After an unusually dry summer in central Illinois, the weather in Charleston has become more typical, said Dalias Price, local weather observer and former Eastern professor.

The temperature Sunday was 83 degrees.

The normal would be 84, so Charleston had a typical day except for a cool start. The low in the morning Sunday was 51 and the normal is 61.

Last weekend, “the four days in a row was most unusual, but most needed,” Price said. There was a dry spell at the beginning of August, the total rainfall for August was 2.27 inches. Price said the area should have had an inch and a half more.

This week, the weather is “almost ideal early fall weather,” Price said.

Price said the Charleston area can expect nice weather the next four days.

“Very delightful weather with just enough of a breeze,” Price said.

Price said it looks as though the rain from last week will return this up coming weekend.

Most of the eastern United States experienced similar pleasant weather like central Illinois did. Other areas also experienced typical weather for their climate. In the southwestern United States it was hot and dry and it was rainy in the Pacific northwest. The eastern Rocky Mountain states experienced thunderstorms.

This month, there will be a slow decline in temperature that will continue through January, Price said.

There will be steady dropping temperatures throughout the month because the length of daylight is decreasing, Price said. At the end of last month, Charleston was be down to 12 hours of daylight, last June Charleston began with 15 hours.

Campus editor Jennifer Chiariello can be reached at [email protected]