ALTON – The National Weather Service (NWS) in St. Louis has issued a winter weather advisory for much of the St. Louis Area, including the Riverbend.
Get The Latest News!
Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.
This is not due to the fear of accumulating snow, NWS Meteorologist Ben Herzog said. Instead, it is mostly about driving visibility. A system of light snow with some embedded heavy pockets is expected to move into the St. Louis area between 5-7 p.m. While it is not expected to accumulate outside of perhaps grassy areas and elevated places, Herzog said the heavy pockets may drastically affect visibility, especially when it does hit around rush hour. Snow is expected to cease around 10 p.m. at the latest, he said.
Following the snow, a larger story could be the cold promising to follow. Lows overnight are expected to get as low as 20 degrees Saturday morning. Temperatures will stay around 35 at their height Saturday and 40 Sunday.
Another chance of light snow is coming Sunday night, and temperatures next week should see lows in the 20s and highs hovering around freezing – with Tuesday's high temperature possibly staying at or below 32.
“This is certainly uncommon, but it's not unheard of,” Herzog said. “It's rare.”
For the time being, however, Herzog said it is simply a “cold snap” and not indicative of a frigid winter to come. The Climate Prediction Center, which is a branch of the NWS dedicated to long-term predictions has forecast above average temperatures in the coming eight to 14 days. Those should continue for the next three months, if their predictions are to be believed.
Above all, with this prediction and weather advisory, Herzog wants people to be careful, especially when navigating possibly slick roads with limited visibility.
