Will it be a mild or cold winter in Rockford this year?

What is the National Weather Service's prediction for winter in Rockford this year?

Last year, we were pretty lucky when it came to winter weather in Rockford. We had only a couple of days of snow and extreme cold. It was really nice.

I like to take credit for that because I got a really nice snowblower, which I used twice. You can go ahead and thank me now.

All kidding aside, what are we in for this year? Is it going to be nice or are we going to get crushed?

According to the chicagotribune.com, what is the National Weather Service predicting for the season?

"For the third time in as many years, the nation - on balance - should expect warmer-than-normal temperatures."

I like the sound of that.

"The Weather Service favors warmer-than-normal conditions for the southern two-thirds of the Lower 48, including the Mid-Atlantic. Only a sliver of the Northern Plains and Pacific Northwest is expected to experience colder-than-normal temperatures."

That's not us, so we are good there.

"The mild forecast follows back-to-back lackluster winters across the nation."

I thought we might get hammered by winter because we have avoided it for the last couple of years.

"We're not anticipating the kind of record warmth we've seen the last two winters."

I don't mind that as long as it's not brutal.

I took weather in college and I learned you can really only accurately predict it six hours out, but I'll take any hope I can get.

What do you think? Will it be cold or mild in Rockford this winter?

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