Nearly all of Illinois is considered either in official drought conditions or seeing abnormally dry conditions. Chicago has been placed in a moderate drought situation. Granted, there has been some rainfall in the area, unfortunately, the ground is so dry the water can’t soak thoroughly into the ground.
The old proverb says, “April showers bring May flowers.” However, that was not the case this year. In fact, most areas saw less than 50% of normal rainfall since early May. “The US Drought Monitor expanded moderate drought across the northern two-thirds of the state and placed almost all of Southern Illinois in the abnormally dry category,” stated State Climatologist Trent Ford.
Dry Conditions Causing Drought Situations
The city of Chicago just had its fourth driest May ever, and the landscape is starting to show it. Yards are beginning to turn brown and some trees are sporting yellow leaves. In fact, there was barely any rainfall in the month of April. Even with the little rainfall, there have still been flowers growing, which has shocked many horticulturists.
Landscapers and private citizens are turning to watering their plants to help keep them lush and green. Currently, there isn’t a water supply shortage, however, the recent trend of dry, warm weather has caused garden centers to work their water systems over time.
Recorded Rainfall
Since May 1, O’Hare International Airport weather station has only recorded 1.64 inches of rain. Ford stated that is roughly three to four inches below average. This is a good indicator of the conditions across the city of Chicago.
Furthermore, Midway Airport is seeing drier conditions. As of yesterday, there have only been 0.6 inches of rainfall recorded. That is the driest that area has had since 1928, according to Ford.
In April, the entire state saw an average precipitation of 2.75 inches, which was 1.49 inches below the 1991-2020 average. Making April 2023 the 37th driest on record statewide, according to Ford. Thus leading to the moderate drought seen throughout the city.
Timing Could Minimize Impact
That being said, the fact that the state is seeing cooler temperatures than it would in July, could avoid a worse drought. “The one benefit of the timing of this drought is that impacts are minimized this time of the year versus if this would have taken hold in July,” stated Ford.
If the state has average rainfall levels throughout the rest of the month things may be “OK,” added Ford.
Many people have been complaining that their plant life, including bushes they’ve had for years, is dying. Holly Larson, a horticulturist at Gethsemane Garden Center, said, “The ground is so dry right now that the little bit of rain that we had (Sunday) didn’t do anything because it just kind of sat on the top of the soil.”
Advice From Horticulturists
She advised people to water their plants slowly “and water down by the root.” Furthermore, if people add mulch — layering it so the trunk of the bush/tree is still visible — will help retain water.
A horticulturist at Fiore Nursery & Landscaping Supply in the Humboldt Park neighborhood, Jenna Rodriguez, said that people have been complaining about yellow or brown lawns. She added that some individuals have stated things like they should’ve used fertilizer. However, Rodriguez says, “That’s not a good idea.”
Because with the drought, it’s like no, you just kind of have to go with the natural process.
In addition to what her customers have noticed, Rodriguez stated the drought has caused the nursery to spend more on irrigation and watering than in the past. She added that this season is noticeably different from that of the past few years.
Future Rain
Looking forward, there are some scattered showers expected to hit Chicago later today. However, it will hit in waves and will not be enough to end the drought. Though, it will help provide some much-needed rain to the land.
The National Weather Services’ meteorologist Casey Sullivan added, “It took a long time for the dry conditions to develop. And it’s gonna take a long time for those dry conditions to subside.”
Furthermore, there is little chance of rainfall hitting the area anytime soon. Other than the scattered showers today, there is a possibility of rain on Sunday. Again, it will not be enough to end the drought conditions. That won’t happen until the area sees precipitation over a longer period of time.
By Sheena Robertson
Sources:
Chicago Tribune: No April showers, no May showers: Chicago experiencing moderate drought
WJBD (Q92.1): All of Illinois now abnormally dry, some areas officially in drought
CBS 2 News: Chicagoans try to weather the moderate drought to keep things green
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