Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS St. Louis, MO
Issued by NWS St. Louis, MO
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816 FXUS63 KLSX 021720 AFDLSX Area Forecast Discussion...Updated Aviation National Weather Service Saint Louis MO 1120 AM CST Tue Dec 2 2025 .KEY MESSAGES... - Seasonably cold temperatures will continue through the weekend, with a reinforcing shot of cold air expected late Wednesday into Thursday. - There will be a chance (20-40%) for light snow over northeast Missouri and west central Illinois on Wednesday afternoon. && .SHORT TERM... (Through Late Tonight) Issued at 326 AM CST Tue Dec 2 2025 The last snow band of snow has moved east of the area early this morning leaving just low clouds in the low level cyclonic flow over the area. These low clouds will clear out of the area as the surface high centered over western Missouri moves east across the CWA by this afternoon. Temperatures will be chilly once again today with the snowpack, the cold start, and the morning clouds with high temperatures ranging from the mid 20s over south central Illinois to the mid 30s over central and southeast Missouri. Lows tonight will drop back into the teens and lower 20s before clouds begin to stream in over the northeast half of the CWA ahead of the next shortwave trough. Britt && .LONG TERM... (Wednesday through Monday) Issued at 326 AM CST Tue Dec 2 2025 There is good agreement between the NAM/GFS that a shortwave trough will move through the Midwest and Great Lakes Wednesday night pushing an attendant cold front southeast through the CWA with a reinforcing shot of cold air. Both models are showing some light QPF behind the front on Wednesday afternoon over northeast Missouri and west central Illinois, but this area will lie under the right entrance region of the upper jet and modest mid-level frontogenesis. The 00Z HREF PoPs are higher than the NAM, so went with a 20-40% chance for light snow tomorrow afternoon in this region. These values may very well be too low given that the LPMM is suggesting that there could be up to another 1" of snow somewhere in this area tomorrow afternoon. Then the LREF is showing a low amplitude northwesterly flow late week which pushes the southern stream system south of the area on Friday. There is a deeper trough that will move through the Midwest over the weekend with each the determistic models showing different timing bringing precipitation through the area. The LREF 24 PoPs are higher at STL (50%) than the NBM (20%) which reflects the timing differences, so we will have to watch for the possibility for a wintry mix over the weekend. The LREF is also showing another trough moving through the Midwest by early next week. Temperatures are expected to stay below normal into early next week given the current snowpack and the NBM generally showing highs staying in the 20s and 30s. Lows on Wednesday and Thursday nights over northeast Missouri into west central Illinois will likely drop into the single digits where there good radiational cooling over the fresh snow cover. Britt && .AVIATION... (For the 18z TAFs through 18z Wednesday Afternoon) Issued at 1114 AM CST Tue Dec 2 2025 IFR/MVFR stratus continues to impact many local terminals as we approach the start of the period, although there has been gradual improvement at central MO terminals (SUS/JEF). These terminals should clear out very shortly, followed by UIN and St. Louis area terminals (STL/SUS/CPS) later in the afternoon. VFR conditions are expected the remainder of the night and into tomorrow morning. Near the end of the period a cold front will approach the area, and may reach UIN near or just prior to 18Z tomorrow, and the remaining terminals between roughly 20-00Z. Most of the impacts from this will be felt just beyond this forecast period, but low clouds and some light snow will be possible. BRC && .LSX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MO...None. IL...None. && $$ WFO LSX