Parts of the Chicago area are experiencing moderate-to-severe drought conditions as a long spell of below-average precipitation continues, and the dearth of severe weather the area has seen could be contributing to the issues.
According to the National Weather Service, June is typically the busiest month of the year for severe weather, but so far this month there has been just one severe thunderstorm warning and zero tornado warnings, far below the approximately 40 that the NWS typically issues during the month.
Such events typically boost rainfall totals in the area, but a persistent blocking pattern in the upper atmosphere has not only prevented the development of such storms, but has also prevented moisture from the Gulf of Mexico to reach the upper Midwest, leading to abnormally-low amounts of precipitation.
In fact, some parts of the Chicago area have only received approximately 25% of their normal rainfall over the last 60 days, according to NWS.
As a result, a large swath of northeastern Illinois, including DuPage and Cook counties, as well as LaSalle and Kankakee counties, are currently in a “severe drought” condition, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Parts of northwest Indiana, including Lake, Porter, Newton and Jasper counties, are also being impacted.
Most of the area is in a “moderate drought” condition, with extreme drought conditions reported in parts of Missouri.
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Coming days aren’t expected to provide much in the way of relief, with the area’s next chance of rain potentially arriving next weekend as a large influx of Gulf moisture could finally break through the pattern.
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