By Illinois Radio Network

SPRINGFIELD – Grilling and golfing aren’t normal holiday traditions for residents across the state, but the spike in temperatures and lack of precipitation late last month made outdoor conditions unusually hospitable.

Weather analysts called December 2019 one of the warmest and driest months that the state has seen.

Areas of Southern Illinois received about half of the precipitation that they would have in a normal December, making it the 50th driest December on record in Illinois.

“Between December 20th and 31st, over 100 daily maximum temperature records were broken across the state including the station in Kane County besting its previous Christmas Day record high temperature by 10 degrees,” State Climatologist Trent Ford said. “The majority of the state remains at precipitation deficits of one-to-two inches over the last thirty days.”

The preliminary statewide December average temperature was 35.2 degrees, good for the 18th warmest on record.

The thirty-day outlook shows more of the same, specifically calling for a warmer, wetter January for Southern Illinois.

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