AccuWeather: Southern Illinois, Not Northern, Faces Bad Winter

If a new outlook for winter from AccuWeather is accurate, the normal for Illinois will be flipped upside down as it's the southern part of the state and not the north that is being warned to brace for what could be a bad winter.

AccuWeather just issued their outlook for the upcoming winter season and what they see for Illinois looks odd

When you think of winter in Illinois, you likely imagine big lake-effect snow impacting the northern parts of the state with the southern areas not seeing as much winter precipitation. AccuWeather is predicting the opposite. This is a map showing what parts of America will see above-average snowfall. Notice that it's the southern quarter of Illinois that is in the trouble zone.

Northern Illinois isn't off the hook for bitter cold winter temperatures, though, as AccuWeather believes the Great Lakes region will likely see the sub-zero winter the area is known for.

Why does AccuWeather believe that the southern portion of Illinois is likely to see the most snow?

Whenever it comes to forecasting like this, I have a hard time translating what the weather nerds are saying to laymen's terms that people like me can understand. The short answer is it seems they believe the jet stream and other winter factors will likely bring storms down through the southern part of Illinois more than the north this year, but I recommend you watch their video explanation for a more thorough conversation about why Illinois could see normal winter flipped on its head.