Skipping Spring: Illinois Gets Early Start on Summer After Cold April

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Published on May 23 2018 10:12 am
Last Updated on May 23 2018 10:12 am

BY JIM TAYLOR, FARM WEEK NOW

This weekend ushers in the unofficial start to summer with the Memorial Day holiday. This year, that will also mean some summerlike conditions.

“If you look at the forecast for the next two weeks, it looks like that pattern will continue of much warmer temperatures across the region,” said State Climatologist Jim Angel with the Illinois State Water Survey.

Daytime highs should be in the 80s over the next two weeks for much of the state, including the holiday weekend. 

“But a relatively dry period, too,” Angel told the RFD Radio Network® Tuesday. “If you look at the next 14 days, all those forecasts are pointing towards dryer conditions for Illinois.”

The first official day of summer is June 21, but warm, humid air will settle over the state over the next couple of weeks leading up to the summer solstice.

“I will say probably the next week or so, it’s going to feel very much like summer,” Angel said. “So we’ll probably have more summerlike conditions with higher humidity and higher temperatures.”

Illinois’ warmer-than-average weather this month has been a significant contrast with April, which was one of the coolest on record.