Wet January may lead to ice- and flood-damaged trees    

[FEB. 5, 2005]  SPRINGFIELD -- January precipitation levels in the state of Illinois were the sixth highest since 1895, according to Jim Angel, state climatologist with the Illinois State Water Survey, a division of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Below-average temperatures in the last two weeks of January led to freezing of standing water in some wetland areas.

"January precipitation in Illinois averaged 5.56 inches, when normally we see 2 inches," said Angel. "The first half of the month felt more like March, complete with thunderstorms. Then we got blasted with snow. It was really a strange month weatherwise."

Precipitation amounts were heaviest in the region around Interstate 70. Effingham recorded 9.29 inches and Edwardsville 8.79 inches. Heavy inflow of precipitation to tributaries led to flooding of Lake Shelbyville and Lake Carlyle. Eldon Hazlet State Park closed for several days, and some activities at Starved Rock State Park were canceled because of flooding.

"We went into the new year with ground already saturated," Angel said. "That contributed to flooding problems. The first 13 days of January brought torrential rainfall. There was nowhere for all that water to go. Then everything froze in the second half of the month."

There was also significant snowfall as colder temperatures shrouded the state. All but extreme southern Illinois saw snow in January, with heaviest amounts in the Chicago area, including 35.1 inches at Lake Villa, 29.3 inches at Midway Airport (fifth snowiest), 27.8 inches at O'Hare Airport and 20.7 inches at the Chicago Botanic Garden.

"With records dating back to 1928, Midway Airport has the longest continuous record of snowfall in Chicago," Angel said.

Some trees in wetlands were damaged when the standing waters froze. However the state forester, Kurt Bobsin, of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, anticipates most trees will survive the onslaught.

"The native species of trees are likely [to] do OK," Bobsin said. "Trees in flood plains in particular stand a good chance of survival because they wouldn't grow there if they couldn't sustain flooding."

Bobsin said the fact trees are in a dormant period during winter months further ensures they'll survive the ravages of winter. Common ice damage includes scraped tree bark and broken branches.

"Until spring, it's hard to know just how much damage resulted, but I don't anticipate large areas of tree mortality," Bobsin said.

Bobsin recommends that homeowners concerned about trees contact a certified arborist. Because of education, training and testing, a certified arborist is qualified to assess tree damage and give advice on proper care.

"The timing of the weather is actually advantageous in some ways," said Bobsin. "Ice in the spring can kill a tree more easily because it can interfere with the tree's active growing period."

There could be more weather-related complications in coming weeks, according to Angel, as warmer temperatures arrive and ice melts. The National Weather Service outlook for February calls for an increased chance of precipitation above normal and a very strong chance of temperatures above normal across Illinois.

Precipitation totals
(City, amount in inches)

• Effingham, 9.29
• Palestine, 9.17
• Edwardsville, 8.79
• Decatur, 7.42
• Springfield, 5.55
• Carbondale, 4.70
• Ottawa, 4.42
• Peoria, 4.18
• Quincy, 4.06
• Chicago, 4.00
• Rockford, 3.29
• Moline Airport, 2.47
• Carlyle Reservoir Station, 7.16

[Illinois Department of Natural Resources news release]