Drought, Lake
- When
- October 15, 7:00 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 15 to 31, 2024
Severe drought conditions developed across much of northern and northeastern Illinois during the middle and latter parts of October. Precipitation over the area was far below normal for the month.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 17 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
- 17
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 developed across much of northern and northeastern Illinois during the middle and latter parts of October. Precipitation over the area was far below normal for the month. The Rockford Airport recorded just 0.79 of rain for the entire month, 2.63 below their October normal. Chicago-O'Hare fell 2.25 short of normal having recorded 1.18, while the NWS Chicago office in Romeoville recorded 0.95 during October falling 2.72 shy of normal. Numerous wildfires occurred in October around NWS Chicago's county warning area, including one near Herscher in Kankakee County that destroyed over 300 acres worth of crops. The severe drought continued into November.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
17 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Drought, Northern Cook County
- When
- October 15, 7:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Northern Cook County forecast zone
- Reported by
- Drought Monitor
- Coordinates
- 41.895, -87.646 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Du Page
- When
- October 15, 7:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Du Page forecast zone
- Reported by
- Drought Monitor
- Coordinates
- 41.852, -88.086 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Winnebago
- When
- October 15, 7:00 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, Kendall
- When
- October 15, 7:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Kendall forecast zone
- Reported by
- Drought Monitor
- Coordinates
- 41.591, -88.429 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Kane
- When
- October 15, 7:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Kane forecast zone
- Reported by
- Drought Monitor
- Coordinates
- 41.939, -88.429 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, De Kalb
- When
- October 15, 7:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 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, La Salle
- When
- October 15, 7:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- La Salle forecast zone
- Reported by
- Drought Monitor
- Coordinates
- 41.344, -88.886 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Livingston
- When
- October 15, 7:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Livingston forecast zone
- Reported by
- Drought Monitor
- Coordinates
- 40.892, -88.558 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Ford
- When
- October 15, 7:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Ford forecast zone
- Reported by
- Drought Monitor
- Coordinates
- 40.597, -88.223 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Iroquois
- When
- October 15, 7:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Iroquois forecast zone
- Reported by
- Drought Monitor
- Coordinates
- 40.747, -87.824 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Kankakee
- When
- October 15, 7:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Kankakee forecast zone
- Reported by
- Drought Monitor
- Coordinates
- 41.138, -87.862 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Northern Will County
- When
- October 15, 7:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Northern Will County forecast zone
- Reported by
- Drought Monitor
- Coordinates
- 41.445, -87.979 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Eastern Will County
- When
- October 15, 7:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Eastern Will County forecast zone
- Reported by
- Drought Monitor
- Coordinates
- 41.445, -87.979 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Southern Will County
- When
- October 15, 7:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 PM CST
- Where
- Southern Will County forecast zone
- Reported by
- Drought Monitor
- Coordinates
- 41.445, -87.979 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Drought, Lee
- When
- October 15, 7:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 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 15, 7:00 AM CST to October 31, 11:59 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
- Drought in Iowa, October 15 to 31, 2024
- Drought in Montana, October 15 to 31, 2024
- Drought in Iowa, October 15 to 31, 2024
- Drought in Texas, October 15 to 31, 2024
- Drought in Iowa, October 15 to 31, 2024
- Drought in Minnesota, October 15 to 31, 2024
- Drought in North Dakota, October 15 to 31, 2024
- Winter Weather in Tennessee, October 15 to 16, 2024
- Heavy Rain in California, October 15 to 16, 2024
- Heavy Rain in Nevada, October 15 to 16, 2024
- Drought in South Dakota, October 15 to 31, 2024
- Drought in Nebraska, October 15 to 31, 2024
More
Every storm in Illinois in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in Illinois, October 2024
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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1217985, 1217986, 1217987, 1217988, 1217990, 1217991, 1217992, 1217993, 1217994, 1217995, 1217996, 1217997, 1217998, 1217999, 1218000, 1218001, 1218002.