Record-Setting Rainfall
[Updated May 2]
Based on preliminary data, the statewide average rainfall for April (as of May 2) is 7.59 inches, beating the old record of 7.13 inches set in 1957. Statewide records go back to 1895.
Selected Rainfall Totals
April rainfall has been heaviest in southern Illinois with several stations reporting over 10 inches of rain. Here are the rainfall totals through April 30 across the state, ranked from high to low. These are provisional and may change as more data comes in and as the data are processed through quality control at the national archive.
16.90 DU QUOIN 4 SE 15.29 BROOKPORT DAM 52 15.13 CAIRO 3 N 15.10 SMITHLAND L&D 15.04 MURPHYSBORO 2 SW 14.84 CARBONDALE SEWAGE PLT 13.94 CHESTER 13.92 GRAND CHAIN DAM 53 13.74 HUTSONVILLE PWR PL 13.68 CENTRALIA 13.31 OLNEY 2S 13.18 ROBINSON 12.97 SHAWNEETOWN OLD TOWN 12.56 LAWRENCEVILLE 12.53 MT VERNON 3 NE 12.40 PALESTINE 2W 12.15 MT CARMEL 11.92 KASKASKIA RIV NAV LO 11.91 PINCKNEYVILLE 2 N 11.87 CLAY CITY 6 SSE 11.87 CLAY CITY 6 SSE 11.78 CASEY 11.71 KINMUNDY 11.67 HIDALGO 3SW 11.66 MARTINSVILLE 10S 11.37 BEECHER CITY 11.12 EFFINGHAM SE 11.06 NEW ATHENS 11.04 FAIRFIELD RADIO WFIW 10.98 NEOGA 10.67 IUKA 10.54 EFFINGHAM 10.49 FLORA 10.47 SALEM 10.32 GRAYVILLE 10.29 PARIS WTR WKS 10.23 MATTOON 10.22 SULLIVAN 10.22 VANDALIA 10.19 RAMSEY 10.08 NASHVILLE 1 E 9.81 CHARLESTON 9.60 NEOGA 4NW 9.25 ST DAVID 9.07 FISHER 9.01 RANTOUL 9.01 GREENVILLE 9.00 SHELBYVILLE DAM 8.97 CARLYLE RSVR 8.73 WINDSOR 8.70 LEBANON 8.55 PRAIRIE DU ROCHER 8.49 HIGHLAND 8.40 TRIMBLE 1E 8.32 PANA 8.17 DANVILLE SEWAGE PLAN 8.02 TUSCOLA 7.94 EDWARDSVILLE 2 W 7.91 MT OLIVE 1 E 7.91 BELLEVILLE SIU RSRCH 7.87 TAYLORVILLE 7.81 ALTON MELVIN PRICE 7.72 DANVILLE 7.72 HOOPESTON 1 NE 7.66 PEORIA 5NW 7.59 ARTHUR 1W 7.50 GERMANTOWN HILLS 7.44 NEWMAN 3W 7.42 URBANA 7.38 PAXTON 7.35 BOURBONNAIS 3 NW 7.33 PEORIA GTR PEORIA AP 7.33 SIDELL 5 NW 7.32 ST ANNE 7.27 HAVANA 7.21 MOWEAQUA 2S 7.11 PHILO 7.10 DECATUR 7.08 LOVINGTON 7.02 OGDEN 6.95 MORRISONVILLE 6.94 MILFORD 5 NW 6.85 WATSEKA 2 NW 6.70 CLINTON 1 SSW 6.65 DAHINDA 6.52 SAYBROOK 2N 6.42 STREATOR 6.38 PARK FOREST 6.32 KINCAID 6.30 MARSEILLES LOCK 6.29 JERSEYVILLE 2 SW 6.27 CAMP GROVE 6.27 SHERMAN 1 ESE 6.24 CHANNAHON DRESDEN ISLAND 6.22 OTTAWA 6.19 DWIGHT 6.18 SPRINGFIELD #2 6.16 CHENOA 6.15 STANFORD 2S 6.08 PRINCEVILLE 2W 6.08 KEWANEE 1 E 6.04 BLOOMINGTON 5W 6.02 ROMEOVILLE LEWIS UNIV AP 6.02 PONTIAC 6.00 SPARLAND 6 SW 5.96 LANSING 5.95 LITTLE RED SCHOOL HSE 5.91 NEWARK 2 SSE 5.86 ELBURN 5.86 LA GRANGE 5.84 KNOXVILLE 5.83 FARMER CITY 3W 5.81 MASON CITY 5.73 CHICAGO MIDWAY AP 3 SW 5.73 ROANOKE 5.70 YORKVILLE 3 SW 5.65 ST CHARLES 7 NW 5.62 ELGIN 5.62 BRADFORD 3SSE 5.60 ELIZABETH 5.57 MUNDELEIN 4 WSW 5.55 MORTON 5.50 JOLIET BRANDON RD DM 5.49 NORMAL 4NE 5.49 NORMAL 4NE 5.46 SPRINGFIELD CAPITAL AP 5.45 PERU 5.45 PERU 5.45 MINONK 5.42 ALTONA 5.36 CARLINVILLE 5.35 EARLVILLE 3 S 5.35 MORRIS 5.33 CHICAGO BOTANICAL GARDEN 5.32 MENDOTA 2 SE 5.32 OAK BROOK 2W 5.32 JACKSONVILLE 2 5.31 SPRING GROVE 5.30 CHATSWORTH 5.30 WINCHESTER 5.28 EUREKA 5.25 PLAINFIELD 3 NE 5.22 LINCOLN 5.21 ALBERS 1 W 5.16 WOODSTOCK 5 NW 5.13 STREAMWOOD 5.08 BARRINGTON 3 SW 5.08 GLEN ELLYN 4 S 5.06 JACKSONVILLE 2 E 5.04 MOLINE QUAD CITY INTL AP 5.01 PRAIRIE CITY 2S 5.01 CONGERVILLE 2 NW 4.99 LAKE SPRINGFIELD 4.90 CHICAGO OHARE INTL AP 4.88 MCHENRY STRATTON L&D 4.87 VIRGINIA 4.80 MACKINAW 4.78 PITTSFIELD #2 4.78 CHICAGO MIDWAY AP 4.73 MORRISON 4.73 BLOOMINGTON WATRWRKS 4.68 BUFFALO 4.65 QUINCY DAM 21 4.63 WHITE HALL 1 E 4.57 RIPLEY 4.54 FAIRBURY WWTP 4.54 FREEPORT WWP 4.51 TOULON 4.44 AUGUSTA 4.41 DE KALB 4.35 MT PULASKI 4.35 GREENFIELD 4.34 HARVARD 4.33 ATHENS 2 N 4.30 STEWARD 3S 4.25 GENOA 2 SW 4.24 KANKAKEE METRO WWTP 4.21 CISCO 4.20 ROCHELLE 4.20 ROCHELLE 4.18 RUSHVILLE 4.16 ALEDO 4.14 GALESBURG 4.11 SHABBONA 3S 4.11 QUINCY RGNL AP 4.04 PERRY 6 NW 3.98 BELVIDERE 3.97 MONEE RSVR 3.94 BENTLEY 3.91 ROSCOE 2 SE 3.71 STOCKTON 3 NNE 3.66 BEARDSTOWN 3.65 AMBOY 3.62 PAW PAW 3.61 MT CARROLL 3.47 WHEATON 3 SE 3.45 MARENGO 3.40 ROCKFORD GTR ROCKFORD AP 3.20 GRIGGSVILLE 2.61 MONMOUTH 4 NW
Great numbers! How is Du Quoin only showing 5 inches of rain when everyone around them was getting 11-15 inches? Possible reporting error? Maybe it should have been 15.11? Hope this helps.
I’ve updated the maps and tables for April and Du Quoin is actually the wettest site for April now with 16.90 inches.
I make accurate measurements of precipitation every morning (for the last 15 months) and send them to CoCoRaHS. Why is my 5.27″ of rain in April at New Lenox 1.8 SE not on the chart?
Seems I’m wasting my time when these stats aren’t on a list that, in esence, has a hole in it for the center of Will County, one of the most populous and largest in the state.
Hi Darrell, I apologize for not including all available observations in the post. The main point of the table was to showcase the extraordinary rainfall totals in southern Illinois. Also I was using a database of NWS COOP observations that I loaded into an Excel spreadsheet, sorted, and then posted here without messing up the formatting – no small task in WordPress. Unfortunately, the CoCoRaHS database is separate and I didn’t have the time to join the two together. Also the table would have been too big for a blog. But your point is well taken, I’ll do a separate blog post on the CoCoRaHS observation. Keep up the good work in Will County – I really do appreciate it.