Weather
Early Spring Possible In IL As El Niño Falls Apart: Forecast
The Weather Channel makes its monthly predictions with the meteorological spring set to begin on March 1.
ILLINOIS — Most of the United States, including Illinois, is expected to see an unusually warm spring, according to a new forecast.
Although the vernal equinox on March 19 is typically observed as the first day of spring, meteorological spring starts on March 1. After a record-mild winter so far in many parts of the country, spring should arrive early, according to the forecast from The Weather Channel and Atmospheric G2.
Here’s the outlook for Illinois:
Find out what's happening in Across Illinoisfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
March: Expect slightly above average temperatures for the state in March. Parts of the upper Midwest could see well-above-average temperatures, according to The Weather Channel.
April: For almost the entire state, temperatures will be above average in April. The most southern portion of Illinois will continue to see slightly above average temperatures.
Find out what's happening in Across Illinoisfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
May: The April trends in Illinois will continue as spring comes to a close. According to The Weather Channel, the warmest spot relative to May averages is likely to be the upper Midwest to northern New England.
The only areas of the country that aren’t expected to see earlier than normal warmth are areas of the Southeast. In the northern tier of states, spring is expected to be especially warm, while other areas of the country are expected to see above-normal or slightly above-normal temperatures,
A rapidly deteriorating El Niño climate pattern could mean a busier hurricane season and more active severe weather seasons for parts of the central U.S., Todd Crawford, vice president of meteorology at Atmospheric G2, said in a story for The Weather Channel.
“Given the expected rapid transition from El Niño to La Niña, and the increasing global warming trend, it has become difficult to forecast anything but anomalous warmth as we head towards summer,” he said.
Less scientifically, Punxsutawney Phil didn’t see his shadow on Groundhog Day, Feb. 2, nor did Woodstock Willie here in Illinois. According to lore, if they had seen their shadows, winter would continue another six weeks, or until about March 15.
RELATED:
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
