Jan 20 | Weekly Climate Review & Weather Forecast

Hopefully everyone has enjoyed a mild January so far for Illinois. The surface pressure systems across Illinois over the weekend and earlier this week allowed for temperatures to be as much as 20 degrees above normal across much of the state. The low pressure system on Wednesday cooled temperatures back down in northern and central Illinois as these areas stayed in the cold sector, but the southernmost part of the state experienced just a little bit of the warm sector with a high of 64 reported on Wednesday evening. Almost the entire state received at least a trace of rain on Monday. There were a few heavier spots with totals between a half an inch and one inch in central Illinois around Peoria and Bloomington, northwest Illinois around Galena and Rockford, and northeast Illinois around Sheridan and Yorkville. Wednesday’s system brought more rain with totals roughly averaging three tenths of an inch in northern Illinois, over half an inch in central Illinois, and well over an inch for the southern part of the state. Preliminary estimates show just over two inches of rain fell from Wednesday to Thursday morning near Carmi, IL down in White County. There were also scattered s

howers and even a few snowflakes Thursday. Despite this precipitation, evaluation metrics suggest the expansion of abnormally dry conditions for the northern half of the state.

This weekend and next week we’ll see more winter-like temperatures. Tomorrow and Sunday, southern Illinois will see highs in the low 40s, central Illinois with highs in the mid 30s, and highs in the low 30s for our northerners. Clear skies across the state tomorrow, but on Sunday, overcast with the chance for rain and maybe a few flurries in the southern half of the state and snow in the northern half. Next week, cloudy and highs in the 30s across the state, and the potential that a low pressure system may bring more precipitation on Tuesday.