Frigid and Snowy Start to April

Temperature departure from normal for April 1-10, 2018

During early April, normal high temperatures over central and southeast Illinois are in the upper 50s or lower 60s. Such values have been extremely scarce during the first week or so of this month. The map at left shows far average temperatures have been away from normal. So far, temperatures have averaged 10 to 20 degrees below normal, coldest in west central Illinois due to a couple periods of snowfall.

The coldest temperatures were on the morning of April 2, following snow that fell on Easter Sunday. A narrow west-east corridor of lows in the single digits occurred from Macomb eastward to near Rantoul, and even a few sub-zero readings were logged. Paxton, in Ford County, tied the Illinois April record low temperature at -2° that morning. Our office in Lincoln reported -1°, which was the first April sub-zero reading on record, and also broke the monthly record by 15 degrees. Peoria tied their monthly record low of 14 degrees, and Springfield broke their monthly record at 16 degrees.

During this period, the only day that featured 70 degree highs was on the 3rd, and that was mainly south of I-70. Points to the north have largely not seen such temperatures at all this year. In Springfield, the last time they went this deep into the year (after April 10th) without a 70 degree high was in 1984. The last couple years had 70's in February, so this year is a bit of an adjustment.

Snowfall totals have been unusually high for April as well. The heavier amounts were focused on a west-east corridor just north of I-72, where some places have received 5 to 10 inches. Some heftier April snows have occurred in the past, so these have not necessarily set a lot of records. Some of the area highlights:

Havana has had 10.6 inches of snow this month. This is the 3rd highest on record for April, surpassed by 11.5" in 1920, and 10.8" in 1997.
Lincoln has reported 7.1 inches of snow, 2nd highest on record for the month. The record of 7.8 inches was set in 1920.
Springfield's 4.8 inches for April is the 4th highest on record for the month. The record of 8.2 inches was set in 1920.