Because spring temperatures roller-coastered from freezing to summerlike heat, there were fewer tornadoes than usual in Illinois this year.

A year ago, Illinois logged about 90 funnel clouds heading into June on the way to a record 124. The state averages about 40 tornadoes annually.

Weather officials say the dip from last year's fury is nothing new for Illinois.

Climatologist Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey says the state see-saws back and forth between very quiet years and very stormy years.

The erratic weather patterns that sandwiched a cold April between warmer-than-usual temperatures in March and May have pushed stormy weather south into Oklahoma, Texas and Kansas.

But Illinois isn't out of the woods yet because June and July can produce their share of powerful storms and tornadoes.