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Illinois
was very dry, cold
for November and fall
[DEC. 7, 2002]
"November
2002 was the 12th driest and the 31st coldest November in Illinois
since 1895. Statewide there was 1.14 inches of precipitation, 2.17
inches below average, and temperatures averaged 39.2 F, 2.5 degrees
colder than average. This is in stark contrast to November 2001, the
warmest November on record, with temperatures 7.9 degrees above
average," says Jim Angel, state climatologist with the
Illinois State Water Survey, a
division of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
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"The statistics for September-November
2002 also reflect these generally cool and dry conditions. With only
6.52 inches of precipitation, 2.88 inches below average, it was the
21st driest fall since 1895. It was also the 38th coldest fall on
record, with temperatures averaging 53.4 degrees or 0.8 degrees
below average," says Angel.
"The demand for residential heating
should be up because heating degree-days since July 1 for the state
are about 9 percent above average (1,255 degree-days compared to an
average of 1,151 degree-days)," says Angel.
Northern Illinois, particularly the
Chicago area, reported significant snowfall in November: 5.3 inches
at Midway in Chicago and 5.5 inches at Chicago Botanic Garden.
November amounts at those two sites are typically 2.3 inches and 1.7
inches, respectively. The rest of northern Illinois averaged 1 to 2
inches, but there was little or no snow elsewhere in Illinois.
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Temperatures ranged from a high of 76
at Grand Tower on Nov. 12 to a low of 6 at Mount Carroll on Nov. 25.
Anna reported both the largest one-day rainfall total, 2.62 inches
on Nov. 10, and the largest monthly total, 3.64 inches.
"The
National Weather Service is continuing to call for an increased
chance of a warmer, drier winter this year. Because the current El
Nino event in the Pacific Ocean is much weaker than the 1997-1998
event, I would expect its impact on our winter weather to be muted.
I think we are more likely to see average to colder-than-average
winter temperatures and dry conditions if the patterns seen in
November continue," says Angel.
[Illinois State Water Survey] |
