Snow isn’t over for the metro-east. See latest forecast & how much the area could get
Just a few days after Belleville got more than 7 inches of snow, more winter weather is headed to the region Friday.
A winter storm is on track to move through the southern Mississippi Valley Thursday night and along the Gulf Coast overnight into Friday, Matt Beitscher, lead meteorologist with the National Weather Service in St. Louis said in a Thursday interview with the News-Democrat.
“While the storm is going to be that far south, the impacts are going to extend far into Missouri and Illinois, where we’re going to see a couple of inches of snow across the St. Louis-metro area, right now we’re calling for 2 to 3 inches of snow for a majority of the St. Louis metro,” Beitscher said.
Randolph County and parts of St. Clair County could see upwards of 4 inches of snow at most, Beitscher continued.
A winter weather advisory is in effect from 6 p.m. Thursday to 6 p.m. Friday in the metro-east and St. Louis region, including Belleville and surrounding areas. Residents should plan on slippery road conditions, the advisory said, and hazardous conditions could affect the Thursday evening and Friday morning commutes.
Snowfall should begin in Belleville around 4 to 6 a.m. Friday and will likely taper off around 3 to 4 p.m. that afternoon, but light snow or flurries could continue into Friday evening and early morning hours Saturday.
“It will at least cause some minor travel impacts,” Beitscher said. “We just are asking folks to be careful when they’re on the road, take it easy, give themselves plenty of time and plenty of space so they can get where they’re going safely.”
Local roads are still “hit or miss” after the weekend’s winter storm, Beitscher added, so additional snow could exacerbate poor conditions, although it’s not expected to be as bad as last weekend.
Unlike the weekend’s winter storm, this weather system should solely consist of snow without ice and temperatures are expected to rise to near freezing over the weekend. The following Monday, Jan. 14, will bring a short-lived cold front, according to the forecast, but temperatures should warm to the mid- to upper-30s by mid-week.
While Saturday and Sunday have high temperatures forecast at 33 and 38 degrees, respectively, road surface temperatures are low and it’s hard to tell whether the weekend warmth will be enough to melt the snow.
Here’s what to know about the forecast in Belleville, from the NWS as of Thursday:
Friday: Temperatures ranging from 20 to 32 degrees Fahrenheit, with a 100% chance of precipitation and new snow accumulation from 2 to 4 inches possible.
Saturday: Temperatures ranging from 23 to 33 degrees, with mostly sunny skies during the day.
Sunday: Temperatures ranging from 21 to 38 degrees, with partly sunny skies during the day.
Monday: Temperatures ranging from 12 to 26 degrees, with partly sunny skies during the day.
Tuesday: Temperatures ranging from 14 to 27 degrees, with mostly sunny skies during the day.
Winter driving safety tips
If you can’t avoid being on the road under wintry weather conditions, here are some safety tips from the NWS:
Use your headlights. Bright snow does not guarantee visibility.
Make sure you have plenty of gas.
Leave plenty of distance between yourself and other vehicles. It takes much longer for your car to come to a complete stop on slick roads.
Drive slowly.
Avoid unnecessary trips.
Check road conditions before you leave.
You can check live road conditions from the Illinois Department of Transportation and Missouri Department of Transportation.
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