling of a new deep sandstone monitoring well in December 2015. The monitoring well is located in Kendall County, southeast of the town of Newark, IL. The 1,180 feet deep borehole has two nested wells, one which is open to the St. Peter Sandstone and one that is open to the deeper Ironton-Galesville Sandstone. The wells will monitor changing groundwater levels in these aquifers, which are an important source of groundwater for municipal and industrial needs.

  • Study Gleans Insights on How Lake Breezes Move Through Chicago

    May 1, 2012 7:00 pm

    Lake breezes that bring some relief on a scorching summer afternoon are thought to move more slowly through Chicago than through the surrounding suburbs. Scientists at the Illinois State Water Survey have discovered that this is often not the case and have gained new insights into the mysteries of how cities affect winds off a lake.

  • Water Survey to analyze flood risks in McHenry County, Illinois

    Nov 30, 2022 6:15 pm

    Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) hydrologic and hydraulic modeling in McHenry County, Illinois, is underway as part of a study to help local communities identify areas of high flood risk for flood mitigation planning.

  • Illinois was warmer and wetter than normal in August and in the summer

    Sep 4, 2018 1:30 pm

    The statewide average temperature for Illinois in August was 74.9 degrees, 1.3 degrees above normal. The statewide average rainfall was 5.25 inches, 1.66 inches above normal, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey at the University of Illinois. 

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    Soil temperatures are warming in mid-April

    Apr 19, 2019 9:15 am

    Soil temperatures are rising throughout Illinois in mid-April, according to Jennie Atkins, Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring (WARM) Program manager at the Illinois State Water Survey. Soil temperatures in Illinois were near normal the first half of the month with an average of 50° at depths of 4 inches under bare soil, 1° above the long-term average.   

  • Soils cool across Illinois

    Oct 16, 2018 4:30 pm

    Cooler weather has caused soil temperatures to decrease across the state, according to Jennie Atkins, Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring (WARM) Program manager at the Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

  • Illinois soil temperatures are cool in mid-September

    Sep 16, 2022 9:45 am

    Soil temperatures fell during the first two weeks of September as cooler weather moved into the state. 

  • Soil Temperatures Continue to Decline in November

    Nov 19, 2018 10:00 am

    Soil temperatures have fallen significantly throughout the state in November, according to Jennie Atkins, Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring (WARM) Program manager at the Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

  • Soils are dry with warmer weather in May

    May 18, 2022 10:00 am

    Hotter weather in the first half of May has caused warmer, drier soils across Illinois.

  • Illinois has warm, wet June

    Jul 2, 2018 2:00 pm

  • Soils were drying in mid-August

    Aug 20, 2018 9:00 am

    Drier weather this month has caused declining soil moisture, especially in central Illinois, according to Jennie Atkins, Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring (WARM) Program manager at the Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

  • Warmest Year to Date for the Midwest, Near Normal August

    Sep 11, 2012 7:45 pm

    August 2012 brought relief to much of the Midwest region in the form of near-normal temperatures and much needed rainfall.  No state in the nine-state Midwest region ranked in the top 40 warmest Augusts on record, according to the Midwestern Regional Climate Center (http://mrcc.isws.illinois.edu) at the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS).  Records date back to 1895.

  • ISWS Scientists Contribute to Scientific Documents Noted in the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize

    Dec 11, 2007 7:30 pm

    The 2007 Nobel Peace Prize will be awarded to Al Gore and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) on December 10 in Oslo, Norway. The Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) is proud to announce that two of its atmospheric research scientists, Kenneth Kunkel and Stanley Changnon, have participated in the activities of the IPCC.

  • Study Provides New Insight on Fog Formation in the Midwest

    Mar 16, 2010 1:45 am

    For decades researchers have postulated that fog typically forms in the early morning hours following a calm, clear night. But a new study shows that a higher percentage of fog incidences–at least in the Midwest–occur under overcast skies when rain has fallen overnight.

    Dense fog forming in conditions that are not well understood increases the difficulty of forecasting fog accurately, according to Nancy Westcott, climatologist at the Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.  Fog is a safety hazard for ground and air travelers and can be particularly costly when air traffic is delayed.

  • June soils are hot and dry across Illinois

    Jun 21, 2022 9:30 am

    Illinois’ soils are warm and dry in mid-June after record-breaking hot weather blanketed the state.

  • Illinois soils are cooling in the first half of October

    Oct 18, 2023 9:30 am

    Soil temperatures have fallen 10 to 20 degrees so far in October, which is normal for this time of year.

  • Precipitation Totals Set Records in the Midwest

    Jul 3, 2008 12:45 am

    Substantial recent flooding in the Midwest was caused by heavy precipitation that fell not only in June, but also throughout the first half of 2008. The NOAA Midwestern Regional Climate Center (MRCC) found that 286 National Weather Service Cooperative Observer Network stations reported precipitation totals for the first half of 2008 that ranked within their top five records of the January-June period since the late 1800s in some cases.

  • October in Illinois: Cool and Wet

    Nov 1, 2012 7:30 pm

    October 2012 was cooler and wetter than normal, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign.

  • Illinois State Water Survey to Inventory Private Wells in McLean and Tazewell Counties – Well Owners Asked to Help

    May 1, 2010 1:15 am

    The Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) is set to conduct an inventory of private wells in the rural areas surrounding Armington, Congerville, Danvers, Deer Creek, Goodfield, Hopedale, Mackinaw, McLean, Minier, Morton, and Stanford to determine water levels, pump settings, and well depths for all local wells.

  • Drying, warming soils across Illinois

    Sep 14, 2018 2:45 pm

    Soils are drying out after the early September rain, according to Jennie Atkins, Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring (WARM) Program manager at the Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

  • September in Illinois had above-normal temperatures and rainfall

    Oct 1, 2018 3:45 pm

    The Illinois statewide average temperature for September was 70.0 degrees, 3.8 degrees above normal and the 12th warmest September on record, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey at the University of Illinois. 

  • Central Illinois weather station is upgraded to track air pollution particles

    Jan 17, 2018 2:00 pm

    After 23 years of data collection on atmospheric conditions at the Bondville Environmental and Atmospheric Research Site, a team from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration worked with scientists at the Prairie Research Institute to move the monitoring system to a new temperature-controlled building.

  • Soil temperatures across Illinois are rising

    May 18, 2018 8:15 am

  • Illinois soils are cooler in mid-August

    Aug 16, 2022 4:00 pm

    Cooler weather has led to lower soil temperatures in the first half of August in Illinois, according to Jennie Atkins, Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring (WARM) program manager at the Illinois State Water Survey.

  • CHAMP team members

    ISWS flood mapping program wins FEMA award for outstanding efforts

    May 8, 2017 4:00 pm

    PT stakeholders from across the country selected the ISWS Coordinated Hazard Assessment and Mapping Program (CHAMP) for the honorable mention award from the 1st Annual Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Cooperative Technical Partners Recognition Program.

  • 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.

  • Illinois soils are cooler and drier in mid-September

    Sep 14, 2023 2:15 pm

    Cooler weather in the past week has led to lower soil temperatures throughout the state in mid-September.


  • Model Stormwater Ordinance is Now Available for Communities

    Nov 23, 2015 2:15 pm

    Flooding in urban areas from stormwater runoff may be mitigated when state and local governments plan a coordinated effort to reduce their risk. The Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) offered their support to communities by developing a model ordinance that city and county officials can use when revising or drafting their own stormwater ordinances.

  • corn fields

    Corn fields add to muggy, humid Midwestern temps

    Jul 21, 2020 9:15 am

    It’s not just the heat; it’s the humidity and “corn sweat” making muggy Midwestern summers feel even hotter.

  • bean field irrigator

    ISWS groundwater expert to participate in community forum on irrigation

    Aug 22, 2017 3:45 pm

    George Roadcap, a scientist at the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) and an expert on groundwater and the Mahomet Aquifer, will participate in a community conversation on irrigation sponsored by the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting from 7 to 9 p.m. Aug. 24 at the Champaign Public Library.

  • ISWS Study Findings Reflect Impairment of the Fox River in Northern Illinois

    Sep 28, 2009 11:00 am

    When the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) designated the entire Fox River in McHenry and Kane Counties as impaired, the Fox River Study Group (www.foxriverstudygroup.org) formed collaborations to preserve and enhance the river’s overall health.  The organization funded the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to conduct a multi-year, four-phase study that examines the Fox River watershed below Stratton Dam.

  • Wind Chill – Serious Science or Hype?

    Feb 3, 2014 4:15 pm

    When the temperature dips below zero and the wind picks up, the wind chill becomes a concern for anyone venturing outdoors.   There are important things to keep in mind about wind chill, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel at the Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

  • Study Shows NE Illinois Should Have Enough Water to 2050

    Jun 18, 2012 7:45 pm

    Water supplies in NE Illinois should be adequate for the next 40 years, yet communities should still analyze their own situations and work with neighboring communities to avoid conflicts in the years ahead, according to Scott Meyer, hydrologist with the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) at the University of Illinois.

  • Soil Moisture Levels Increased in Southern Illinois with the Weekend Rains

    Aug 17, 2014 3:45 pm

    Soil moisture levels in southern Illinois increased over the weekend as the region saw more than 3 inches of rain at some locations, according to Jennie Atkins, Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring (WARM) Program Manager at the Illinois State Water Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois.

  • November Snow Climatology for the Midwest

    Nov 4, 2010 12:45 am

    In the Midwest, November is typically the first month of the cold season when measureable snowfall occurs over a majority of the region, according to the Midwestern Regional Climate Center at the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS).  However, it is not uncommon for northern portions of the Midwest to experience their first snowfall in October.

  • Warm October across Illinois Ranks among Top Ten

    Nov 7, 2007 7:30 pm

    "With temperatures in Illinois averaging 59.5 degrees, 4.8 degrees above normal, October was the 9th warmest 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.

  • soils in cornfield

    Illinois soils have cooled in mid-August

    Aug 17, 2023 9:15 am

    A change in weather has cooled soils across Illinois in mid-August, according to Jennie Atkins, Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring (WARM) program manager at the Illinois State Water Survey.

  • Steve Wilson to serve on program advisory committee for National Environmental Health Association

    Nov 30, 2017 2:45 pm

    The National Environmental Health Association (NEHA), a professional society for environmental health practitioners with thousands of members nationwide, has invited Illinois State Water Survey groundwater hydrologist Steve Wilson to participate in its Program Advisory Committee, which helps set policy and direction for NEHA programs.

  • February Tornadoes Are Rare But Violent

    Mar 1, 2012 8:15 pm

    Harrisburg, Illinois was struck by a deadly tornado on February 29, leading to six reported deaths and widespread damage. While more common during spring and summer in Illinois, tornadoes sometimes occur in February, said Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

  • Warmer soils continue into July

    Jul 17, 2018 8:00 am

    Soils continue to be warmer than normal in mid-July, according to Jennie Atkins, Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring (WARM) Program manager at the Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.