ST. LOUIS – Wednesday morning marks the first time that temperatures officially dipped below the freezing point in St. Louis this fall. It’s one of the latest dates for a first fall freeze in St. Louis since the National Weather Service began tracking such data.
The first fall freeze at St. Louis Lambert International Airport came on the morning of Nov. 26, 2024, a low-temperature reading of 29 degrees Fahrenheit.
There have only been two other times since the start of the 1900s that St. Louis has seen an equally late or later fall freeze: 1902 (Nov. 26) and 2009 (Nov. 27).
According to NWS climatology data, the first fall freeze usually occurs several weeks earlier with an average expected date of November 2.
This year’s delayed freeze highlights an unusual seasonal trend. That said, freezing temperatures are soon settling in to become the norm in St. Louis through winter and are forecast to dip as low as the teens by this weekend.
The closer temperatures drop to freezes regularly (below 32 degrees Fahrenheit), the more likely sensitive plants, flowers, and hard crops could be damaged if left unattended outdoors. To protect plants from the inevitable, experts recommend bringing potted plants indoors or investing in a frost fabric cover or blanket for plants that stay outdoors.