Illinois State Climatologist on the Job

BY JIM TAYLOR, FARMWEEKNOW.COM 

Illinois’ new state climatologist is on the job and he’s already talking drought.

“Aug. 13 was the first U.S. Drought Monitor Map that identified D-1 or moderate drought conditions,” said Trent Ford during a Tuesday visit with RFD Today. “So, there have been abnormally dry conditions throughout much of July.”

And that stretches from the Quad Cities across the Interstate 74 corridor to Champaign. The Aug. 13 map marked the first week drought had been identified by the U.S. Drought Monitor in Illinois since September of 2018. 

“The last 12 months ending in the month of August have been unprecedented wetness, but we have seen some dryness across especially the central part of the state,” Ford said.

Some areas of the state were hit with an exceptionally wet spring and in Carbondale, they’ve recorded rainfall 11 inches more than average this year.

“We are well above normal in southern Illinois,” Ford said. “However, it you look at most of the yards, it’s a little crunchy around there so it’s incredible how you can get all of your annual amount of rainfall in a short period and then actually go into drought.”

He anticipates dry conditions to be prevalent throughout most of the state through next week with temperatures being above normal. 

Ford, a native of Roanoke, Illinois, officially took over the state climatologist role on Aug. 15.