It really was the wettest June on record in Illinois

Posted July 13th, 2015 in Climate Ready Communities, Stormwater & Green Infrastructure
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Heavy rain and flooding highlighted a wild month of June across central portions of the Midwest. Illinois was the wettest state, breaking a record that has stood for over 100 years. Illinois’ rainfall of 9.30 inches broke the record of 8.27 inches set back in 1902. This was more than twice the normal rainfall of 4.21 inches for the month. Indiana and Ohio also set June records with 8.90 inches and 8.13 inches, respectively. These states also saw more than twice their normal June rainfall and broke records that were set decades ago.

Chicago’s official station, O’Hare Airport, also reported more than double its normal precipitation with 7.12 inches. This was the 7th wettest June—the record is 9.96 inches set in 1993. Even though Chicago did not break its June precipitation record, it did break another—2015 now claims the cloudiest June on record with only 46 percent sunshine. The previous record low sunshine was 48 percent set back in 1942.

All of this rain has had its effect. Many crop fields are soaked, the rain stunting plant growth and preventing field chores. Lake levels continue to rise at record rates—more than 3 feet since January 2013. And NOAA is forecasting severe algal blooms in Lake Erie this summer.

Wetter-than-normal June’s have become a thing of recent years. In Illinois, four of the top 10 rainiest June’s on record have occurred since 2010 and for the Midwest as a whole, five of the top 10 rainiest June’s have occurred since 2000. The story isn’t much different in Chicago – five of the top 10 rainiest June’s at Chicago O’Hare have occurred since 2009.

With record-breaking June rain across portions of the Midwest and some of the wettest June months occurring in recent years, you may wonder if this is an indication what’s in store for the future. But, even though June has been wetter than normal in the past 10-15 years, the overall trend of climate data for the Midwest, Illinois, and Chicago do not show a statistically significant upward trend in June precipitation. In fact, three of the top 10 driest June’s on record in Chicago have occurred since 2003 and two in Illinois since 2005. It’s possible that the region is in a predominately wet pattern, which can last for a few decades or more, but it may not stick around for much longer than that. This is what happened in early part of the 20th century when drier-than-normal years were more common than wetter years.

Climate model projections show only slight increases in future total annual precipitation for the Midwest, particularly in the winter and spring (summer and fall precipitation are not expected to change much). However, larger increases are projected in the frequency and intensity of extreme precipitation across the entire region—meaning more precipitation may fall with each event (and longer dry spells in between) but the overall yearly total may not change much.
–Molly Woloszen, IISG and the Midwestern Regional Climate Center

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Located in Washington, D.C., the Sea Grant Knauss Fellowship provides a unique educational and professional experience to graduate students who have an interest in ocean, coastal and Great Lakes resources, and in the national policy decisions affecting those resources. This is a one-year fellowship open to any student, regardless of citizenship, who is enrolled toward a degree in a graduate or professional program on the day of the deadline.

Students enrolled at an Illinois or Indiana university or college should submit their applications through Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant by emailing Angela Archer at amcbride@purdue.edu. Students in surrounding states without a Sea Grant program should contact the National Sea Grant College Program at oar.sg.fellows@noaa.gov for a referral.

Application deadline: June 3, 2026.

To learn more about the fellowship, visit the link in bio.

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Located in Washington, D.C., the Sea Grant Knauss Fellowship provides a unique educational and professional experience to graduate students who have an interest in ocean, coastal and Great Lakes resources, and in the national policy decisions affecting those resources. This is a one-year fellowship open to any student, regardless of citizenship, who is enrolled toward a degree in a graduate or professional program on the day of the deadline.Students enrolled at an Illinois or Indiana university or college should submit their applications through Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant by emailing Angela Archer at amcbride@purdue.edu. Students in surrounding states without a Sea Grant program should contact the National Sea Grant College Program at oar.sg.fellows@noaa.gov for a referral. Application deadline: June 3, 2026.To learn more about the fellowship, visit the link in bio.

PD hours + Great Lakes science + hands-on learning? Yes please.

Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant has five educator workshops lined up for spring and summer 2026, covering birds, watersheds, coastal science, earth systems, and engineering design.

🐦 May 3 · 💧 June 10 · 🌊 July 16 · 🌍 July 31–Aug 1 · 🏗️ Aug 18

Real-world connections. Field experiences. Takeaways your students will actually feel.

🔗 Register at the link in bio.

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Open post by ilinseagrant with ID 18085146428065200
PD hours + Great Lakes science + hands-on learning? Yes please.Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant has five educator workshops lined up for spring and summer 2026, covering birds, watersheds, coastal science, earth systems, and engineering design.🐦 May 3 · 💧 June 10 · 🌊 July 16 · 🌍 July 31–Aug 1 · 🏗️ Aug 18Real-world connections. Field experiences. Takeaways your students will actually feel.🔗 Register at the link in bio.