The Outlook for August and Beyond

First of all, is it really July 19th already?  As a kid I remember summers lasting almost forever, now it seems to last about two weeks.  I feel cheated.
July: So far, the statewide average temperature for July is 77.4 degrees, 1.5 degrees above normal.  The statewide average precipitation is 1.94 inches, 93 percent of normal.  Strangely, the interior of the state is experiencing near to above-normal precipitation while the edges have experienced below-normal precipitation (map below).
IL-prcp-mpe-m2d-dev
NWS Outlooks: The NWS has released their outlooks for August and beyond.  The big news is the possible return of El Niño. While conditions are currently neutral in the Pacific Ocean, the chance for El Niño increases to about 65 percent in the fall, and to about 70 percent during this winter. As a rule of thumb, warmer than normal temperatures are expected in winter during strong El Niño events. Continue reading “The Outlook for August and Beyond”

Warm, Wet June for Illinois

Summary: According to preliminary data, Illinois experienced its 11th warmest and 14th wettest June on record. The statewide average temperature was 75.0 degrees, 3.1 degrees above normal. The statewide average precipitation was 6.36 inches, 2.15 inches above normal.
Precipitation: The greatest monthly total for June in Illinois was 14.58 inches at Rockford (IL-WN-8). In addition, the Rockford Airport reported 14.23 inches, their wettest June and wettest month on record. Based on radar and rain gage data, precipitation was especially heavy across northern, east-central, and southeastern Illinois with widespread amounts in the 10 to 14-inch range. Meanwhile, parts of western and southern Illinois received less than 3 inches of rain.
 


Continue reading “Warm, Wet June for Illinois”