Drought conditions signal low precipitation in Illinois in August

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[September 09, 2019]    The first signs of drought appeared in much of the state in August, but a swath of Illinois showed above normal precipitation, according to Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford at the University of Illinois’ Illinois State Water Survey.

The preliminary average statewide precipitation was 4.21 inches, which is 0.61 inches below the long-term August average.

Preliminary data suggest that August was drier than average across much of the state north of I-72 and south of I-64, in some cases with up to 4 inches below normal precipitation, while much wetter than average conditions prevailed between the two interstates.

Areas in the south-central part of the state, particularly in the western extent of the St. Louis metro east, received precipitation totals in August between 5 and 8 inches above normal, with a station near Patoka in Marion County reporting the highest monthly rainfall total of 14.19 inches.

The driest area in August covered parts of Ford, Iroquois, and Vermilion counties in east-central Illinois, where precipitation totals were less than 50 percent of their August normal.

The U.S. Drought Monitor identified moderate drought in northwest and east-central Illinois in their August 13 map. The signs of drought in August were the first in the state since September 2018, which represents 48 weeks, or the largest number of consecutive, drought-free weeks since the U.S. Drought Monitor began 20 years ago.

The combination of late planting, due to flooding, and multi-week drought has stressed crops and farmers across central Illinois. Reports from the Illinois Farm Bureau CropWatchers discussed corn dropping ears and beans dropping leaves in parts of Champaign County.

Much of the state experienced near normal to slightly below normal temperatures in August. The preliminary average statewide August temperature was 72.8 degrees, which is 0.7 degrees below the long-term average.

A strong cold front in the early part of the month and in the last week of the month resulted in cooler conditions, with minimum temperatures ranging from the high 40s to high 50s across the state. This was particularly the case for the northwest quadrant of Illinois.

However, the entire state experienced August temperatures within 2 degrees of the long-term August normal. August average temperatures ranged from 79 degrees in Pulaski County to 68 degrees in Jo Davies County. The lowest minimum temperature reported in Illinois in August was 48 degrees in DeKalb County, and the highest maximum temperature reported in Illinois was 98 degrees in Pulaski County.

Looking into September, the monthly outlook from the Climate Prediction Center (CPC) issued on August 31 shows slightly elevated probabilities of below normal temperatures across the northern half of the state, with equal chances of above normal, normal, and below normal temperatures in the southern half.

September precipitation probabilities slightly favor above normal precipitation in the northwest corner of the state, but with equal chances for the rest of Illinois.

[Lisa Sheppard]

 

 

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