Rainy August Tops 40-Year Mark, Wettest on Record for Illinois

Did it feel like you needed your umbrella more last month than you have in awhile? Last month ended up being the wettest August on record for the state.

The record-setting average rainfall came in at 6.89 inches, according to Illinois State Climatologist Jim Angel. The total ended up breaking the previous record, set back in 1977, by just a few hundredths of an inch.

While that was the average for the state, some places saw quite a bit more rainfall. Sterling measured more than 14 inches last month.

August’s total nearly doubled the typical average rainfall for the month, which usually measures in around 3.5 inches.