ST. LOUIS – Whenever there’s a chance of snow in the forecast, St. Louisans are quick to ask, “How much will we get?” and “Where will Like many things in life and meteorology, the answer is a simple yet complex two-word phrase: it depends.

In the case of the upcoming storm, the FOX 2 News viewing area will see more snow the further south you go.

Areas north of Interstate 70 can expect less than two inches of powder. St. Louis City and areas to its immediate west and east may see anywhere between 1 to 3 inches. Festus to Farmington could experience 2 to 4 inches. The areas southeast of the FOX 2 viewing area—the Bootheel—might get 4 to 6 inches.

The snow is expected to start late Thursday night and continue into Friday late morning until around noon.


St. Louis radar: See a map of current weather here

The St. Louis region will escape the brunt of this storm. That unfortunate distinction falls on Central Arkansas and Tennessee, which could get as much as 10 inches of total snow accumulation.

But why? It’s the placement of the low-pressure system, which will pass through Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama as it travels east. The northwestern side of these storm systems produces precipitation—in this case, snow—and the St. Louis area is so far north of this low that snowfall will be minimal.

Almost all major winter storms in St. Louis history have had a low-pressure center pass over Memphis, resulting in the colloquial “Memphis Low” nickname.

Extreme Weather Specialist Chris Higgins previously wrote about the Memphis Low almost two years ago when forecasting the direction of a winter storm.