Illinois and the Midwest are off to a warm start in October, as this temperature departure map shows. Temperatures across southern Illinois, as well as southern and western portions of the Midwest are running 4 to 6 degrees above normal. Meanwhile, central and northern Illinois, as well as the rest of the Midwest, are running 6 to 10 degrees above normal.
So far, October precipitation has been light across the southern half of Illinois and for much of the southern Corn Belt. A band of 1 to 3 inches of rain extends from KS/OK through MO, IL, IN, and up into Michigan and another band extends up into NE, IA, MN, and the eastern Dakotas. Meanwhile, eastern IA and much of WI saw little precipitation.
