A Wet End to the Month in Southern Illinois The dates range from early to mid-October in northern Illinois to mid-November in southern Illinois. The map below shows the climatological earliest first measurable snowfall on record at stations across the state.
Indeed, several small- to medium-sized field fires broke out across central and south-central Illinois during the second week of October. Existing drought and crops drying down in fields provided ample, dry fuel for wildfire potential. The very high values of vapor pressure deficit in Springfield, near record values on October 14, indicated a warm, dry atmosphere. A vapor pressure deficit has been linked to wildfire risk, with higher vapor pressure deficit values indicating a higher risk of wildfire outbreak. The plot below shows a daily mean surface vapor pressure deficit, a measure of atmospheric humidity, at Springfield between January 1 and October 18 of this year (red line) compared to all previous years (gray shaded area). The combination of high temperatures, very low humidity, and strong winds created a significant fire risk during the second week of October. This follows the cooler than normal months of August and September statewide. The preliminary statewide average October temperature was 51.8 degrees, 2.6 degrees below the 30-year normal and tied for the 19 th coolest on record. October average temperatures ranged from the high 40s in northwest Illinois to the high 50s in southern Illinois, between 2 and 5 degrees below average. The maps below show October average temperatures and their departure from the long-term average. This included the 34-degree high in Kewanee in Henry County, which broke the previous October low maximum temperature record of 36 degrees, set just last year on Halloween. The cool, cloudy day of October 27 broke the month’s low maximum temperature records at seven locations in Illinois. Concurrently, 66 daily low maximum temperature records and 19 daily low minimum temperature records fell in October. However, this was followed by a predominantly cooler than average second half of the month.Įleven daily high maximum temperature records and eight daily high minimum temperature records were broken last month. As the plot below of daily temperature departures from normal in Moline shows, the second week of October was 5 to 10 degrees warmer than average across the state.
Preliminary statewide average total precipitation for August was 3.03 inches, 0.21 inches less than the 30-year normal, and the 54 th wettest on record.ĭata are provisional and may change slightly over time October TemperaturesĬool weather persisted from the end of September to the first week of October across the state. The preliminary statewide average October temperature was 51.8 degrees, 2.6 degrees below the 30-year normal, and tied for the 19 th coolest on record. October was much cooler and slightly drier than average across Illinois.
0 kommentar(er)
