blog posts

• 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.

• December 2010 in Illinois–Cold and Snowy

  Jan 3, 2011 12:30 am

  The statewide average temperature for December was 24.0 degrees, which is 5.8 degrees below normal. This ranks as the 12th coldest December on record, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey (http://www.isws.illinois.edu).

• December in Illinois: Warm with Little Snow

  Jan 3, 2012 8:30 pm

  The statewide average temperature for December 2011 in Illinois was 35.7 degrees, 5.9 degrees above average. This ranked as the ninth warmest December on record with statewide records going back to 1895, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

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  Warm, dry December concludes a cold, wet year

  Jan 3, 2020 8:00 am

  December temperatures were well above the long-term average across the state, breaking dozens of local daily maximum and minimum temperature records. The preliminary statewide December average temperature was 35.2 degrees, about 5 degrees above the 1981-2010 normal and the 18th warmest on record. 

• Record-Setting December Occurred in Illinois

  Jan 4, 2016 10:30 pm

  December was the warmest and second wettest for that month on record in Illinois, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel, Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

• 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

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  December 2021 was exceptionally warm

  Jan 5, 2022 8:45 am

  Provisional data show December was among the top 5 warmest on record in Illinois, with no snow on Christmas.

• Study Shows McHenry County Water Supplies May Not Suffice in Future

  Jan 7, 2014 4:15 pm

  Groundwater resources in McHenry County may be strained in 35 to 40 years, potentially causing local water shortages and detrimental effects to the ecology of local streams, according to Scott Meyer, hydrogeologist at the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS), a division of the Prairie Research Institute at the University of Illinois.

• 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.

• Water Survey commemorates 125th anniversary

  Jan 7, 2020 1:15 pm

  A series of free half-day seminars will be offered across the state this year to commemorate the Illinois State Water Survey’s 125th anniversary. Seminars will highlight critical water, weather, and climate issues of Illinois. 

• Illinoisans Experience Spring-like Weather in January

  Jan 9, 2008 7:15 pm

  On January 7, winter weather gave way to spring-like conditions with record-breaking warmth, heavy rains, and severe weather across Illinois. Record high temperatures were set at several locations, including Peoria (67 degrees), Chicago (65 degrees), and Champaign (67 degrees), 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.

• Rainy and Dry, Chilly and Warm: 2011 Was a Unique Year

  Jan 10, 2012 8:30 pm

  The year 2011 was the 10th wettest year and a year of extreme monthly temperatures and precipitation, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel at the Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

• January 2018 has been colder and snowier than last year

  Jan 16, 2018 1:45 pm

  We're halfway through January 2018, and State Climatologist Jim Angel writes that so far it's been colder and snowier than last year, with a statewide average temperature of 16.5 degrees, 7.3 degrees below normal.

• 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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  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.

• Lake Effect Adds a Punch to the Latest Snowstorm

  Feb 3, 2011 12:30 am

  Conditions earlier this week were exactly right for Lake Michigan to help the latest intense snowstorm drop up to 2 feet of snow in the Chicago area, according to David Kristovich, head of the Center for Atmospheric Science at the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS).

• Cold January for Illinois

  Feb 3, 2014 4:15 pm

  January 2014 was the eighth coldest January on record for Illinois. The statewide average temperature was 18.2 degrees, 8.1 degrees below the 1981-2010 average of 26.3 degrees, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel at the Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

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  State Climatologist says 2020 is off to a warmer, wetter start

  Feb 3, 2020 1:30 pm

  According to State Climatologist Trent Ford, January 2020 was warmer and wetter than average across the state. The preliminary statewide average January temperature was 31.4 degrees, the 17th warmest on record going back to 1895. The preliminary statewide average total January precipitation was 4.41 inches, the 9th wettest on record.

• 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.

• Wide Range of Weather Hits Illinois This Winter

  Feb 8, 2008 7:15 pm

  The old saying, "if you don't like the weather in Illinois, just wait a minute," was certainly true this winter. Since December 1, Illinois has experienced heavy snows, heavy rains, flooding, and severe weather, including five tornadoes in January. Both precipitation and snowfall totals this winter have been significantly above average for much of the state, 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.

• Water Survey reports on water demand in Middle Illinois, Kankakee, and Rock River regions

  Feb 19, 2019 2:00 pm

  The Water Survey has published reports on water demand in three water supply planning regions in Illinois: the Middle Illinois (ISWS Contract Report 2018-0), Kankakee (ISWS Contract Report 2019-01), and Rock River (ISWS Contract Report 2019-02) regions.

• 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.

• 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.

• Mild Winter Leads to Warmer Soil Temperatures

  Feb 27, 2012 8:15 pm

  The mild winter weather has led to higher soil temperatures in comparison to last winter based on temperatures collected at weather stations across the state, according to Jennie Atkins, Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring (WARM) Program Manager at the Illinois State Water Survey.

• 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 in Illinois was Slightly Warmer than Normal

  Mar 1, 2016 10:30 pm

  The Illinois temperature for February was 33.2 degrees, 2.3 degrees above average, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel, Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

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  Stormy, wet, and chilly February for Illinois

  Mar 1, 2019 2:00 pm

  February was particularly cold and stormy in Illinois, with an almost constant succession of storms resulting in moderate snow accumulations for the northern counties and persistent rain events and widespread flooding for the far southern counties.

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  State Climatologist reports that a typical February ends an otherwise atypical winter

  Mar 2, 2020 4:45 pm

  February was slightly warmer and wetter than average across Illinois, according to Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford.

• 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 

• Cold February Wraps Up Cold Winter

  Mar 3, 2010 1:45 am

  Based on preliminary data in Illinois, the statewide average temperature for February was 25.1 degrees, 5.1 degrees below normal. Snowfall for February was above normal. Amounts ranged from 6 inches in southern Illinois to over 18 inches in the Quad Cities and Chicago areas, 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.

• Tenth Wettest February on Record for Illinois

  Mar 7, 2011 12:30 am

  The statewide average precipitation in Illinois for February was 3.39 inches, 1.46 inches above normal. This ranks as the tenth wettest February since statewide records began in 1895, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey (http://www.isws.illinois.edu).

• Soils Remain Below Freezing at the Beginning of March

  Mar 7, 2014 4:45 pm

  Soil temperatures remained below freezing across most of Illinois during the first five days of March, Jennie Atkins, Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring (WARM) Program Manager at the Prairie Research Institute, Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

• 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.

• Where is Spring?

  Mar 14, 2009 11:30 am

  A cold and wet first half of April has farmers still waiting to get into the fields and homeowners waiting to get into their gardens. Temperatures in the first two weeks of April were 4.5 degrees below normal and precipitation was 58 percent above normal. Many places in northern Illinois reported measureable snowfall from an April 5-6 storm, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey (http://www.sws.uiuc.edu).

• 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.

• Soil Temperatures Increased in Illinois in the First Half of March

  Mar 17, 2015 3:15 pm

  Soil temperatures at 4 inches under bare soil have increased 49 percent during 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.

• 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.

• Be Prepared for Natural Disasters to Keep Well Water Safe and Clean

  Mar 28, 2013 2:45 am

  Floods, droughts, and power outages can affect the safety of water supplies in private wells.  Being prepared for the unexpected may minimize the damage, according to Steve Wilson, hydrologist at the Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

• 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.