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March is the latest in a string of above-normal months in
Illinois going all the way back to September 2015. In fact, the
September-March 2016 average temperature of 45.6 degrees is 3.9
degrees above normal and the 3rd warmest September-March combo
on record since 1895.
This warmth for the past several months is due to the moderating
influence of El Niņo on winters in Illinois, as well as our
trend towards milder winters in recent decades. The winter of
2013-14 was the exception to the rule.
The March statewide average precipitation was 3.28 inches, 0.32
inches above normal. Far southern Illinois was the wettest with
amounts of 5 to 8 inches common.
The largest monthly precipitation total in the state was
Smithland Lock and Dam in Pope County with 8.73 inches. An area
from Quincy to Peoria was the driest with amounts closer to 1 to
3 inches. For example, the Quincy Airport reported only 1.08
inches of precipitation for March.
Northern Illinois experienced some snow in March while the rest
of the state was quiet. Amounts of 1 to 4 inches were common in
the north, and a few places along the IL-WI border received
more. A site near Gurnee reported a monthly total of 8.2 inches
of snow. Overall, snowfall was below normal for March across the
state.
[Lisa A. Sheppard]
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.
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