Drought concerns rise in northern Illinois as precipitation falls short

Combined rain and snowfall this spring was well below normal across northern Illinois, according to the National Weather Service.

Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport recorded 2.8 inches of snow, which is 4 inches below normal, and Rockford reported 4.2 inches of snow, which was 1.6 inches below normal, according to the NWS.

Also, O’Hare’s recorded rainfall is 3.69 inches below normal, while Rockford’s rainfall is at 3.18 inches below normal.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration‘s latest three-to-four-week outlook, issued Friday, shows a good chance that precipitation will remain below normal.

The Illinois State Climatologist said there are many factors to identify an actual drought situation including “crop losses, low water levels in lakes and streams, and water shortages, rather than specific definitions of shortfalls in precipitation.”

Illinois experienced one of the most severe droughts in recent decades in 2012, according to the Illinois State Climatologist.

As far as temperatures, “while May was on the cooler side of normal, spring was generally mild,” the NWS posted on X on Sunday.