'Siberian Connection' Will Cause Frigid Illinois Winter: Report

ILLINOIS — Last winter, a polar vortex descended upon Illinois to produce record-cold temperatures, burst pipes, closed schools and shuttered city services.

AccuWeather Expert Long-Range Forecaster Paul Pastelok said fall will remain relatively warm except for a "few cold spells across the Northeast" and that "winter's chill won't arrive until at least the end of 2019."

He said winter will really get going after the New Year and we can expect a significant number of winter storms.

"The polar vortex is particularly strong this year, and that means that frigid air is likely to remain locked up over the polar region early in winter," Pastelok said. Instead, cold air in Illinois will originate from a Siberian Connection, rather than straight from the North Pole. That Siberian Connection will determine how miserably cold Illinois gets in the new year.

At the same time, that cold air will result in more lake-effect snowfalls, he said.

image via Accuweather

Which Forecast Will Prove Correct?

'New' Old Farmer's Almanac Winter 2020 Predictions For Illinois — The centuries-old forecaster, founded in 1792, is predicting Illinois can expect weather that's "mild, with soakers" in the coming months.

Farmers' Almanac: Bundle Up For Illinois Winter Predictions — You can look forward to a "frozen, snowy" winter, with more snow than usual in Illinois this year — at least if you believe the good folks from the Farmers' Almanac.

>>>Read Accuweather's full winter prediction here.