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  • 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.

  • pine cones

    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. 

  • December average temperature in top three for Illinois

    Jan 3, 2024 9:30 am

    Preliminary reports showed that December 2023 was the third warmest December on record, according to Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford at the University of Illinois’ Illinois State Water Survey.

  • INHS kit makes USDA news

    Jan 4, 2008 8:00 am

    The Emerald Ash Borer Kit offered by INHS was featured in the December 28, 2007 News & Events section of the USDA's National Invasive Species Information Center website.

  • Illinois Birds: A Century of Change applauded by USFWS and IDNR

    Jan 4, 2011 8:00 am

    The US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources put out a press release praising the most recent INHS Special Publication. “This book demonstrates the importance of investing in long-term research to provide the information needed by natural resource managers to make wise, science-based resource management decisions.  It also emphasizes the importance of public-private, and state-federal partnerships in responding to landscape scale natural resource challenges,” said Marc Miller, Director of the Illinois DNR. “The long term data collected by these surveys provides the information necessary to evaluate changing bird distributions,” said Tom Melius, Midwest Regional Director of the Service. "Illinois Birds: A Century of Change is a benchmark in bird research that will inform current and future bird conservation priorities, and serve as a model for bird research across the United States.” The book was also reviewed in the Rockford Register Star, the BirdBooker Report and the Herald Review.

  • INHS ornithologists participate in Christmas Bird Count

    Jan 4, 2011 8:15 am

    Les Winkeler, the outdoors writer for The Southern Illinoisan, accompanied Jeff Hoover, Dave Thomas and Matt McKim-Louder on the Cypress Creek Christmas Bird Count. With 64 species identified by their team, Jeff Hoover said, "This is the birdiest Christmas bird count I can ever remember." Winkeler also wrote a side piece about his adventure with the three INHS ornithologists, likening it to "playing in a foursome with Tiger, Jack and Arnie. It's like taking batting practice with George Brett, Rod Carew and Ichiro Suzuki."

  • 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.

  • frost on evergreen branch

    December brought warm and dry weather to end 2020

    Jan 4, 2021 10:45 am

  • 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.

  • Historic numbers of waterfowl in the Illinois River Valley

    Jan 6, 2014 8:00 am

    INHS researchers at the Forbes Biological Station recorded the historic numbers of waterfowl this year in the Illinois River Valley. At migration’s peak, 329,590 mallards were counted, the highest number since 1999. Northern pintails (141,840), green-winged teal (179,620), gadwall (146,300) and northern shovelers (49,060) were present in the highest numbers since the survey began. Learn more about the waterfowl aerial inventories. Follow the Forbes Biological Station on Facebook.

  • 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.

  • Study of ancient dogs in the Americas yields insights into human, dog migration

    Jan 7, 2015 1:45 pm

  • 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

  • Herons persist in Chicago wetlands despite exposure to banned chemicals

    Jan 16, 2008 8:00 am

    Results of a study led by INHS wildlife toxicologist Jeff Levengood were published in the latest issue of the Journal of Great Lakes Research. The study reports that Chicago-area herons are still being exposed to banned pesticides.

  • 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.

  • Miscanthus, a biofuels crop, can host western corn rootworm

    Jan 19, 2010 1:45 pm

    Dr. Joe Spencer, INHS Insect Behaviorist, and Sathyamurthy Raghu, INHS Affiliate, recently published a paper in PLos ONE. This paper is the first to identify Miscanthus, which is a crop that can be used for biofuels, as a host to corn rootworm. Corn rootworm is estimated to be a billion dollar yearly problem to the United States’ corn industry as the as the corn rootworm damages the plant's roots and leads to a significantly decreased yield.

  • Illinois scientists look for signs of disease that killed millions of bats

    Jan 20, 2012 8:00 am

    White Nose Syndrome, a fungal infection devastating to bat populations, has not yet been detected in Illinois bat populations. As a preventative measure, Illinois caves on public lands have been closed to the public since 2010. This winter an interdisciplinary team of INHS researchers will begin surveying caves in Illinois for evidence of White Nose Syndrome, taking tissue, air and soil samples. Their goal is to form a more complete understanding of the cave environment including the fungi, bacteria and other microorganisms present.

  • Conservation efforts help some rare birds more than others, study finds

    Jan 23, 2019 9:30 am
  • A new study adds to the evidence that apex predators like pumas play a unique role in ecosystems that is not fulfilled by smaller carnivores.

    Camera-trap study provides photographic evidence of pumas' ecological impact

    Jan 23, 2023 10:45 am

    A camera-trap study of two ecosystems – one with pumas and one without – adds to scientists’ understanding of the many ways apex predators influence the abundance, diversity and habits of other animals, including smaller carnivores. The study followed multiple members of the order Carnivora, looking at how the largest carnivore in each locale influenced the behavior and presence of other animals in the same vicinity.

  • Cat disease Toxoplasmosis found in muskrats and minks

    Jan 28, 2015 8:00 am

    INHS Graduate student Adam Ahlers led a study on the prevalence of Toxoplasmosis, a disease spread by cats. The researchers found antibodies for Toxoplasma gondii, the parasite that causes toxoplasmosis, in 18 of 30 muskrats and 20 of 26 minks tested for the disease in central Illinois.

  • Preventing Roadblocks: PRI Keeps Illinois on the Straight and Narrow

    Jan 31, 2024 8:00 am

    With the help of Prairie Research Institute scientists, transportation agencies are building Illinois roads in compliance with state and federal regulations, while preserving Illinois’ physical, biological, natural, and cultural resources.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 2022 begins with a dry and cold January

    Feb 2, 2022 1:00 pm

    The preliminary statewide average January temperature was 21.1 degrees, 5.6 degrees below the 1991–2020 average. The preliminary statewide average total January precipitation was 1.17 inches, 1.14 inches below normal.

  • 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.

  • sun shining on frosted shrubs

    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.

  • A wet and wild January finally brings winter to Illinois

    Feb 6, 2024 9:15 am

    Mild weather carried over from December into January in Illinois, when frigid temperatures and winter storms hit mid-month. Rain and snowfall in January took a big bite out of drought in the state, according to Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford at the University of Illinois’ Illinois State Water Survey.  January precipitation tied for the eighth wettest January on record.

  • 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.

  • Preventing the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease in deer

    Feb 8, 2008 8:00 am

    Nohra Mateus-Pinilla, epidemiologist with INHS, recently spoke with Eilee Heikenen-Weiss for the Eight Forty-Eight program on Chicago Public Radio. The show discusses Chronic Wasting Disease in deer and DNR efforts to sample populations and prevent the spread of the disease. View the transcript or listen the audio* for the January 17, 2008 episode. * Warning: Contains graphic descriptions of animal dissection

  • Praveen Kumar

    What's the importance of state scientists?

    Feb 15, 2024 8:45 am

    State scientists are a critical part of research efforts at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign – as well as helping to inform state policy, working with industry and educating the public on issues of scientific importance. Praveen Kumar, the executive director of the Prairie Research Institute, discusses the importance of Illinois state scientists and the roles they play as experts for the state with News Bureau staff writer Maeve Reilly.

  • Threat of Zika in Illinois low, but precautions can be taken

    Feb 16, 2016 8:00 am

    INHS Medical Entomologist Ephantus Muturi was interviewed by the Chicago Tribune about the threat of Zika virus in Illinois. Muturi says that Aedes aegypti, which transmits Zika, has been found in Illinois but does not thrive in our climate. The Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopinctus, is found in Illinois, but has not been found to transmit Zika, though more research is needed. 

  • 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.

  • Contaminated sediments affecting wetland mice

    Feb 21, 2008 12:00 am

    Jeff Levengood and Ed Heske recently published an article entitled "Heavy metal exposure, reproductive activity, and demographic patterns in white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) inhabiting a contaminated floodplain wetland" in Volume 389, Issues 2-3 of Science of the Total Environment.The article discusses the effects of using contaminated sediments from Lake DePue, Illinois to create a wetland that is home to white-footed mice. View the Science of the Total Environment article at ScienceDirect. Accessible through subscription only.

  • Illinois Natural History Survey Chief to retire

    Feb 21, 2008 12:00 am

    David Thomas, Natural History Survey Chief since 1997, will retire on February 29, 2008. View the complete press release here.

  • Survey scientists researching moist-soil resources for waterfowl

    Feb 21, 2008 12:00 am

    Natural History Survey scientists, Joshua Stafford, Aaron Yetter, Chris Hine, Randy Smith, and Michelle Horath have been continuing the moist-soil research of Frank Bellrose from the Forbes Biological Station and F. C. Bellrose Waterfowl Research Center in Havana since 2005. In an article featured in the March 2008 issue of Outdoor Illinois, the scientists discuss their research, the work of Frank Bellrose, and management issues for moist-soil habitats.

  • Natural History Survey part of proposed University of Illinois unit

    Feb 21, 2008 12:30 pm

    During his February 20, 2008 State of the State and Budget Address, Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich proposed a plan to merge the Illinois Natural History Survey, Geologic Survey, Water Survey and Waste Management and Resource Center into a new University of Illinois unit, the Institute for Natural Sciences and Sustainability. The proposed plan would remove the Surveys from the Department of Natural Resources effective July 1, 2008. More information about this proposal is available from the University of Illinois News Bureau, State Journal-Register, Prairie State Outdoor, News-Gazette, and The Pantagraph.

  • Bumblebee populations declining

    Feb 22, 2008 8:00 am

    The bumblebee crisis was discussed in a February 21, 2008 post to the North Carolina State University Insect Museum blog. The article discusses what factors are contributing to the bumblebee's decline and mentions research done by Solter labs. Lee Solter is an Associate Scientist and Insect Pathology Research Leader with the Illinois Natural History Survey.

  • Illinois Natural History Survey medical entomologist Jiayue (Gabriel) Yan peers through a viewing port as he works inside a sealed glove box, using tongs to carefully handle Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.

    Starving mosquitoes for science

    Feb 23, 2024 9:45 am

    A behind the scenes look at the Medical Entomology Laboratory at Illinois Nature History Survey and the work of Jiayue (Gabriel) Yan on Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.

  • 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.

  • Winter tips for bird feeders

    Feb 25, 2008 12:00 am

    Christopher Whelan, an avian biologist with the Illinois Natural History Survey, recently offered some tips for keeping overwintering birds in your yard. The tips were featured in the Like an Eagle-Soar blog and were offered through the National Wildlife Association.

  • Winter bald eagle count a new record

    Feb 25, 2008 8:00 am

    In an article published February 23, 2008 in The Daily Journal, Survey scientist Randy Nyboer discusses the this year's record bald eagle count. Though the count is unfinished, it has already surpassed previous records. Visit this website to view the complete article.

  • Corn rootworm management webinar

    Feb 25, 2014 8:00 am

    INHS Behavioral Entomologist Joe Spencer presented a talk on "Rootworm Biology and Behavior" in the webinar "Corn rootworm Management in the Transgenic Era." Over 300 people attended this webinar, archived at the link below.

  • 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.