Meteorological Winter (December through February) produced much above normal temperatures and precipitation, and below normal snowfall for central and southeast Illinois. Seasonal temperatures were 4 to 7 degrees above average, which put many sites into their top 10 warmest winters. Record warmth during December was largely responsible for this anomaly, as January and Februrary saw temperatures just a couple degrees above normal. Precipitation was also well above normal, especially for locations south of I-72, where surpluses of 3-6" were located. Again, December was a major driver due to heavy rains which produced widespread flooding late in the month. Even though precipitation was well above normal, snowfall was well below normal due to the warmth which resulted in more rain-producing systems. 10-15" of snow fell over much of the central part of the state, which was 5" to 10" below normal.
Temperature trends were consistent with what was expected from the strong El Nino which was in place this winter. Precipitation trends are more variable during El Nino events, and this winter ended up wetter than seasonal forecasts predicted last fall.
Overall, winter 2015-2016 was characterized as "mild" for all of central and southeast Illinois. The charts below from the Midwestern Regional Climate Center's "Accumulated Winter Season Severity Index" show how this winter compared to climatology in terms of severity of temperature, snowfall, and snow depth for Urbana (which is representative for much of central Illinois). For reference, winter 2014-2015 was categorized as "extreme" for Urbana.
Temperature, Precipitation, and Snowfall Maps (Click to enlarge)
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The table below summarizes 2015-16 Winter Season (Dec 2015 - Feb 2016) liquid equivalent precipitation, snowfall, and temperature, and departure from normal for selected cities across central and southeast Illinois. Data from Peoria and Springfield are from ASOS sites, while others are from NWS Cooperative Observers.
| Site |
Precip. |
Departure from Normal | Snowfall | Departure from Normal | Average Temp. |
Departure from Normal | Winter Season Temp. Records |
Winter Season Precip. Records | Winter Season Snowfall Records |
|
Charleston |
10.87" | +2.72" | 9.2" | -4.7 | 36.3 | +5.1 | 2nd mildest winter | 14th wettest winter | |
| Danville |
9.81" |
+2.56" | 9.3" | -5.6" | 34.7 | +4.9 | 5th mildest winter | 13th wettest winter | |
| Decatur |
10.21" |
+3.29" | 12.1" | -1.8" | 33.9 | +3.6 | 8th mildest winter | 12th wettest winter | |
| Effingham |
10.70" |
+2.33 | 8.6" | -4.6" | 35.7 | +3.7 | 4th mildest winter | 13th wettest winter | |
|
Flora |
12.21" | +3.20" | 8.0" | -1.8 | 36.8 | +3.5 | 7th mildest winter | 12th wettest winter | |
| Galesburg |
5.83" |
+0.42" | 8.2" | -11.4" | 29.2 | +4.5 | 5th mildest winter | 13th least snowiest winter | |
|
Havana |
8.16" | +1.19" | 12.3" | -10.9" | N/A | N/A | 15th wettest winter | ||
|
Jacksonville |
8.46" | +2.68" | 9.3" | -5.0" | 35.5 | +6.6 | 2nd mildest winter | 12th wettest winter | |
| Lincoln |
9.05" |
+2.66" | 11.3" | -6.6" | 33.2 | +4.7 | 11th mildest winter | 12th wettest winter | |
|
Mattoon |
11.39" | +4.03" | 10.9" | -1.6" | N/A | N/A | 4th wettest winter | ||
|
Normal |
9.20" |
+2.44" | 12.7" | -4.6" | 31.9 | +5.4 | 4th mildest winter | 8th wettest winter | |
|
Olney |
10.02" | +0.36" | 5.7" | -4.5" | 36.0 | +4.3 | Tied 8th mildest winter | ||
|
Paris |
13.02" | +5.26" | 13.3" | -7.0 | 33.5 | +4.6 | Tied 7th mildest winter | 5th wettest winter | |
| Peoria |
7.69" |
+1.70" | 10.5" | -9.7" | 33.6 | +6.0 | 4th mildest winter | 17th wettest winter | |
| Springfield |
8.89" |
+2.74" | 15.1" | -2.4" | 35.5 | +6.1 | 6th mildest winter | 18th wettest winter | |
|
Tuscola |
10.25" | +3.01" | 10.3" | -4.9" | 33.4 | +5.5 | 7th mildest winter | Tied 11th wettest winter | |
| Urbana |
9.21" |
+2.30" | 10.8" | -8.4" | 33.3 | +5.7 | 12th mildest winter | 18th wettest winter |
Links below are the seasonal climate summaries for area cities. Only the summaries for Peoria, Springfield and Lincoln are considered "official", meaning they are the station of record for their respective locations. The other summaries are "supplemental", meaning another location in the area is the official climate station for that city.
Climate data for other area cities is available at http://www.nws.noaa.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=ilx
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