Super El Niño Could Bring Big Snow to These 10 Illinois Places

Many will laugh at the mention that Illinois will see snow this winter because of course it will. It always does. However, forecasters are saying the upcoming winter could be historic because of a developing super El Niño weather pattern. That could mean some Illinois places will be impacted more by snow than a typical winter.

For many of us, the mention of a super El Niño doesn't explain what the real world impact will be. While real meteorologists could give you a much deeper explanation, the simple truth is it means water temperatures in the Pacific Ocean are several degrees warmer than normal which historically has meant that winter storm systems take a more southerly track. Illinois is in an interesting location for this type of weather pattern as parts of the state could see a much milder winter than normal while others will see more snowfall than a typical winter. Here are 10 Illinois cities that could be impacted more than others with snow this year.

Here are 3 regional takeaways for what to look for:

Highest storm-track potential:
Carbondale → Mount Vernon → Effingham → Champaign

Best combination of storm track + cold air:
Danville → Decatur → Jacksonville → Springfield → Bloomington-Normal

Northern Illinois:
Chicago, Rockford, Waukegan, etc. remain capable of big snowstorms, but they aren't necessarily where I'd look first under the classic strong-El-Niño southern storm-track setup.

I would not be surprised if the upcoming winter months have a very mild start especially when it comes to temperatures. It will be interesting once winter systems start making their way across the country how much of Illinois ends up being in the areas where cold air meets the precipitation. That will decide how much of Illinois gets rain, freezing rain, sleet, snow or all of the above this winter.