Is Illinois Looking At An Early Spring? Forecasters Think So

Just for clarity, when I say "early spring," I don't mean right now, even though the current temperatures are starting to seem kind of spring-like as they hover in the mid to upper 40s.

Coming up, you've got meteorological spring, which begins on March 1st, and then we get to the spring equinox taking place on March 19th, which is considered to be the official start of the spring season. But, both those events are just dates on a calendar, when what we want to know is if it's going to seem like spring before it's officially spring here in Illinois.

Judging by some forecasters and their predictions for the next number of weeks, it looks like the answer is yes.

The Weather Forecasters At One Of America's Oldest Publications Appear To Be Very Optimistic About Illinois' Chances For Having An Early Spring This Year

That publication, The Old Farmer's Almanac, says that while winter will come to an end with a snowy blast in some parts of the country, other parts, like right here in Illinois, should be feeling the joy of an early spring in the coming weeks.

Their models show that the eastern part of the country, except for Florida, will get to enjoy warmer than normal temperatures as we get closer to the spring equinox, and they're not the only ones.

It's Not Just The East Coast That Will Be Treated To Warmer Temps As We Approach The First Day Of Spring, We're Going To Be Feeling Warmer Here In Illinois, Too

Here's the thing, while we warm up, many parts of the nation are still going to be dealing with some tough winter conditions. The Old Farmer's Almanac says that the mid-Atlantic, Appalachians, and the Rockies could be facing some really cold air and snow in March.

As for Illinois, things are looking good as we move forward, according to Patch.com:

An early spring is also expected in the eastern Ohio Valley and Great Lakes, from the Deep South up into Texas and Oklahoma, on the West Coast and Alaska.

The look-ahead also suggests much of the eastern U.S. will see drier than normal conditions in March, but other areas should expect more precipitation than normal. The outlook also looked forward to April and May.