National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office

...EXTREMELY DRY IN 2012 ...

CORRECTION TO DRIEST YEAR IN ROCKFORD. SHOULD BE 1910 NOT 1922. 

THROUGH NOVEMBER...2012 HAS BEEN MARKED BY EXTREMELY DRY
CONDITIONS IN NORTHERN ILLINOIS...PARTICULARLY IN NORTH CENTRAL
AND NORTHWEST ILLINOIS.

AT ROCKFORD...20.86 INCHES OF PRECIPITATION HAVE BEEN RECORDED
FROM JANUARY 1ST TO NOVEMBER 30TH. THIS IS THE DRIEST JANUARY TO
NOVEMBER PERIOD ON RECORD IN ROCKFORD...WITH RECORDS BACK TO 1906.

HERE ARE THE TOP 10 DRIEST JANUARY THROUGH NOVEMBER PERIODS IN ROCKFORD:

1) 20.86 2012     6) 22.87 1976
2) 22.17 2003     7) 23.02 1988
3) 22.27 1910     8) 23.54 1958
4) 22.63 2005     9) 23.64 1922
5) 22.76 1971    10) 23.78 1948

THE OVERALL DRIEST YEAR ON RECORD IN ROCKFORD WAS 1910...WITH 22.87
INCHES OF PRECIPITATION. THUS IF DECEMBER 2012 HAS LESS
PRECIPITATION THAN NORMAL...2012 WILL BE THE DRIEST YEAR ON
RECORD...SINCE NORMAL PRECIPITATION FOR DECEMBER IN ROCKFORD IS
1.98 INCHES.

FOR CHICAGO...24.70 INCHES OF PRECIPITATION HAVE BEEN RECORDED
FROM JANUARY 1ST TO NOVEMBER 30TH. THIS IS THE TENTH DRIEST
JANUARY TO NOVEMBER PERIOD ON RECORD IN CHICAGO...WITH RECORDS
BACK TO 1871.

HERE ARE THE TOP 10 DRIEST JANUARY THROUGH NOVEMBER PERIODS IN CHICAGO:

1) 20.81 1956      6) 23.07 1930
2) 20.85 1934      7) 23.65 1971
3) 21.92 1962      8) 23.78 1917
4) 22.73 2005      9) 24.24 1897
5) 22.83 1901     10) 24.70 2012

THE OVERALL DRIEST YEAR ON RECORD IN CHICAGO WAS 1956...WITH 22.07
INCHES OF PRECIPITATION. FOR 2012 TO FINISH IN THE TOP 10 DRIEST
YEARS ON RECORD IN CHICAGO...1.44 INCHES OR LESS OF PRECIPITATION
WOULD NEED TO FALL IN DECEMBER. NORMAL DECEMBER PRECIPITATION FOR
CHICAGO IS 2.25 INCHES.

$$

RC

January 1st-November 30th 2012 Precipitation
Departure from 1981-2010 Normal

Through November 30th, Rockford was an incredible 13.40" below normal precipitation for the year. Chicago was 9.94" below normal.