May ends run of unusually cold months for Illinois

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) - Illinois’ climatologist says May was warmer than usual across the state. That broke a long string of cooler-than-normal months for Illinois.

State Climatologist Jim Angel said Monday the average temperature in May was 63.9 degrees. That’s 1.2 degrees above average.

Angel said October was the last warmer-than-usual month for the state.

Statewide average precipitation was about a third of an inch below normal in May at 4.26 inches.

But he said parts of western and central Illinois saw only 1 to 3 inches of rain. Parts of western Illinois are now considered abnormally dry by the U.S. Drought Monitor.