A Warm and Wet Winter So Far for Illinois’ Soils
Despite the recent cold, Illinois has had a warm winter so far with air temperatures averaging 7.3° F above normal as of Jan. 18. This weather has led to warmer and wetter soils across the state. Statewide, soil temperatures at depths of 4 inches under bare soil averaged 38.0° between Dec. 1 and Jan. 18, 1.3° warmer than last winter and 3.0° higher than the long-term average. These numbers were greatly influenced by the balmier weather at the end of December when soil temperatures were 10–15° above normal with daily highs in the upper 50s. The state did see [...]
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