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Meteorologist Andrew Pritchard provides Red Flag Warning information for University of Illinois licensed radio station WILL AM580.
FIELD FIRES ARE PROBABLE UNDER RED FLAG CONDITIONS
A Red Flag Warning has been issued for parts of Illinois and Indiana for today and tomorrow by the National Weather Service. Farmers are urged to be careful with machinery and prepare for the increased possibility of field fires.
Red Flag Warnings are issued when the following conditions exist.…

This week continued October’s mild trend with average temperatures in the mid to upper 50s statewide, between 1 and 6 degrees above normal. With only one week left in the month, October to date has been 1 to 4 degrees warmer than normal. The mild fall has added to what was a very warm first half of the year. Through October 23rd, this year has been the warmest on record in Peoria, and the second or third warmest on record in Chicago,…

This week brought some cooler weather just in time for the harvest moon. Temperature this week ranged from the high 40s in northern Illinois to the high 50s in southern Illinois, right around 1 degree of normal. The lack of humidity allowed nighttime temperatures to regularly dip into the 30s, and get below freezing for many places on a couple of nights. Some of the more impressive nighttime lows this week included 25 degrees in Mount Carroll and 27 in Springfield.…

October has taken over where September left off, with warm days and cool nights. Average temperatures over the past week ranged from the high 50s in northern Illinois to the mid-60s in southern Illinois, between 1 and 4 degrees above normal. The dryness of the air has been particularly remarkable, with afternoon relative humidity regularly dipping into the teens and low 20s. While the extremely dry air has been comfortable, it has also added to the lack of precipitation and increased the risk of field fires and blowing dust.…

The heat relented this week, and while temperatures were still above average they were much more pleasant. Average temperatures this week ranged from the mid-60s in northern Illinois to the mid-70s in far southern Illinois, between 2 and 6 degrees above average. September to date temperatures have been right around 1 degree above average for most of the state, but as with most Septembers we have seen quite a bit of variability day to day.
We had a bit of a wetter week across much of the state,…

Thankfully, our weather calmed down this week. Temperatures this week ranged from the high 60s in northern Illinois to the mid-70s in southern Illinois, between 2 and 6 degrees below normal for mid-July. July to date has been 1 to 3 degrees cooler than normal as well. Despite the cooler weather lately, the entire state is still about 50 to 100 growing degree days ahead of average, going back to May 1st.
This week was also quite a bit drier,…