Here in Illinois, especially Northern Illinois, there are a few things about winter that don't change no matter how heavy or light the snowfall is during the course of the season:

What does change is the amount of time you'll end up spending with your snow shovel and ice scraper over a winter. Some years we get frequent and heavy snowfalls, some years it's infrequent and less heavy, but either way, no one in Northern Illinois makes it from October through April without doing at least some shoveling and scraping...and this coming winter will be no exception, according to winter weather experts.

The winter of 78-79 saw 74.5 inches of snow dropped on the stateline, with the snow reaching a depth of 27 inches in January of 1979. Those of us old enough will probably recall shoveling driveways and sidewalks--then heading up to do the roof. After my dad made me do our house, the neighbors thought I did such a good job that he sent me over to do their houses, too. And so on, and so on...

For a 16 year old kid, making over $1,500 shoveling driveways and roofs was a great gift that went toward buying my first car.

For better or for worse, we just don't seem to have those kinds of massive snowfalls in Northern Illinois anymore, when you consider that Rockford has averaged 36.7 inches of snow per season for the last 30 years. That number is 14.3 inches above the national average, 22.4 inches.

What to Expect in Northern Illinois This Winter

AccuWeather.com's winter forecast for the 2025-2025 season has a good news-bad news scenario for the northern part of our state that I think many people are going to be pretty okay with.

Warmer Temperatures

The good news is that AccuWeather says that temperatures this winter in Northern Illinois will trend toward being warmer than normal. Warmer temperatures over the course of the winter season should result in less heating demand in Northern Illinois, and with less demand comes smaller heating bills.

My wife, a hardcore lover of snow, will say that both warmer temperatures and more snowfall are good things, so I guess it all depends on how you feel about snow.

More Snow

How much more snow than normal are we looking at in Northern Illinois?

According to the AccuWeather.com winter forecast, Northern Illinois can expect to see anywhere from 36 to 45 inches of snow during the course of the winter season (last winter the number was around 22 inches).

How does that compare to the average yearly snowfall totals for the Northern Illinois region?

From 1990 through 2020, we averaged out at 38.4 inches per winter.

So, Get Ready to Dig Out

While the warmer temperatures may be a welcome change, the increased snowfall means residents will likely spend more time with their shovels. The good news is, those shovels might be used less for clearing roofs, as the warmer temperatures could reduce the risk of heavy accumulations. However, the increased snowfall could result in higher heating bills. So, prepare for a winter that's a bit of a mixed bag - and make sure your snow removal gear is ready to go.

Gallery Credit: Anuradha Varanasi