In 2022, May brought Illinois an early heatwave and prolonged summer temperatures. However, at the beginning of the month’s outlook from the Illinois State Climatology office, the opposite would happen in 2023. Their predictions say that May may have “higher chances for below normal temperatures across much of the state,” adding that there are “widespread higher chances for below normal precipitation.”
Dr. Trent Ford, Illinois State Climatologist, says that we have seen drier and milder conditions but we will see that shift as we head towards the end of the month.
“We get out to the two-week outlook, we begin to see some of that warm air that has been trapped in the western US. begin to break out so our chances actually increase for above-normal temperatures to end the month of May,” said Ford. “I’m still seeing signals for drier weather, that doesn’t mean it’s going to be bone dry but this is showing this time of the year that we are not going to see that really active storm track system after system after system.”
Ford adds the most recent three-month outlook shows June and July being warmer and wetter than normal.
Watch the full interview here.
Written by: Kailey Foster
