When Will Winter End In IL? Here’s When To Expect Spring

A new forecast offers hope for a warm spring in Illinois, where residents are still recovering from a colossal winter storm that brought heavy snow, crippling ice and subzero windchills to an area stretching from Texas to Maine.

The Old Farmer’s Almanac’s 2026 spring forecast comes amid warnings of another significant winter storm this weekend that could affect much of the East Coast.

But let’s look ahead to spring, which officially begins with the vernal equinox on Friday, March 20.

The Old Farmer’s Almanac outlook suggests the weather in the Chicagoland and Champaign areas during April and May will be warmer than normal, though rainfall is expected to be below normal.

Western Illinois, which falls into the heartland region of the country, can expect a warm spring, with temperatures 5 degrees above average in April and below normal rainfall. Southern Illinois, categorized as part of the Ohio Valley, will also experience above-average temperatures and precipitation.

The Almanac predicts warmer-than-normal temperatures across most of the country. Temperatures that are closer to or below seasonal averages are expected in parts of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and areas of Montana and Colorado.

Most of the country will also be drier than normal, with wetter conditions expected in Upper Alaska, Texas and Oklahoma, the Northern Appalachians, the High Plains, the Upper Midwest, and the Intermountain region.

The Almanac says it uses a “unique formula” to make its predictions, consulting solar science, climatology and meteorology.