ST. LOUIS – First off, it is going to be a bitterly cold week for the entire region. Tuesday through Thursday will be the coldest days, with below-zero outdoor temperatures predicted for Thursday morning. The next time we see above-freezing temperatures will be Saturday.
Overnight, the skies cleared, but Monday morning will see the return of clouds. Light snow is expected northwest of metro St. Louis, bringing minor accumulations. Elsewhere, including metro St. Louis, snow flurries are expected through the day. Highs will be in the low 20s.
A more significant round of snow will move in for Tuesday and Tuesday night. South of I-70, this will be a very impactful event. Along and north of I-70, including the St. Louis metro, snowfall totals come down a bit because colder/drier air to the north may try to push this system to the south and potentially eat up some snow as it falls.
Snow is expected to start falling from west to east Tuesday morning, with the heaviest snow expected Tuesday afternoon and evening. Snowfall rates may be more than one inch per hour at times. Snow will come to an end early Wednesday.
Between now and Wednesday, the highest snowfall totals are expected south of an Owensville, MO, to Festus, MO, to Pinckneyville, IL line, where 8 to 12 inches are possible.
Almost all of this falls on Tuesday. Farther north, including for metro St. Louis, more than 4 inches are expected. On the northern edge of the region, 2 to 4 inches are expected. Up towards Mark Twain Lake, most of the snow will fall on Monday.