Some rain fell over Illinois over the 4^th of July weekend. Southern Illinois south of I-70 received amounts of 1 to 2 inches over large areas. The rest of the state received amounts of less than 0.5 inches.

 

Since March 1, the state has received only 8.62 inches compared to a normal of 16.25 inches, resulting in a 7.6-inch deficit. The US Drought Monitor has put north-central and northeast Illinois in the third category of drought, called “extreme drought”, as conditions have clearly worsened over time. Meanwhile, the rest of the state is in either a “moderate” or “severe” drought.

 

Over the next two weeks, the only chance for significant rains appears to be from what remains of Hurricane Dennis if it tracks up the Mississippi River Valley by Tuesday. By the time it reaches Illinois it would be a slow-moving, rain-producing system with the potential for rains of up to 3 inches. However, the ability to accurately predict the track of such systems is not high.

 

Current climate conditions in Illinois can be monitored at:

http://www.sws.uiuc.edu/atmos/statecli/Current/current.htm

 

The US Drought Monitor map is released on Thursday at:

http://www.drought.unl.edu/dm/monitor.html

 

Illinois Drought