August and Summer Season Climate Summaries

August Precipitation Highlights:

• Rainfall was below normal once again in August for much of central and southeast Illinois.  Totals were 1 to 3 inches below normal for most of the area, with the exception of areas near Bloomington/Normal and Robinson, where localized storms brought monthly totals slightly above normal.  This continued the dry trend that has been seen through the summer months.  The latest U.S. Drought Monitor showed abnormally dry conditions for much of central IL, with moderate drought stretching from Jacksonville east towards Champaign. 

August Temperature Highlights:

• Temperatures were well below normal for a large portion of the Midwest this month.  Monthly average readings of 2 to 4 degrees below normal were common over central and southeast IL.  Only a few days saw highs reach the 90 degree mark.  Lincoln saw its 3rd coolest August, and was 4.5 degrees below normal.

August Weather Event Highlights:

• There were no organized severe weather events across the area this month.  The most significant weather event occurred on the 21st, when isolated damaging winds were reported east-central Illinois during the afternoon.  Later that evening, a persistent band of convection produced a narrow swath of 2 to 4 inch rainfall from Rushville, to just south of Bloomington, to north of Danville.

August Rainfall and Temperature Maps:

Climatological Statistics for August and Summer Season:

The following links are the monthly and seasonal climate summaries for area cities. Only the summaries for Peoria, Springfield, and Lincoln are considered "official", meaning they are the station of record for their respective locations. The other summaries are "supplemental", meaning another location in the area is the official climate station for the city.

• Peoria: (August) (Summer) -- Peoria International Airport
• Springfield: (August) (Summer) -- Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport
• Lincoln: (August) (Summer) -- NWS Office
• Champaign: (August) (Summer) -- University of Illinois-Willard Airport
• Decatur: (August) (Summer) -- Decatur Airport
• Lawrenceville: (August) (Summer) -- Lawrenceville-Vincennes International Airport
• Mattoon: (August) (Summer)-- Coles County Memorial Airport

Climate data for other cities is available at https://www.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=ilx

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Summer Season (June through August) Key Points:

• The summer season saw below normal precipitation, with most areas receiving between 5 and 10 inches.  This was 2 to 6 inches below normal.  This resulted in abnormally dry, to moderate drought conditions by the end of summer.
• Temperatures were around 1 degree below normal across central and southeast IL.   

Summer Season Precipitation and Temperature Maps: