WEATHER IN 1996

SUMMARY: 1996 was colder than average throughout Illinois. Only February, August, and December were warmer than normal. Precipitation varied from below average in the northwest to above average in the south. Precipitation was above average in all but the Northwest, West, and Central districts.

PRECIPITATION: Precipitation was above average in January, April, May, June, July, and November but below average the rest of the year. May was the wettest month and February was the driest month.

TEMPERATURE: Only the months of February, August, and December were above average in 1996 and then only slightly. The spring (March, April, and May) averaged four degrees below normal statewide. June and August were close to normal but a cool July (3.7 degrees below normal) made the summer overall temperature below average. The cold wet spring delayed planting. Because of the cool spring and summer, growing degree days accumulation at the end of August were two to three weeks behind normal.

SIGNIFICANT WEATHER EVENTS

SEVERE WINTER STORMS: Winter started early in most of Illinois, with most of the state receiving some snow during November. In mid-December, over ten inches of snow fell in east central Illinois. On January 6-7 a storm dropped from 3 - 8 inches of snow on south central Illinois. A storm January 26-27 brought snow to central and northern Illinois with the heaviest snowfall in the northwest. The winter season was capped off with a storm on March 19-20 that dumped over a foot of snow on southeastern Illinois.

TEMPERATURE EXTREMES: Extremely cold January 31 - February 6. A low of -35 F on February 3rd tied the record low temperature set in 1901. The six days beginning January 31 were the second coldest six consecutive days on record. The record was set February 8-13, 1899.

TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS: The first major outbreak of tornadoes occurred on April 19th with 30 tornadoes reported. In May, tornadoes occurred on the 9th and 27th. In June tornadoes were reported on the 6th and 10th. Only one tornado was reported in July. The last tornadoes of the 1996 season occurred on August 18th.

PROMINENT WEATHER RELATED IMPACTS FOR 1995: The West District ended the year with five consecutive months of below average precipitation. The 30 tornadoes reported on April 19th was the largest number of tornadoes reported in a 24 hour period. Many locations in northwest and central Illinois received twice their monthly average rainfall in May. Precipitation exceeded ten inches in many locations. The heavy rainfall continued in northeast Illinois in June with one station reporting over 16 inches of rain for the month. Heavy rainstorms in July set records throughout northeast Illinois, making it the wettest July on record. One station recorded 17 inches of rain in a 24 hour period. November was the fourth coldest on record with temperatures averaging six to eight degrees below normal.

Illinois Agricultural Statistics Service Annual Summary - 1997

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