2024 was the second warmest year on record for the state of Illinois behind 2012. However, when comparing the two warm years, State Climatologist Trent Ford says in some ways 2024 was warmer than 2012.
“In 2012 it was a drought year across Illinois, across the Midwest; and because of that, we had some of our highest anomalies, some of our like largest departures from normal in the summertime, June, July, and August,” says Ford. “Last year, our largest departures were outside of the summer. It was February, March, November, December, with some of our warmer months, whereas July was actually cooler than normal by about a degree to two degrees, and August was right at the 30-year normal.”
Looking at precipitation, Ford says 2024 was at the 30-year average.
