Drought, Lake
- When
- October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Lake forecast zone
- Reported by
- Drought Monitor
- Coordinates
- 42.349, -87.862 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought in Illinois, October 1 to 31, 2021
Severe drought conditions improved during the middle of October as heavy rains returned to much of northern Illinois. The severe drought conditions were confined to far northern Illinois by the end of the month.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 7 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 7
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
What happened
The episode as NWS LOT wrote it up.
Severe drought conditions improved during the middle of October as heavy rains returned to much of northern Illinois. The severe drought conditions were confined to far northern Illinois by the end of the month. For the month of October, Rockford rainfall was 5.36 inches, which was 2.73 inches above normal. Waukegan rainfall was 6.84 inches, which was 3.59 inches above normal.
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Chicago, IL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Sep 30, 11:14 PM CST, 46 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Sep 30, 11:14 PM CST, 46 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Chicago/Romeoville, IL Issued by National Weather Service Lincoln IL 1214 AM CDT Fri Oct 1 2021 .UPDATE... 833 PM CDT High pressure over the Great Lakes will continue to provide fair weather conditions across most of the area overnight. Slightly higher dew points in the mid to upper 50s coming off of Lake Michigan may set the stage for at least patchy fog development over adjacent land areas overnight. Guidance hits this possibility hardest over Lake County Illinois after midnight. Introduced patchy fog to the forecast for now, but will have to keep an eye on how widespread and dense this area of fog becomes overnight and possibly hoist a dense fog advisory if the threat becomes more apparent. Deubelbeiss && .SHORT TERM... 304 PM CDT Through Friday night... Quiet weather continues into the end of the work week. Southerly winds return across the region tomorrow, as sfc Low pressure in the Plains, and sfc High pressure across the mid-Atlantic squeeze pressure gradients over the western Midwest into the Ohio Valley. This squeeze will begin to usher additional moisture across the region Friday, increasing cloud coverage ahead of the next Low pressure system arrival for the weekend. As the High dominates, and holds dry weather in place across the eastern CONUS, precipitation chances should remain west of the Mississippi River Valley through much of Friday night. Overnight temperatures will cool back into the 50s and low 60s across the land CWA, with near 60 lows along the Lake as easterly winds carry the warmer water temps to land. With warm, moist airflow Friday expecting temperatures to climb back into the 80s, while cooler in the 70s over Lake Michigan. && .LONG TERM... 304 PM CDT Saturday through Thursday... Heading into the weekend, Low pressure is forecast to overspread the region, bringing widespread rainfall to the Midwest and Great Lakes regions. Low pressure core is expected to track over the CWA, into southern Wisconsin Saturday night. Shower chances begin to across western Illinois Saturday morning, spreading across the area midday through the afternoon. Widespread showers and storms will be expected Saturday night with the main frontal line moving through. Precipitation chances continue Sunday as the Low becomes more stationary in the central Great Lakes, with the return of northerly winds. This system is forecast to shift se during the first part of next week. However, movement is modeled slowly, holding onto the almost stationary nature as it progresses into the eastern Appalachians. With this setup, models hold some chances of precipitation over portions of the Ohio Valley into the western Midwest. Although majority of the area looks to be dry for a good period of mid-week. Temperatures during the extended period will become more fall-like once again, with highs in the 70s, with 60s on the water. Low temps will also cool back into the 50s over land, and low 60s on the Lake. && .AVIATION... For the 06Z TAFs... High pressure over the Great Lakes late this evening will settle southeast overnight into Friday allowing weak E/SE flow to back to southerly during the day Friday. Boundary layer flow is expected to remain weak enough to allow a lake breeze to develop, impacting mainly ORD/MDW/GYY and turning winds more easterly for several hours starting mid to late afternoon. VFR conditions are expected through the period. Deubelbeiss && .LOT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... IL...None. IN...None. LM...None. && Visit us at weather.gov/chicago Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube at: www.facebook.com/NWSChicago www.twitter.com/NWSChicago www.youtube.com/NWSChicago
Hazardous weather outlook, Sep 30, 2:55 PM CST, 9 hours 5 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Chicago/Romeoville IL Issued by National Weather Service Lincoln IL 355 PM CDT Thu Sep 30 2021 ILZ003>006-008-010>013-019>021-023-032-033-039-103>108-INZ001-002- 010-011-019-012100- Winnebago-Boone-McHenry-Lake IL-Ogle-Lee-De Kalb-Kane-DuPage- La Salle-Kendall-Grundy-Kankakee-Livingston-Iroquois-Ford- Northern Cook-Central Cook-Southern Cook-Northern Will- Southern Will-Eastern Will-Lake IN-Porter-Newton-Jasper-Benton- 355 PM CDT Thu Sep 30 2021 /455 PM EDT Thu Sep 30 2021/ This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of North Central Illinois...Northeast Illinois and Northwest Indiana. .DAY ONE...Tonight. Weather hazards expected... No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday. Saturday through Sunday... Thunderstorm Risk at times. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will not be necessary through tonight. LMZ740>745-012100- Winthrop Harbor to Wilmette Harbor IL- Wilmette Harbor to Northerly Island IL- Northerly Island to Calumet Harbor IL- Calumet Harbor IL to Gary IN-Gary to Burns Harbor IN- Burns Harbor to Michigan City IN- 355 PM CDT Thu Sep 30 2021 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of the Illinois nearshore waters of Lake Michigan and the Indiana nearshore waters of Lake Michigan. .DAY ONE...Tonight. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday. Saturday through Sunday... Thunderstorm Risk at times. Visit us at http://weather.gov/chicago Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube at: www.facebook.com/nwschicago www.twitter.com/nwschicago www.youtube.com/nwschicago
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
7 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Drought, McHenry
- When
- October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- McHenry forecast zone
- Reported by
- Drought Monitor
- Coordinates
- 42.324, -88.452 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Boone
- When
- October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Boone forecast zone
- Reported by
- Drought Monitor
- Coordinates
- 42.323, -88.823 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Winnebago
- When
- October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Winnebago forecast zone
- Reported by
- Drought Monitor
- Coordinates
- 42.336, -89.161 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, De Kalb
- When
- October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 12, 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- De Kalb forecast zone
- Reported by
- Drought Monitor
- Coordinates
- 41.894, -88.770 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Lee
- When
- October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 12, 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Lee forecast zone
- Reported by
- Drought Monitor
- Coordinates
- 41.746, -89.300 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Ogle
- When
- October 1, 12:00 AM CST to October 12, 12:00 PM CST
- Where
- Ogle forecast zone
- Reported by
- Drought Monitor
- Coordinates
- 42.043, -89.321 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
What these are
- Drought
- A drought reaching severe (D2) or worse on the US Drought Monitor, or with notable impacts.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Wildfire in California, October 1 to 31, 2021
- Wildfire in California, October 1 to 25, 2021
- Drought in South Dakota, October 1 to 31, 2021
- Wildfire in Washington, October 1 to 19, 2021
- Flash Flooding in Texas, October 1, 2021
- Hail in New Mexico, October 1, 2021
- Drought in California, October 1 to 31, 2021
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Texas, October 1 to 2, 2021
- Drought in New Mexico, October 1 to 31, 2021
- Drought in North Dakota, October 1 to 31, 2021
- Wildfire in Idaho, October 1 to 8, 2021
- Drought in Hawaii, October 1 to 31, 2021
More
Every storm in Illinois in 2021Every state in 2021This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, October 2021
Sources
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 986880, 986881, 986882, 986883, 986884, 986885, 986886.