NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center has revised their winter forecast today. Their earlier outlook for December-February called for increased chances of above normal temperatures in the southern two-thirds of Illinois and above normal precipitation for all of Illinois.
However, December is already shaping up to be on the cold and dry side (see earlier post).
Now their outlook for January calls for equal chances of above, below, and near-normal temperature and precipitation in Illinois. It’s what I call a neutral forecast.
In their forecast for January-March, they call for an increased chance of above-normal precipitation in Illinois as well as much of the Ohio River Valley and Great Lakes region (see map below). Their temperature outlook remains neutral for Illinois for this period.