St. Louis residents should brace for a wet and possibly stormy weekend, as the National Weather Service in St. Louis, MO has issued forecasts that include rain and potential thunderstorms. The outlook starting today hints at a mostly cloudy day with highs reaching near 40 degrees, with an east wind traveling at around 6 to 8 mph. According to the NWS update at 5:51 am CST, tonight will see a 30 percent chance of rain after 5 am with lows dipping to around 33 degrees.
For Saturday, a definitive shift in the weather pattern is expected with "Rain and possibly a thunderstorm before 2pm, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm, mainly after 2pm," and a southeast wind of 9 to 14 mph that could gust as high as 26 mph. Given with a wind chill that's barely making it past the single digits this morning, residents will feel a significant, albeit wet, warmth increase.
The NWS's Hazardous Weather Outlook, released early on December 13, further stresses caution into the coming week, with "a chance of thunderstorms in portions of the area Saturday into Saturday night and again Sunday night into Monday." Sunday itself may offer a brief respite with a mostly sunny forecast and highs approaching 54, whereas Monday could escalate back into rainy conditions, forecasting rain and a possible thunderstorm before noon, then a likelihood of continued rain, with highs trending near 60 degrees.
In light of this, the NWS statement notes, "Spotter activation is not expected at this time." Thus, despite the impending downpours and thunder rumbles, it seems that severe weather sufficient to mobilize weather spotters is not on the horizon. By taking necessary precautions, locals can navigate through a weekend that promises more umbrellas than sunglasses, and a subsequent week that might end in a clearer sky with temperatures in the mid-30s.
