Here is the NWS radar/rain gauge product that takes advantage of good spatial coverage of radar with the accuracy of rain gauges for the last 7 days. The oranges, pink, and red, indicate amounts of 2 to 5 inches and covers much of the state. The heaviest amounts of 4 inches or more were east of St. Louis. Meanwhile the lightest amounts were in northwest Illinois were in the range of 0.25 to 0.5 inches. Continue reading “7-Day Rainfall for Illinois”
Monthly Temperature and Precipitation for 2015 in Illinois
How things are shaping up in 2015? The outstanding features so far are the extremely cold February and the extremely wet conditions in southern Illinois while dry elsewhere.
Monthly Temperature Departures from Average
Blue means colder than average, red means warmer than average. Temperature departures from average tend to cover very large areas, making the statewide average temperature departure a good indicator of conditions around Illinois.
Monthly Precipitation Departures from Average
Continue reading “Monthly Temperature and Precipitation for 2015 in Illinois”
Wet Weather Ahead for Illinois
Here is the Qualitative Precipitation Forecast (QPF) for the next 7 days, according to the National Weather Service. This shows the potential amounts of rainfall, your mileage may vary. The area in shades of violet and purple are 1.5 to 2.5 inches. Shades of blue are 1 to 1.5 inches. Most of this is expected to fall in the next 3 days.
Here is how much rain has fallen so far in May across the Midwest.
April Temperatures in Illinois Warm Over the Last Century
According to the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), the average April temperature in Illinois has warmed by 2 degrees over the last century. In addition, the most recent decade of 2006-2015 was the warmest set of Aprils on record. Statewide records go back to 1895.
Here are the statewide average temperatures for April in Illinois plotted by year. The purple line and black dots show the year-to-year variability in April temperatures in Illinois. The blue line shows the upward trend. You can find the original data and graph here.
Continue reading “April Temperatures in Illinois Warm Over the Last Century”