Seventh Coldest February on Record Wraps Up Winter in Illinois

[March 05, 2015]  CHAMPAIGN - The statewide average temperature for February was 18.6 degrees, which is 12.3 degrees below the 1981-2010 average and the 7th coldest February on record. In comparison, February 2014 was the 9th warmest at 19.5 degrees, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel, Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois.

Snowfall for February in Illinois was widespread and well above average. Amounts of 15 to 20 inches were common in western and northern Illinois and 10 to 15 inches across central Illinois and parts of far southern Illinois. This was 8 to 12 inches above average in many locations.

The statewide average temperature for the three winter months of December, January, and February in Illinois was 26.1 degrees, 7.5 degrees below average. While cold, it was not nearly as cold as last winter’s 21.7 degrees. This winter ranks as the 30th coldest on record.

Snowfall was above average for the winter from December through February. Most of that fell in February. December was snow-free for most of the state except in the far west. Snowfall was common in January but below average except for a band across northern Illinois.

Major snows occurred in February to bring up the winter snowfall totals across the state. Above-average snowfall occurred across northern and western Illinois as well as far southern Illinois.

“Of course, winter weather has continued in the first week of March, but milder weather is expected by the weekend,” concludes Angel.

[Illinois State Water Survey]

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.