Oct 25 | Climate Review and Weather Forecast

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, Rockford, Moline, Quincy, St. Louis, and Paducah. Unless we have an unusually cold end of the year, it is likely 2024 will be the second warmest year on record in Illinois only after 2012.

We actually got some rain in the Land of Lincoln this week, breaking a weeks-long streak of very dry conditions. 7-day rainfall totals ranged from only a trace in far southern Illinois to over 1.5 inches in north-central Illinois. Despite the rain, October to date has still been 1 to 3 inches drier than normal so far. The modest rain this week will help tamp down dust and field fire risk, but won’t do much to help refill dry soils and low streams.

Looking ahead, our 7-day forecast looks wetter for the first time in a while. Forecasted 7-day totals range from around a quarter of an inch in southern Illinois to possibly another inch and a half in northern Illinois. Temperatures will dip a bit this weekend, with highs struggling to make it out of the 60s statewide, but then climb back into the 70s and low 80s next week. While Halloween temperatures look pretty good, with highs right around 70, some parts of the state may see some rain Halloween night. At the very least, though, we will not see the snow we had last year on Halloween. Farther out, the week 2 outlook for the first full week of November shows best chances for above normal temperatures and precipitation. So, it’s likely our milder weather will stretch into next month.