Drought Information Statement for Central and Southeast Illinois Valid November 13, 2025 Issued By: WFO Lincoln, IL Contact Information: nws.lincoln@noaa.gov The next update will be Thursday, November 20th, if conditions persist or worsen. Please see all currently available products at https://drought.gov/drought-information-statements. Please visit https://www.weather.gov/ilx/DroughtInformationStatement for previous statements. Please visit https://www.drought.gov/drought-status-updates for regional drought status updates. Key Messages: Despite minor recent rain and snow, drought has persisted over the past week. Rain is likely in the upcoming week, but amounts will likely be under a half inch, too little to significantly remedy drought conditions. 1 U.S. Drought Monitor Drought Intensity and Extent: D4 (Exceptional Drought): N/A D3 (Extreme Drought): Portions of east-central Illinois over Piatt, Douglas, Champaign, and extreme southeast McLean counties. D2 (Severe Drought): Most of central Illinois near and north of I-72, except Vermilion county. Also including Moultrie, Coles, and Edgar Counties. D1 (Moderate Drought): Most of Vermilion County, and most counties south of a Shelby county to Clark county line. D0: (Abnormally Dry): Small area in southeast Illinois near Wabash river in Lawrence and southeast Crawford counties as well as in a sliver of eastern Vermilion county. Recent Change in Drought Intensity One Week Drought Monitor Class Change. Drought Worsened: Portions of Piatt, Champaign, Macon, Moultrie, Douglas, Shelby, and Coles Counties Drought Improved: N/A No Change: Most of central and southeastern IL Recent Precipitation Precipitation in the past 7-days was split between slightly above normal from Fulton to McLean Counties northward, and below normal to the south. Below normal precipitation was observed over nearly all of central and southeast Illinois in the past 30 days. Last 7 days and 30 days Image Caption: Total precipitation as a percentage of normal, as of November 11th. Left image is a 30 day average, right image the last 7 days. Images from Drought.gov. Averages for September to date are running 6 to 10 degrees below normal Image Caption: Average temperatures vs. normal, as of September 8. Left image is a 30 day average, right image the last 7 days. Images from Midwestern Regional Climate Center. Summary of Impacts Streamflow on most Rivers is below normal, and some smaller creeks are near zero flow. Lake levels: Lake Decatur around 3 feet below seasonal normals, Lake Shelbyville about 2.2 feet below, Lake Springfield 0.6 feet below normal. Smaller lakes and ponds are low. Agricultural Impacts Poor pasture conditions providing very little or no feed for livestock. Supplemental feed required. Fire Hazard Impacts There is a field fire risk as farmers run hot equipment through dry fields during any remaining harvest activities. Other Impacts Extremely poor to record low water table and deep soil moisture conditions Mitigation Actions Stage 1 Water Rationing is being imposed in the city of Decatur. Hydrologic Conditions and Impacts Most streamflows are below normal, however the most significant streamflow impacts are on portions of the Illinois, Vermilion, and Kaskaskia Rivers. Image Caption: USGS 7 day average streamflow HUC map valid November 12, 2025. Seven Day Precipitation Forecast Rainfall over the next 7 days is expected to be around a half inch or less over most of central and southeast IL. While this may be enough to stop drought conditions from worsening, this will likely not be enough to remedy drought conditions. Image Caption: Expected rainfall over the next 7 days, valid through 7 PM Thursday, Nov 20. Check weather.gov/ilx for updated forecasts. Long Range Outlooks The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage The precipitation outlook for November has roughly equal chances for above and below normal precipitation. The November temperature outlook depicts approximately equal chances for above and below normal temperatures, on average throughout the month. Monthly outlook (issued 18th of the month) Drought Outlook The latest monthly and seasonal outlooks can be found on the CPC homepage While the drought is forecast to persist this month, there are some signs of improvement in portions of central & eastern IL by the end of January. Image Caption: (Right) Climate Prediction Center 1-Month Drought Outlook for November released Oct 31 and (Left) Seasonal Drought Outlook released Oct 31, valid through January 31, 2026 Climate Prediction Center Monthly Drought Outlook Climate Prediction Center Seasonal Drought Outlook