Wet May leads to 7th-wettest spring for Illinois

[June 07, 2011]  CHAMPAIGN -- The statewide average rainfall for Illinois in May was 5.6 inches, 1.3 inches above average for the month. Combined with the 2.8 inches in March and 7.3 inches in April, the total rainfall for this spring was 15.7 inches. This is the seventh-wettest spring on record since 1895 and 4.3 inches above average, according to Jim Angel, state climatologist, of the Illinois State Water Survey.

May rainfall totals were highest for Anna in southern Illinois with 10.04 inches, followed closely by Woodhull in western Illinois with 9.92 inches.

Spring rainfall totals were highest in southern Illinois. Cairo reported the highest total rainfall with 30.90 inches, followed by Brookport Dam with 29.19 inches, Du Quoin with 28.95 inches and Carbondale with 27.59 inches. These numbers are slightly more than double the average spring rainfall.

The statewide average temperature for May was 62.1 degrees, 0.8 degrees below average. Temperatures ranged from a high of 95 degrees at Prairie City, Fisher, Little Red School House (Willow Springs), Princeville and Trimble, to a low of 24 degrees at Elizabeth.

___

The Illinois State Water Survey at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a division of the Prairie Research Institute, is the primary agency in Illinois concerned with water and atmospheric resources.

[Text from file received from the Illinois State Water Survey]