NOAA Issues Winter Outlook: Illinois, Grab Your Shovels

This is not speculation from internet weather influencers trying to get attention. It's the official winter outlook that's just been shared by NOAA and they're warning Illinois that the state should be prepared to use shovels often during the winter months.

NOAA has just issued their outlook for December 2025 through February 2026

The seasonal outlook just issued by the meteorologists from NOAA's Climate Prediction Center is interesting for what it says and what it doesn't. When it comes to temperature, the weather experts think that Illinois will experience a "normal" winter.

It's NOAA's outlook for precipitation over the winter months that Illinois gets interesting. Notice that a majority of the state is expected to see well above average snowfall.

It's important to note that what this map shows is the percentage chance that a specific area will see above average precipitation. That shows that much of Illinois is leaning heavily toward a 50 to 60% chance of seeing above average snowfall. When you consider that an "average" Illinois winter consists of around 36 inches of snow each year, that means the state is leaning towards more than that for the upcoming winter. It's also important to mention that it's northern Illinois that tends to see the most snow compared to the south, but this map seems to show that it's central and southern Illinois that could be in for the most exciting winter. Great news for those selling shovels.