August 1-7, 2025

Temperatures

Average temperatures were below normal for much of the region, particularly from I-80 southward (Figure 1). Some parts of Missouri were around 6°F below normal for the week. Temperatures were 0-2°F below normal for most of the Upper Midwest. Minimum temperatures were below normal by 2-4°F for most of the region (Figure 2). Northern Minnesota observed minimum temperatures 1-3°F above normal. In Moline, Illinois, minimum temperatures were less than or equal to 55°F for three consecutive days, August 1-3, for the first time in the first week of August since 1997. Maximum temperatures were below normal for almost the entire region (Figure 3). They were up to 8°F below normal for some locations west of the Mississippi River. In Jackson, Kentucky, maximum temperatures remained at or below 75°F for three consecutive days, August 1-3, for only the third time in August since 1981.

Precipitation/Drought

Large swaths of the region observed no precipitation this week (Figure 4). This included much of Illinois, Northwest Indiana, eastern Iowa, Michigan, southeastern Minnesota, Missouri, and all of Wisconsin. Elsewhere, precipitation was generally below normal. Only in western Minnesota and western Iowa was precipitation over 200 percent of normal. There was also a localized heavy rain event in southwestern Indiana, where over 200 percent of normal precipitation occurred. A station in Washington, Indiana, observed 3.41 inches of precipitation from August 4-5, which was the 10th largest 2-day precipitation total to have occurred in August since records began in 1896.

There were some slight improvements and slight degradations as a result of the August 5th drought update. D1 (moderate drought) decreased in coverage across the Greater Chicago area (Figure 5). However, D2 (severe drought) was slightly expanded over central Michigan. D0 (abnormally dry) was expanded across localized areas of Missouri.

Severe Weather

There was minimal severe weather this week. There were some wind reports over western Minnesota. This included a 91-mph wind gust at Grand Forks Air Force Base in Grand Forks, Minnesota, on August 7. Several other 70-80 mph wind gusts were reported across western Minnesota on August 7. Another cluster of storms brought large hailstones of at least 2 inches in diameter to Alpena County, Michigan.