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August
rainfall heaviest on record in northeastern Illinois
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[August 25, 2007]
CHAMPAIGN -- "Rainfall amounts
in northeastern Illinois already have established this as the
wettest August and wettest summer since regional records began in
1895," says Jim Angel, state climatologist, of the
Illinois State Water Survey,
a division of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. "As of
the morning of Aug. 24, rainfall for northeastern Illinois --
including those counties from Boone to LaSalle and eastward --
averaged 11.32 inches, 8.10 inches above normal, and beating the
1987 record of 11.02 inches. Totals for June-August thus far in this
area averaged 20.02 inches, 8.91 inches above normal, and beating
the 1972 record of 19.26 inches.
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"Many individual stations also have set all-time August records,
noteworthy because climate records for these locations go back more
than 50 years. The list includes Freeport, 11.88 inches; Rockford,
13.82 inches; Antioch, 11.31 inches; Elgin, 15.05 inches; Joliet,
10.18 inches; Morris, 11.42 inches; Peotone, 14.00 inches; and Peru,
8.89 inches. Several other stations with much shorter records also
reported impressive rainfall totals, including Genoa, 15.66 inches;
Chicago Botanic Garden, 12.44 inches; McHenry, 12.52 inches;
Streamwood, 11.51 inches; and Yorkville, 10.81 inches. "Parts of
southern and west-central Illinois, however, have struggled with a
lack of rainfall in August and are classified as either abnormally
dry or in moderate drought according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
For example, Waterloo, east of St. Louis, reported only 0.15 inches
for August so far, 100 times less than rainfall that fell in Elgin
this month."
The National Weather Service forecast included more chances of
rain on Friday before a cold front finally passes through the state
by Saturday. "Additional rains … (Friday) and next week will push
many of these extraordinary rainfall totals upward by the end of the
month," said Angel.
Disclaimer: Data used for all statistics provided herein are from
the Midwestern Regional Climate Center and are based on preliminary
data.
[Text from file received from the
Illinois
State Water Survey]
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