Central Illinois Winter Weather Outlook

The winter weather outlook for central and southeast Illinois has been released, and a detailed summary is available at this link.

Some of the highlights:

There is a 40-50% chance that temperatures for the winter season (December through February) will average above normal. This doesn't mean that it will not get cold at all, but cold snaps would likely be of a shorter duration.
Warmer weather can also caused early plant development, which would increase the risk of damage from any freezes later in the spring.
Typically, an El Nino tends to result in drier conditions over central Illinois, though no particular trend is currently favored for precipitation amounts this winter.
With warmer temperatures, more precipitation is likely to fall as rain. Consequently, snowfall is favored to be below normal. With a lack of a persistent snowpack, any snow on the ground can more rapidly melt when the temperature warms.

Central Illinois Winter Weather Outlook graphic