Here is a quick update on the statewide monthly temperature and precipitation departures from average for 2015 in Illinois.
February 2015 stands out as a painful reminder of how cold it was late in the winter. However, both April and May have been warmer than average. All together, the average temperature of the first five months of 2015 stands at 40.5 degrees, 2.3 degrees below average.
Despite cool weather at times, May was 2.3 degrees above average on temperature and one inch above average on rainfall with 5.6 inches.
The statewide average rainfall was 5.6 inches, which was 1 inch above average and the 22nd wettest May on record. Some of the heaviest amounts were seen in northwest Illinois and just southeast of St. Louis (orange and red areas on the map). The highest reported monthly rainfall total was 9.41 inches at Red Bud (Randolph County). The next highest total was 8.77 inches at Mt. Carroll.
