ST. LOUIS – A break from the rain and active weather to start our Thursday, but the cold front that led to the severe and tornadic storms Wednesday afternoon will stall out to the south. That will lead us to our next big weather concern, flooding rains.
Several rounds of heavy rain are expected Thursday through early Sunday. The first wave arrives Thursday afternoon with additional waves expected late Friday morning and again Friday night, when the heaviest rain is expected. Some thunderstorms will be possible within the rounds of rain, with the slight chance of a severe storm Friday.
Between Thursday and early Sunday, much of the region is expected to see an additional 4 to 6 inches of rain on top of what the storms brought to us Wednesday. South of an Ellington, MO, to Perryville to Rend Lake, IL line, more than 6” of additional rain is expected. This prolonged period of heavy rain will likely cause flash flooding in spots.
In addition, flooding will occur on small streams and creeks. The NWS is also pointing to the Meramec, Kaskaskia, and Black Rivers with high potential for flooding.