By Dave Dahl/Illinois Radio Network
SPRINGFIELD – Illinois’ December was the warmest and second wettest on record.
State climatologist Jim Angel, who is based at the Illinois State Water Survey at the University of Illinois in Champaign, says the average figures are 40.6 degrees and 6.7 inches. That’s 10.7 degrees and four inches, respectively, above average. The only December with more precipitation was that of 1982, with 7.17 inches.
And, if you are saying, good thing all that rain wasn’t snow, Angel said you’ve got something there.
“There is kind of a rule of thumb,” said Angel. “It’s a 10-to-1 ratio, so one inch of rain equals ten inches of snow. Say we had eight inches of rain (in parts of southern Illinois) – that would have translated to eighty inches of snow on average.”
