Central Illinois

Central Illinois, also called the "Heart of Illinois", is an area of the state of Illinois. Champaign-Urbana, Quincy, Springfield, Danville and Decatur are usually listed as Central Illinois cities, towns or villages. These five places, however, are also often named Southern Illinois places on many occasions and some area citizens. Galesburg, Peoria, Normal and Bloomington are "always" included in the Central Illinois classification areas. 
Geography.
Central Illinois' geographical area is generally flat prairie and farmland. The area includes Douglas County, the state's flattest. The region also hosts a variety of man-made lakes. They include Lake Shelbyville, Lake Springfield, Clinton Lake and Lake Decatur. Major rivers in the region include the Illinois, Middle Fork of the Vermilion, Kaskaskia, Sangamon and Mississippi rivers.
Climate.
The climate of Central Illinois is humid continental. The area goes through all four seasons. Snow is common in the winter months. Though Central Illinois' counties vary in the snowfall rate, many receive about twenty inches of snow annually. With all precipitation put together, most counties receive about 38 inches of rain and snow annually. Severe weather, including tornadoes, is common during the spring and summer months. Though they don't happen very often, blizzards can happen in parts of central Illinois in winter. The weather of Central Illinois affects the crop season as well. Droughts can sometimes happen in the late spring, summer or fall. These cause harm to the soybean and corn crops in the area.