I am copying the Macoupin maillist because someone might have an 1883 diary of the area which might mention the weather that winter. Lot of difference in weather from the top (Chicago) to the bottom (Cairo) of IL. But we will lean to Greene Co closer to the lower middle. At Easter, the daffodils will break thru the snow if snow is still on because the earth is warming. You can have snow up into May. I was raised in Macoupin next to Greene Co and the snows could be 12 to 20 inches deep. I now live in southern MO where if an inch or two of snow gets on the roads, schools close down because they aren't prepared with enough equipment or snow routes. Macoupin was prepared. Boy, it had to be pure ice or 2 ft of snow to close down schools there. This year is a mild winter even in Macoupin and Greene Cos. Hardly any snow so far, but some of those heavy snows can come Feb or Mar. Snows don't stay on the ground in Greene for the whole winter. They will melt and maybe another will come. Up more northern like Chicago IL, if snows keep coming, they probably won't melt til spring. About 10 degrees colder in the northern IL area. Hope you can get more help than I have given you here. At 02:59 PM 1/11/00 -0800, you wrote: >Dear Gloria, >I'm doing research for a book on my famlly in Green Co Ill. > >Althought my story deals with a family,I still need to know something >about Illinois since it does relate to what is going on in the book. >Could you tell me something about the weather in Ill? >When does winter start and when do the snows melt?When is spring? >My story is staring when the snows are melting,so I'd like to get it >right on that. >I live out west,so I'm not sure about the weather in Ill. >I did write to a person in green co,who is looking some some info on my >family,but I still need to know about what life is/was like in Ill. >Story takes place 1883. >Any help in this,would be very much appricated. >thanks! >Suzie >