Central Illinois - IL04

The climate of central Illinois is hot and humid. Due to its central location on the continent, its short term weather is highly variable as air masses move through the region. Summers can be sweltering, and deep blasts of cold in the winter, while usually short-lived, are not uncommon. The terrain is flat and almost entirely managed agricultural land, with narrow strips of contiguous, forested natural areas along riverways. The lack of natural vegetation and windbreaks can exacerbate wind during snowstorms, leading to notorious snowdrifts, while little shade over open fields can amplify the exposure of people and livestock during extreme heat. The area averages around 50 days of thunderstorm activity a year, above average for number of thunderstorm days in the United States. Tornadoes are a regular and annual threat, as large parts of Illinois are included in “Tornado Alley”. An average of 35 tornadoes occur statewide annually. The deadliest tornado on recordin the U.S. occurred (mostly) in Illinois. The Tri-State Tornado of 1925 killed 695 people in three states and 613 of the victims were in Illinois.