Farmer's Almanac says if you want to know how harsh winter will be, check the squirrel nests. Missouri squirrels have been extra active over recent days.
Farmer's Almanac's prediction about the first half of winter for Missouri was astonishingly close which means you might want to pay attention to what they say about the rest of it.
There are many who have trusted Farmer's Almanac predictions for decades when they issue long-term weather forecasts. If you're one of them, you'll probably want to know that they have just red flagged Missouri for a week in January that concerns them.
I wouldn't lose any sleep over this if I were you (yet), but Illinois is being warned to brace itself for a major winter storm that is allegedly coming for one specific week in January of 2025.