What That Farmer’s Almanac Is Predicting For Winter In The Quad Cities
Whether or not you buy into it, the Farmer's Almanac is always an interesting read. The Quad Cities had maybe two rough snowfalls last year, so I had some curiosity about what we can expect this fall and winter. The QCA is part of the "Heartland" region, which includes Western Illinois, Central and Western Wisconsin, a good portion of Kansas and Nebraska, all of Iowa, and all of Missouri.
Here's what their site claims the Heartland region will experience this fall and winter:
September 2017 will have an average temp of 69 degrees, with precipitation being above normal. They don't give a free prediction for October online, but I'm assuming it should be a fairly normal transition into cooler weather.
The long range forecast, which starts in November, says that late November into early December will be one of the coldest periods we will see, as will late December into early January and early February. The site contradicts itself a bit by saying winter will be "mild," but then also adds that we will experience higher than normal precipitation and snowfall.
We could potentially see snow early, too. Supposedly, mid-November will be one of the snowiest periods, along with early and late December, so a white Christmas does sound possible. Early February will also see plenty of the white stuff.
We shouldn't expect a warm spring once the snow melts, however. April and May are forecasted to be cooler and rainier than usual.
All in all, it sounds like we could be in for a snowy winter and a cool spring, which does bum me out. Then again, I try to take the Farmer's Almanac predictions with a grain of salt, and you probably should, too. Only time will tell what the weather holds.
If you're interested in more details about the long term forecast, check out the Farmer's Almanac here.