March weather gave Illinois a cold, wet start to spring.
State Climatologist Trent Ford says according to statewide preliminary numbers, March temperatures were about half a degree below normal and precipitation was more than an inch above normal.
"Other than western Illinois, we were always within a degree of normal statewide. So, it wasn't extremely cold, it was just given the fact that things were so mild leading up to it it was kind of anomalous. Really, the northern half of the state got pretty close to normal precipitation, maybe close to an inch above normal. The southern half of the state was anywhere from four to in some case six to seven wetter than normal."
Ford says the cooler temps last month were probably a good thing…slowing down early blooming and trees budding.
The long-range outlook for April through June is calling for slightly warmer and wetter than normal conditions.