If you thought last month was unseasonably mild in Illinois, you were correct. In fact, it tied the record for the coolest July on record.
State climatologist Jim Angel says this July matched the one in 2009 for cool temperatures. The statewide average was 70.3 degrees. A big departure from what is usually a hot and sticky time in the Midwest.
"So just an exceptionally cool July. And not only was it overall cool, but we just saw a real lack of the 90 degree weather. Many locations saw little or no 90 degree weather. So just a very pleasant month."
As data is revised, this July could actually break the mark. Rainfall has also dropped off, but Angel says the cooler weather has resulted in less pressure on crops.
While it's difficult to tell if the cooler weather will continue, he says National Weather Service models predict below average temperatures for the first couple of weeks in August.