‘Shivery And Snowy’ Illinois Winter Coming: Old Farmer’s Almanac

ILLINOIS — Expect a cold, snow winter ahead for Illinois. The Old Farmer's Almanac 2022-23 winter forecast was released Thursday, and it sounds like Illinois is in for a long winter.

Winter will be “wet and mild” in the western U.S. and “shivery and snowy” elsewhere, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac 2022-23 winter forecast released Thursday. The publication called its forecast “a tale of two winters.”

“Depending on where you live, this will be the best of winters or memorable for all the wrong reasons,” Janice Stillman, the publication’s editor, said in a news release. “One half of the country will deal with bone-chilling cold and loads of snow, while the other half may feel like winter never really arrives.”

The Old Farmer's Almanac called for "greater than normal" snowfall from the lower Great Lakes and the Ohio and Tennesse Valleys into the southern Plains. The snowiest periods for Illinois will be in late November to early December and early to mid-January, according to The Old Farmer's Almanac.

Illinois is part of the Lower Lakes region, and The Old Farmer's Almanac predicted a colder than normal winter, with the chilliest temperatures expected in early December and late January to mid-February.

The forecast comes on the heels of the competing Farmers’ Almanac winter forecast, as well as AccuWeather’s autumn forecast, which calls for summer-like temperatures in many parts of the country.

The Old Farmer’s Almanac calls for some drought relief in the western half of the country, with lots of rain and temperatures several degrees above normal.

• Related: Autumn Is Coming; What Will The Weather Be Like Where You Live?

But farther east, get out the parkas and prepare for potentially record-breaking cold temperatures that will extend to the Deep South and Texas, where temperatures could be as much as 8 degrees Fahrenheit below normal.

The forecast also calls for above-average snow totals in areas that typically get snow.

• Related: What Does The Competing Farmer’s Almanac Say About Winter?

The Old Farmer’s Almanac claims 80 percent accuracy for its winter forecasts, which the publication has been making for 231 years.

The 2023 edition of The Old Farmer’s Almanac went on sale Aug. 30.