Near record highs expected rest of week for metro-east

Enjoy the warmer than usual weather while you can.

High temperatures will be nearly 20 degrees warmer than usual for this time of year through the weekend in the metro-east.

But by next week winter could start to take hold.

“It looks like we’re going to get back to normal temperatures by this time next week with highs where they should be for this time of year, in the mid 40s,” National Weather Service meteorologist Jayson Gosselin said. “We’ve been in a warmer weather pattern because all the cold air has been trapped up in far northern Canada and Alaska. The polar jet stream has it trapped up there.”

The high temperature Wednesday afternoon peaked at 61degrees, only two degrees cooler than the record high of 63 set on Dec. 9, 1970. The average high for this time of year in the St. Louis metropolitan area is 44.

Skies will be mostly sunny Thursday with a high of 65. That would match the record high for the date set in 1971.

A few clouds will move into the area Thursday night with a low of 45.

While cooler temperatures are expected to be back next week, Gosselin said weather patterns seem to indicate the temperature will return to at or above normal for this time of year through December.

“The odds favor warmer weather through the end of the month,” Gosselin said. “It doesn’t look like we’ve got any serious winter weather coming for a while.”

On Friday there is a 20 percent chance of showers under mostly cloudy skies. The high is expected to be 65, potentially matching the record temperature for the date set in 1996.

The low Friday night will be 54 under mostly cloudy skies with a 20 percent chance of showers.

The weekend forecast calls for a 20 percent chance of rain both during the day and evening Saturday. The high is expected to be 68, three degrees warmer than the record of 65 set in 1990.

On Sunday, the chance of rain is 80 percent during the day with a high of 61 expected. That’s five degrees cooler than the record of 66 set in 1969.

There is a 50 percent chance of rain with a low of 41 Sunday night.

Click here for the detailed local forecast.

This story was originally published December 9, 2015 at 6:38 AM with the headline "Near record highs expected rest of week for metro-east."