Community Corner
National Weather Service Predicts Drought to Continue Through October
The federal government has now named all but four of Illinois' 102 counties natural disaster areas. The four are DuPage, Cook, Kane and Will.
The National Weather Service issued a 90-day outlook on Aug. 2 that predicts no relief for Illinois as this year's drought is expected to continue through October.
The state is in the very center of the map depicting above-normal temperatures and below-average precipitation for August, September and October, meteorologist Bill Nelson said.
So far, 2012 has been Illinois' warmest year on record, dating back to 1895, state climatologist Jim Angel told the Chicago Tribune.
"Every single month this year has had above-normal temperatures," Angel said. "Statewide, we've been hot and dry across the board."
The Tribune also reported that more Illinois counties were deemed a natural disaster area by the federal government Wednesday, making loan assistance available to farmers who have spent the summer watching their crops shrink and shrivel in the dry heat. For more about the plight of Illinois farmers, click here.
