“Preliminary data for Illinois indicate that July’s 4.38 inches of
rainfall was 0.56 inches above normal. The only areas with rainfall below normal
were around Quincy and across south-central Illinois along
Interstate 70. Amounts there generally were less than an inch below normal. Precipitation
in northeastern and much of southern Illinois
was above normal. Cisco, near Decatur,
reported not only the heaviest one-day rainfall, 6.23 inches on July 27, which
exceeded the amount from a 6-hour, 100-year storm, but also the highest monthly total, 14.27
inches,” 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.
July’s statewide average temperature was 77.3°F, 1.5°F above normal, and the 26th
hottest July on record. Temperature extremes ranged from 46°F at Mt. Carroll
on July 7 to 101°F at Quincy
on July 31.
“July 1936 is still the hottest July on record for Illinois with
temperatures 7.7°F above normal and 1.4°F hotter than the
second warmest July in 1901. July 1936 set several daily and monthly records
across the state. West-central Illinois had some of the hottest temperatures in
1936, including 110°F on July 14 at Springfield, which also had 25 days at or
above 90°F and 17 days at or above 100°F. The average
high temperature in Springfield
that July, before air conditioning was widely available, was 98.3°F,”
says Angel.
The National Weather Service (NWS) is calling for an
increased chance of temperatures above normal for August and August–October. There
are equal chances of precipitation being above, below, or at normal during the
next three months. Historically, there is a degree of persistence between July
and August temperatures so expect more of the same in August. “Stay tuned to NWS
heat advisories and warnings, and take precautions to prevent heat exhaustion
and heat stroke. For more information, consult www.weather.gov,
www.sws.uiuc.edu/atmos/statecli/,
and www.keepcool.illinois.gov,”
concludes Angel.
