It's been a while since northern Illinois has recorded any meaningful rainfall. Our last rain total (record at the Rockford airport) over a quarter of an inch was back on the 28th of August when 0.33 inches fell. The last half an inch, or more, was recorded on the 18th and our last inch, or more, of rain was on the 10th. While August didn't end exceptionally dry, the first week of September has been. And those drier than normal conditions could continue into the middle of the month.
The latest long-range outlook from the Climate Prediction Center highlights a higher probability for below average precipitation, but also for above average temperatures. If this holds and temperatures warm without much rain it could push northern Illinois back into drought territory.
The drought monitor shows that drier than normal conditions have expanded downstate in central and southern Illinois over the last week, with moderate and even severe drought conditions being reported.
The outlook for rain isn't the greatest over the next week. There are likely to be a few sprinkles or very light showers late Tuesday night, perhaps into Wednesday, as an upper-level disturbance moves through the Midwest. After that, temperatures will warm into the 80s - perhaps upper 80s - to round out the end of the week. Looking ahead into the weekend we *could* see our next chance for rain with the arrival of a cold front. But it all depends on how long a ridge of high pressure sticks around and how far south and west low pressure (from Canada) extends into the Great Lakes.
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