St. Louis eases into Thursday, May 21, with clear skies, light northeast breezes and a legitimately cool feel, as temps hover in the mid-50s early on. Sunshine should do its job and bump most neighborhoods into the low 70s by afternoon. After that, the atmosphere starts to go off-script late Thursday into Friday, and the morning crowd on Friday may want to budget space in the bag for an umbrella, because the rain looks timed for the commute.
Rain Likely During Friday Morning Commute
Showers and rain are expected to roll in Friday morning and linger into the early afternoon, turning the first half of the day soggy. The best shot at measurable rain runs roughly from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., with a high near 72°F, a 70% chance of rain, and east winds around 8 mph. Forecasts call for cloudy, damp conditions, with some pockets of heavier downpours or a brief thunderstorm as the system moves through, so plan on a slower go in traffic and watch for localized backups on wet roads, according to the National Weather Service St. Louis office.
Weekend Warm-Up With Spotty Storms
After the Friday soak, the mercury rebounds, with temperatures climbing into the low 80s by Saturday and holding near the low 80s through Memorial Day. It will not be wall-to-wall sunshine, though: late-day pop-up showers and a better chance of storms on Sunday could cut into outdoor plans. That pattern tracks with earlier talk of a shifting setup and a holiday warm-up; see our previous report on sizzling weekend heat for background on the developing warm spell. For anyone spending long stretches outside, keeping water handy and tackling the heaviest work in the morning or evening hours will go a long way.
Plan Ahead
Transit riders should double-check service alerts before heading out, especially Friday morning. Drivers may want to build in extra commute time Friday and stay alert for brief heavy downpours. If heat becomes an issue over the holiday weekend, call 2-1-1 for the City of St. Louis' current list of cooling sites and community resources.
