The clouds have taken up residence over St. Louis today, bringing with them cooler temperatures that are expected to linger through the week. According to the National Weather Service, the high today scarcely reached 56 degrees with west winds traveling at a modest 3 to 8 mph.

Tonight, the overcast early evening is predicted to give way to gradual clearing as temperatures dip to around 35 degrees. A shift in wind from light west to north at 5 to 10 mph will mark the transition into the night. Come Tuesday, St. Louisans can expect increasing clouds once again with a chillier high near 41 degrees and northwest winds gusting as high as 20 mph.

The rollercoaster of weather does not stop there. By Wednesday, there is a 20 percent chance of snow, despite mostly sunny skies and higher winds at 6 to 14 mph, capable of gusting to a brisk 26 mph. Nighttime should see temperatures plummet to a mere 19 degrees, leading to a notably frosty evening.

As the week progresses, the sun will make intermittent appearances with Thursday being mostly sunny despite a high only reaching near 31 degrees. Bright skies provide cold comfort, however, as Thursday night's temperatures are expected to hover around the 23-degree mark under partly cloudy heavens. Looking towards the weekend, rain is forecast to encroach upon St. Louis. There's a 30 percent chance for precipitation after noon on Friday, with rain likelihood increasing to 50 percent by the nighttime.

Residents hoping for a completely dry weekend might not want to pack away their umbrellas just yet. Saturday holds a persistent 50 percent chance of rain, with partly sunny conditions and a high near 47 degrees. Although Sunday is predicted to be partly sunny with a high reaching up to around 52 degrees, a lingering 20 percent chance of rain could still dampen weekend plans.