St. Louis-area weather service warns of icy commute before warming trend

The St. Louis office of the National Weather Service has good news with a slight caveat.

It’s predicting that local temperatures will reach the 40s by Tuesday after a week of extremely cold weather, including highs well below freezing and lows below zero at times.

But the office also has a warning.

“Freezing rain will impact the Monday morning commute across the region, causing icy roads and slick sidewalks,” according to a Facebook post on Saturday. “We do not expect enough ice to cause power outages or downed limbs, but be careful when driving Monday!”

The forecast calls for a high of 29 degrees and low of 25 on Sunday with a chance of rain after midnight and freezing rain after 3 a.m. Wet conditions are expected to continue on Monday with an 80% chance of precipitation.

That kicks off a warming trend with expected highs of 37 degrees on Monday, 45 on Tuesday, 47 on Wednesday, 50 on Thursday and 46 on Friday with above-freezing lows and chances of rain every day.

“Who’s Ready For A Warmup?” the St. Louis weather office asks in a separate Facebook post on Saturday.

“We all could use some warmer weather, and we’re in store for above-normal temperatures (in the 40s) by Tuesday!” it states. “That also comes with multiple chances for precipitation, but we’re in need of rain to fill the dry rivers.”

This story was originally published January 20, 2024 at 1:29 PM.