The NWS Climate Prediction Center released their outlooks for March, Spring, Summer, and beyond. You can see the full suite of forecasts here.
The March forecast has Illinois with equal chances (EC) of above, below, and near-average temperatures (left panel). Illinois has an increased chance of below-average precipitation (right panel).
The March-May (Spring) forecast has Illinois with an increased chance of above-average temperatures and below-average precipitation.After a number of springs that were either too wet or too cool, a forecast of a warmer, drier spring may be welcome news. After all, soil moisture is in excellent shape right now and stream flows are within the normal range across most of the state.
The June-August (Summer) forecast has Illinois with an increased chance of above-average temperatures and equal chances of above, below, and near-average precipitation. The good news is that the risk of dryness in the Great Lakes region in spring does not appear to carry over into summer.
