Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin Could Be in for a Long, Brutal Winter

The Farmers' Almanac has been a great barometer for weather prediction for centuries. I tend to pay attention to it at two separate times of the year: in the spring (to see the summer forecast) and in the late summer/fall (to see the winter forecast). Whether we like it or not, now's the time to consider the latter.

Due to how the Almanac carves up the US map into regions, there's no distinct region that encompasses Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin. If you look at the Farmers' Almanac's map, you'll see that Iowa is lumped in with Missouri, Kansas, eastern Nebraska, and the westernmost part of Illinois. Illinois itself is in three different regions, and Wisconsin is basically carved into a venn diagram with other states.

That said, the 209th Edition of the Farmers Almanac is forecasting a winter, across the country, they're calling "Chill, Snow, Repeat." In a broad sense, most of the country will experience a cold-to-very-cold winter, in what Farmers' Almanac Editor Sandi Duncan called "an old-fashioned winter." The pattern looks to be this:

• Cold weather
• Snow
• Warmer temperatures
• Repeat

The Almanac's broad designation for Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin boils down to: "very cold, snowy." Not words we want to hear. Temperatures are predicted to be frigid, and snow is expected to be plentiful across the region during the winter months.

The Farmers' Almanac also predicts this winter to be somewhat erratic due to weather patterns that will oscillate between being frigid, snowy, and warmer. Duncan also gave her prediction as to what region could see a White Christmas:

I think the greatest chance of a White Christmas would be out in the northern Plains, perhaps, but not too many other places - Farmers' Almanac Editor Sandi Duncan, per USA Today

You could see the full 2025-26 winter forecast on the Farmers' Almanac's official website. Read more about the winter outlook on USA Today's website.