Will Illinois and Wisconsin See a White Christmas This Year?

We certainly had a white weekend following Thanksgiving, but what are the odds of a White Christmas for Illinois and Wisconsin this year?

Trends Point Away From a White Christmas?

According to the latest predictions from the Old Farmer's Almanac Christmas Forecast for 2025-2026, the Stateline sits in a region where snow chances remain uncertain for the Christmas holiday.

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While the Almanac notes that "snow will fall mainly in the Central U.S.," the overall 2026 winter outlook calls for milder conditions and a "gentler winter than average" for much of the country.

White Christmas Odds Across the Midwest

When you look at where the cutoff line is on the Old Farmer's Almanac "Will There Be Snow on Christmas" map, Rockford and Chicago are in an area that's predicted to have a White Christmas, but the western half of Illinois is in the "not a White Christmas" zone.

In the breakdown of regions, the Almanac has the Upper Midwest in the "chance of a White Christmas" category, but the Heartland region, which includes much of Illinois, falls under "Not a White Christmas."

These Areas Historically Have a White Christmas

According to historical weather data from NOAA, the northern states have almost a sure bet for snow on the ground on December 25.

Chicago, for example, only sees a White Christmas 2 years out of 5, while northern Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and North Dakota practically guarantee snow on the ground when Santa arrives.

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While the Old Farmer's Almanac is predicting temperatures to be above normal in the Rockford region and Chicagoland area this winter, the snowiest periods are expected to be "late November, much of December, early and late January, early February, early to mid-March."

CLICK HERE to see what else the Almanac is forecasting for your part of the world.