The drought in central Illinois is beginning to ease, and the spring outlooks show more precipitation on the way.

Some substantial rainfall late last week, with some severe weather in central and northern Illinois, will definitely ease the drought conditions in Illinois. Ed Shimon at the National Weather Service in Lincoln indicates the severe weather rains of March are going to help ease the drought.

The concern with a lot of rain all at once is that it becomes run-off for the lakes and streams, but Shimon points out that the ground is so dry, it is ready to soak up almost any level of moisture that may come the way of central Illinois.

According to Shimon, March will likely end up above normal for temperatures, given some of the warm stretches we've had. Additionally, the severe weather of this month is keeping things above normal for precipitation as well.

Looking into April, precipitation and temperatures look to be above-normal for the month. Shimon explains that some of these warmer nights are allowing the grass, plants, and other vegetation to grow.

While Shimon stops short of saying the last of the snow has fallen for the season, he does note that anything that falls will quickly melt because the ground has warmed up so much in March. Additionally, past April, the precipitation predictions drop off a little bit. 

Also, as we get into the severe weather season and outdoor sports season, lightning awareness starts to become a top-of-mind issue for weather experts. 

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