“Preliminary data for Illinois indicate that August’s 4.42 inches
of rainfall was 0.77 inches above normal. The driest spots in the state were
areas to the east of St. Louis
and along the Illinois/Wisconsin border. These drier areas averaged 2 to 3
inches in most cases. To put those numbers into perspective, Flora reported 5.64
inches, the heaviest one-day rainfall, while Park Forest
reported 9.38 inches, the largest monthly total,” 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.
“As we all know, summer rainfall can be highly
variable. For example, this month O’Hare Airport at Chicago
reported 2.95 inches while nearby Midway
Airport reported 7.12
inches,” adds Angel
August’s statewide average temperature was 74.7°F, 1.1°F
above normal, and the
34th warmest August on record. Temperature
extremes ranged from 102°F at Kaskaskia on August 3 to 45°F
at Mt. Carroll on August 16.
“Statewide, summer (June–August) temperatures and
precipitation, respectively, averaged 74.5°F, 0.7°F above
normal, and 12.25 inches, 0.69 inches above normal. Combined with a near-normal
occurrence of days above 90°F, this summer could be characterized as
very moderate. Year-to-date precipitation for 2006 averaged 28.01 inches, 1.32
inches above normal. Year-to-date temperatures averaged 56.8°F, 2.5°F
above normal and the second warmest such period since 1895,” says Angel.
The National Weather Service (NWS) outlook for
September calls for equal chances of both temperature and precipitation above,
below, or at normal. The September–October outlook indicates an increased chance
of temperatures above normal and precipitation below normal. The outlook for
this winter (December–February) calls for an increased chance of temperatures
above normal and equal chances of precipitation below, above, or at normal.
“In any event, most of Illinois has avoided drought
this year so we can expect to see more vibrant fall colors this year,” concludes
Angel.
