May weather warmer and dryer than normal; parts of South Central Illinois now abnormally dry

May weather was warmer and drier than normal in Illinois as parts of South Central Illinois fall into the abnormally dry category.

In Salem, the water treatment plant reported 3.94 inches of rain, with 1.8 inches of that amount coming on one day May 8th. That brings the total for the first five months of the year to 19.62 inches. Both are under last year's totals when 6.23 inches of rain fell in May and 22.15 inches of precipitation had fallen for the year to date.

Centralia was considerably dryer, with just 1.93 inches of rain in May bringing the yearly total to 17.84 inches.

Statewide average rainfall was about two inches below normal, although totals varied widely. State climatologist Trent Ford says most of Illinois is sitting at 50 percent of normal precipitation for the last month or two.

Ford said, "The drought monitor that got released has a moderate drought in the quad cities, down in Danville, all across that I-74 corridor, as well as much of the Chicago area and a lot of the Missouri border and Western Illinois. About 75% of the state is abnormally dry, which is not technically drought, but we’re getting there."

All of Clinton and Washington Counties are now listed as abnormally dry along with the southwest section of Marion County and all but southern Jefferson County. The rest of the region is still listed with adequate moisture.

The average statewide temperature was just a little above normal. Ford says although there were some warm days, the low humidity made for some cooler nights.

In Salem, the high temperature of the month was 91 on May 31st and the low was 41 degrees recorded on May 4th. That compares to a high of 92 and a low of 47 last May.