http://www.isws.illinois.edu/hilites.asp The latest news about the Illinois State Water Survey and the related events that surround it, and the latest word on water issues that effect Illinois and the Nation. en-us Copyright 2011 University of Illinois Board of Trustees. All rights reserved. Wed, 15 May 2013 14:35:00 CDT webadmin@isws.illinois.edu (Kevin Merrifield) webadmin@isws.illinois.edu (Kevin Merrifield) Wed, 15 May 2013 14:35:00 CDT http://www.isws.illinois.edu/hilites/press/130515soilmoist.asp http://www.isws.illinois.edu/hilites/press/130515soilmoist.asp Soil moisture levels are slightly above normal in Illinois for the middle of May, according to Jennie Atkins, Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring (WARM) Program Manager at the Prairie Research Institute, Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois... Thu, 02 May 2013 16:08:00 CDT http://www.isws.illinois.edu/hilites/drought/ http://www.isws.illinois.edu/hilites/drought/ This report documents the Drought of 2012 in Illinois and its impacts on agriculture and water supplies, as well as other environmental and economic concerns, and to identify those areas where further planning and preparation for future drought should occur... Thu, 02 May 2013 13:17:00 CDT http://www.isws.illinois.edu/hilites/press/130502wetapril.asp http://www.isws.illinois.edu/hilites/press/130502wetapril.asp April was the 4th wettest on record for Illinois with 6.90 inches of rain, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel at the Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois. That total was 3.13 inches above the long-term average of 3.77 inches for the month... Tue, 16 Apr 2013 23:59:00 CDT http://www.isws.illinois.edu/hilites/press/130416soilmoist.asp http://www.isws.illinois.edu/hilites/press/130416soilmoist.asp Soil moisture levels are normal in Illinois for the start of the growing season, according to Jennie Atkins, Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring (WARM) Program Manager at the Illinois State Water Survey... Fri, 12 Apr 2013 16:36:00 CDT http://www.isws.illinois.edu/hilites/press/130411uwlake.asp http://www.isws.illinois.edu/hilites/press/130411uwlake.asp Research shows that small lakes even hundreds of miles away can cause lake-effect snows to intensify around the Great Lakes, a phenomenon that may occur more often with climate change, according to David Kristovich, head of the Center for Atmospheric Science at the Illinois State Water Survey... Tue, 08 Apr 2013 23:52:00 CDT http://www.isws.illinois.edu/hilites/press/130409radar.asp http://www.isws.illinois.edu/hilites/press/130409radar.asp The Illinois State Water Survey played a key role in developing tornado-tracking technology used today to issue warnings of impending severe storms. While testing radar equipment to measure rainfall rates in 1953, ISWS meteorologists were the first to photograph and document a hook echo, a classic sign of tornado... Thu, 03 Apr 2013 11:44:00 CDT http://www.isws.illinois.edu/hilites/press/130403colder.asp http://www.isws.illinois.edu/hilites/press/130403colder.asp This March was 21.2 degrees colder than the average statewide temperature in March of last year, according to Jim Angel, State Climatologist at the Illinois State Water Survey, part of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The statewide temperature for March was 34.1 degrees... Fri, 28 Mar 2013 14:32:00 CDT http://www.isws.illinois.edu/hilites/press/130328natdisast.asp http://www.isws.illinois.edu/hilites/press/130328natdisast.asp Floods, droughts, and power outages can affect the safety of water supplies in private wells. Being prepared for the unexpected may minimize the damage, according to Steve Wilson, hydrologist at the Illinois State Water Survey, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign... Fri, 08 Mar 2013 13:31:00 CDT http://www.isws.illinois.edu/hilites/wx/?se=sprg&fr=rss http://www.isws.illinois.edu/hilites/wx/?se=sprg&fr=rss Spring is coming and Central Illinois will be experiencing another tornado season soon, but there is more afoot in the Midwest during spring than just tornadoes. Our weather will also come in the form of severe thunderstorms, which will possibly... Fri, 01 Mar 2013 16:30:00 CDT http://www.isws.illinois.edu/hilites/press/130301winter.asp http://www.isws.illinois.edu/hilites/press/130301winter.asp Precipitation for most of the state was in the 3- to 6-inch range except for some drier areas in central and western Illinois. It was wettest in southeastern Illinois with several sites receiving over 6 inches of precipitation, including Smithland Lock and Dam on the Ohio River with 9.7 inches ... Fri, 01 Mar 2013 16:25:00 CDT http://www.isws.illinois.edu/hilites/press/130301gwaw.asp http://www.isws.illinois.edu/hilites/press/130301gwaw.asp In the spring, just before peak water use season begins, is a good time to check that your water well is working properly and that your water is safe to drink, according to Walt Kelly, interim head of the Center for Groundwater Science at the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS), University of Illinois ... Mon, 04 Feb 2013 15:47:00 CDT http://www.isws.illinois.edu/hilites/press/130204janwet.asp http://www.isws.illinois.edu/hilites/press/130204janwet.asp Snowfall was below average in January, but the statewide precipitation - which includes both rain and melted snow - was 3.9 inches, nearly 2 inches above average, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey ... Thu, 17 Jan 2013 16:28:00 CDT http://www.isws.illinois.edu/hilites/press/130107wateruk.asp http://www.isws.illinois.edu/hilites/press/130107wateruk.asp The Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) at the Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois, has signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on water-related projects with faculty at the Water@Leeds Research Centre, University of Leeds in the United Kingdom ... Wed, 02 Jan 2013 14:18:00 CDT http://www.isws.illinois.edu/hilites/press/130102warmdry.asp http://www.isws.illinois.edu/hilites/press/130102warmdry.asp The year 2012 will long be remembered for the drought and the exceptionally warm temperatures. While the data for December are still preliminary, 2012 was the second warmest and tenth driest year on record for Illinois ... Mon, 19 Nov 2012 12:50:00 CDT http://www.isws.illinois.edu/hilites/press/121119privwell.asp http://www.isws.illinois.edu/hilites/press/121119privwell.asp Homeowners in small communities and rural areas without a public water supply often don't fully understand how to manage, operate, and protect their private well ... Mon, 18 Jun 2012 15:35:00 CDT http://www.isws.illinois.edu/hilites/press/120618neilwater.asp http://www.isws.illinois.edu/hilites/press/120618neilwater.asp Water supplies in NE Illinois should be adequate for the next 40 years, yet communities should still analyze their own situations and work with neighboring communities to avoid conflicts in the years ahead, according to Scott Meyer, hydrologist with the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS) at the University of Illinois ... Wed, 23 May 2012 10:20:00 CDT http://www.isws.illinois.edu/hilites/press/120523histrec.asp http://www.isws.illinois.edu/hilites/press/120523histrec.asp The oldest official weather records ever found in Illinois, dating back to 1820, reveal temperature data that showed remarkable accuracy given the technology of the day, according to State Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey ... Wed, 02 May 2012 09:10:00 CST http://www.isws.illinois.edu/hilites/press/120501lakebreeze.asp http://www.isws.illinois.edu/hilites/press/120501lakebreeze.asp Lake breezes that bring some relief on a scorching summer afternoon are thought to move more slowly through Chicago than through the surrounding suburbs. Scientists at the Illinois State Water Survey have discovered that this is often not the case and have gained new insights into the mysteries of how cities affect winds off a lake ...