6th-wettest April on record

[May 04, 2009]  CHAMPAIGN -- April statewide rainfall averaged 6.2 inches, 2.4 inches above normal and tied with 1983 for the sixth-wettest April since statewide records began in 1895. The wettest April on record was 7.1 inches in 1957. Normal statewide April rainfall is 3.8 inches, according to Jim Angel, state climatologist, of the Illinois State Water Survey.

In addition to April, wet conditions prevailed this year in February and March. Combined, they resulted in 12.9 inches of precipitation, 3.9 inches above normal. The result was delayed fieldwork and areas of flooding.

The statewide average temperature for April was 51.3 degrees, 1 degree below normal. While the first 22 days of April were 4 degrees below normal, the last eight days partially compensated by being 7 degrees above normal. The cold spot in the state in April was Streamwood with a low of 22 degrees. The warmest spot was Kaskaskia with a high of 89 degrees.

According to the National Weather Service, conditions are not expected to change significantly in the coming weeks. As of May 1, heavy rains are expected over the next five days in the southern half of the state, with potential amounts ranging from 1 to 4 inches. The current forecasts for the next two weeks show that the wetter-than-normal conditions will likely continue. The one-month outlook for May also shows an increased chance of above-normal precipitation.

The Illinois State Water Survey, at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign under the Institute of Natural Resource Sustainability, is the primary agency in Illinois concerned with water and atmospheric resources.

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