Dear Tom,
It’s rained a lot lately. What is the record for the most days in a row where we’ve had measurable precipitation?
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— Scott Anderson, Kankakee
Dear Scott,
The city’s record for longest stretch with measurable rainfall (.01 inches or more) is 11 days, which happened on two occasions. The first of the long-duration wet spells occurred in 1880, from Aug. 24-Sept. 3, and the second in 1949, from May 15-25. Total rainfall in 1880 totaled 3.62 inches, with the largest daily total 0.88 inches, while the 1949 episode accumulated 2.25 inches, with the heaviest daily total 1.53 inches. While this March was damp and dreary, the longest stretches of measurable precipitation were only three days, from March 12-14 and March 29-31. When adding days with traces of precipitation to the mix, the city’s record for longest stretch increases to 19, with one that began on December 28, 1945, and a second that started December 15, 1961.