Drought — Sangamon, Illinois

2026-01-05 to 2026-01-31 · Sangamon, Illinois

Event narrative

Due to a multi-month precipitation deficit dating back to Fall of 2025, drought conditions worsened to Severe (D2) across Sangamon County by early January. The official observation for Springfield measured 0.99 inches of precipitation for the month of January, which was 1.04 inches below normal. The continued below normal precipitation led to the Severe Drought (D2) persisting through the rest of the month. Water levels on Lake Springfield were about 1.5 feet below normal.

Wider weather episode

For the sixth consecutive month, much of the region experienced below normal precipitation, with deficits of 1 to 2 inches common during the month of January. Mean temperatures were above normal for much of autumn, but below normal during December and January. While precipitation was below normal for the month, a disturbance brought almost an inch of rainfall west of I-55, which led to modest improvement in the drought conditions. Elsewhere, the ongoing drought expanded across central and eastern Illinois. Streamflows, lake levels, and regional water tables remained well below normal.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1309438. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.