Department of Commerce // National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Drought Information Statement for
Central and Southeast Illinois
Valid September 7, 2023
Issued By: WFO Lincoln, IL
Contact Information: [email protected]
● This product will be updated Sept. 21, 2023 or sooner if drought conditions change significantly.
● Please see all currently available products at https://drought.gov/drought-information-statements.
● Please visit https://www.weather.gov/ilx/DroughtInformationStatement for previous statements.
National Weather Service
Lincoln, Illinois
U.S. Drought Monitor
Link to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor for central and southeast Illinois
Image Caption: U.S. Drought Monitor valid 7 am CDT September 5th.
● Drought Intensity and Extent:
○ D1 (Moderate Drought): This remains focused
over west central Illinois, and includes the
following counties: Cass, Mason, Menard,
Morgan, Schuyler, and Scott.
○ D0: (Abnormally Dry): A large area of central
Illinois has abnormally dry conditions,
extending from near Galesburg and Canton
southeast to the Indiana border near Danville
and Martinsville.
● Dry weather is expected to prevail through the
middle of the month.
National Weather Service
Lincoln, Illinois
Recent Change in Drought Intensity
Link to the latest 1-week change map for central and southeast Illinois
● One Week Drought Monitor Class Change.
○ Drought Worsened: Areas from near
Sullivan east to Paris and Marshall have
seen drought conditions worsen, as well as
areas south of Springfield.
○ No Change: Most of central Illinois has
seen conditions remain status quo.
Image Caption: U.S. Drought Monitor 1-week change map valid
7 am CDT August 29th.
National Weather Service
Lincoln, Illinois
Precipitation
● Rainfall since the first week of
August has averaged 1.5 to 2.5
inches over central Illinois,
though this remains below
normal for that period.
● The driest conditions are north
of a Canton to Bloomington
line, where rainfall is running 2
to 3 inches below normal
during the past month.
Image Captions:
Left - Precipitation Amount for Illinois
Right - Percent of Normal Precipitation for Illinois
Data Courtesy Illinois State Climatologist Office
Data over the past 30 days ending September 6, 2023
Last 30 days
National Weather Service
Lincoln, Illinois
Summary of Impacts
Links: See/submit Condition Monitoring Observer Reports (CMOR) and view the Drought Impacts Reporter
Hydrologic Impacts
● There are no known impacts at this time
Agricultural Impacts
● There are no known impacts at this time
Fire Hazard Impacts
● There are no known impacts at this time
Other Impacts
● There are no known impacts at this time
Mitigation Actions
● None reported
National Weather Service
Lincoln, Illinois
Hydrologic Conditions and Impacts
● Streamflows are in the 25th or less percentile over a
large part of central Illinois.
● Low streamflows are observed in portions of the middle
Illinois River basin.
● Large water sources such as Lake Springfield, Lake
Decatur, and Lake Shelbyville have near or above
normal water levels for this time of year.
Image Caption: USGS 7 day average streamflow HUC map
valid September 6, 2023.
National Weather Service
Lincoln, Illinois
Agricultural Impacts
● Soil moisture at the 20
cm level is below the
20th percentile in a
large area from
Bloomington to Lincoln
northwest
● Agricultural impacts are
not significant at this
time, as crops begin to
dry out in preparation
for fall harvest
Image Captions:
Left: 1-week Evaporative Demand Drought Index
valid August 28, 2023
Right: 7-day Evapotranspiration ending
September 7, 2023
National Weather Service
Lincoln, Illinois
Seven Day Precipitation Forecast
● Rainfall is expected to be minimal
during the upcoming 7 days, and will
mainly be in the Monday to Tuesday
time frame
● Most areas are likely to see less than
a quarter inch of rain
Image Caption: 7 day precipitation forecast
National Weather Service
Lincoln, Illinois
Long Range Outlooks
The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage
● While conditions over
the next 7 days are
expected to favor
below normal
temperatures, the
month as a whole has
a good chance of
being warmer than
normal
● Rainfall is expected to
be below normal for
the month
Image Captions:
Left - Climate Prediction Center Monthly Temperature Outlook.
Right - Climate Prediction Center Monthly Precipitation Outlook.
Valid September 2023
Monthly outlook (issued last day of month)
Seasonal outlook (issued 3rd Thursday of month)
Monthly outlook (issued 3rd Thursday of month)
National Weather Service
Lincoln, Illinois
Drought Outlook
The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage
● Drought conditions are likely to expand
once again across central Illinois this month
Image Caption:
Climate Prediction Center Monthly Drought Outlook Released July
31, 2023 valid for August 2023
