Illinois in 2012: 2nd-warmest and 10th-driest on record

[January 05, 2013]  CHAMPAIGN -- The year 2012 will long be remembered for the drought and the exceptionally warm temperatures. While the data for December are still preliminary, 2012 was the second-warmest and 10th-driest year on record for Illinois, according to Jim Angel, state climatologist with the Illinois State Water Survey at the University of Illinois.

The statewide average temperature for 2012 was 55.5 degrees, 3.3 degrees above normal and the second-warmest year on record for Illinois. The warmest year was 1921 with 55.6 degrees. It was the much warmer-than-normal temperatures in January-May, July and December that caused such high ranking for 2012.

The statewide average precipitation for 2012 was 30.4 inches, 9.8 inches below normal and the 10th-driest year on record in Illinois. Much of the shortfall was the result of significantly below-normal precipitation in May-July and November.

December was mild, with the statewide average of 35.8 degrees, 5.9 degrees above normal and the 13th-warmest December on record. The statewide average precipitation was 2.3 inches, just 0.4 inches below normal.

"Winter is our driest time of year in Illinois," Angel said. "The normal precipitation for January and February is just over 2 inches for each month. Even March is not much wetter at 3 inches. That adds up to 7 inches for those three months combined. It would take more than double of that amount to erase the deficits accumulated in 2012."

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