Early July was cool, wet

CHAMPAIGN - The first half of July was both cooler and wetter than normal but things should change here in the second part of the month.

“Statewide average temperatures were 73.8 degrees. That’s two degrees below normal. Statewide rainfall was at 3.8 inches, which is about twice the normal for the first half of July,” said State Climatologist Jim Angel in his weekly weather summary.

In the past week, areas between Interstates 80 and 64 received anywhere from a half inch up to three inches of rain while parts of northern and southern Illinois received less than a half inch. Soil moisture looks good across the 19 station network at 2, 4 and 8 inches.

The forecast from the National Weather Service calls for a hot and dry end to the month with excessive heat building in later this week and into the weekend.