661  
FXUS63 KLSX 151808  
AFDLSX  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED AVIATION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAINT LOUIS MO  
1208 PM CST WED JAN 15 2025  
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
- ARCTIC AIR WILL REMAIN IN PLACE THROUGH TODAY. TEMPERATURES WILL  
BEGIN TO WARM THURSDAY WITH ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES ON FRIDAY.  
ARCTIC AIR COMES CRASHING BACK IN THROUGH SATURDAY WITH  
BITTERLY COLD TEMPERATURES SUNDAY INTO NEXT WEEK.  
 
- LIGHT RAIN IS LIKELY LATE FRIDAY EVENING THROUGH EARLY SATURDAY  
MORNING. THE HIGHEST CHANCES (60-80%) RUN FROM WHITE HALL, IL TO  
HERMANN, MO AND POINTS SOUTH/EAST. PRECIPITATION MAY BRIEFLY END  
AS LIGHT RAIN/SNOW/FLURRIES. NO ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED.  
 

 
   
SHORT TERM
 
(THROUGH LATE THURSDAY AFTERNOON)  
ISSUED AT 327 AM CST WED JAN 15 2025  
 
A RESPECTABLE 1036 MB SURFACE HIGH IS CENTERED OVERHEAD THIS MORNING  
WITH CALM TO LIGHT/VARIABLE SURFACE WINDS. A WEAK, UNIMPACTFUL  
CLIPPER SYSTEM IS POSITIONED OVER THE PLAINS WITH NIGHTTIME  
MICROPHYSICS SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWING BROKEN/OVERCAST SKIES  
EXTENDING FROM SOUTHEASTERN SOUTH DAKOTA THROUGH CENTRAL MISSOURI.  
CLOUD COVER WILL TRY TO NUDGE EASTWARD INTO WESTERN SECTION OF THE  
CWA, BUT LIKELY WON'T HAVE MUCH PROGRESS WITH MID-LEVEL RH VALUES  
DROPPING OFF FROM WEST TO EAST. WHERE SKIES REMAIN CLEAR THROUGH  
EARLY MORNING, TEMPERATURES WILL COOL EFFICIENTLY. LOWS WERE  
ADJUSTED TO REFLECT THIS WITH WIDESPREAD SINGLE DIGITS (ABOVE ZERO)  
AND A FEW SUB-ZERO LOWS GENERALLY OVER INTERIOR SECTIONS OF  
ILLINOIS. THE ONLY OTHER CONCERN IS THE POTENTIAL FOR STEAM FOG  
ADJACENT TO LARGER RIVERS IN LOWER ELEVATIONS. I WOULDN'T EXPECT  
THIS TO DEPART TOO FAR FROM STREAMS CONSIDERING DEWPOINT DEPRESSIONS  
ARE 10-12 DEGREES AWAY FROM THESE LOCATIONS.  
 
TODAY IS THE LAST OF THE ARCTIC COLD BEFORE AIR BEGINS TO WARM  
THURSDAY. FORTUNATELY, MUCH OF THE AREA REMAINS DEVOID OF CLOUD  
COVER TO HELP OFFSET THE COLD. SURFACE RIDGING SHIFTS INTO THE  
OHIO/TENNESSEE VALLEYS WITH SOUTHERLY RETURN FLOW COMMENCING FROM  
WEST TO EAST BETWEEN MID-MORNING AND EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. WHILE  
HIGHS IN THE 20S WILL COVER MUCH OF THE AREA, SECTIONS OF CENTRAL  
AND SOUTHEAST MISSOURI WARM INTO THE LOW TO MID-30S.  
 
TEMPERATURES WILL BE 15-20 DEGREES WARMER TONIGHT THAN THIS MORNING  
AS WARMER AIR OVER THE PLAINS GRADUALLY EXHIBITS MORE INFLUENCE IN  
TIME. THE EASTWARD EXTENT OF THE MILDER AIR REMAINS ALONG AND WEST  
OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. TEENS CLAIM LESS REAL ESTATE OVER INTERIOR  
SECTIONS OF ILLINOIS WITH 20S TO THE WEST. BOTH WINDS AND CLOUDS  
BEGIN TO INCREASE TONIGHT AS A TROUGH ATTEMPTS TO BRIEFLY REINFORCE  
COLD AIR TO THE SOUTH. THIS IS RATHER SHORT-LIVED, HOWEVER, WITH  
WINDS TURNING WESTERLY.  
 
WARMER AIR EVENTUALLY WINS OUT AS AN AMPLIFIED RIDGE SHIFTS EASTWARD  
FROM THE PLAINS THURSDAY. MUCH OF THE CWA WILL REACH THE MID TO  
UPPER 30S WITH LOW TO MID-40S PUSHING INTO CENTRAL MISSOURI THROUGH  
FAR SOUTHWESTERN ILLINOIS.  
 
MAPLES  
 

 
   
LONG TERM
 
(THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY)  
ISSUED AT 327 AM CST WED JAN 15 2025  
 
THE MID-MISSISSIPPI VALLEY REMAINS UNDER NORTHWESTERLY FLOW ALOFT  
THURSDAY NIGHT, BUT WILL BE DIVIDED BY A DEPARTING TROUGH THAT  
EXTENDS SOUTHWEST THROUGH THE GREAT LAKES REGION AND RIDGING OVER  
THE INTERMOUNTAIN WEST. WARM AIR ADVECTION WILL BEGINS TO  
STRENGTHEN, THOUGH LATEST MEDIUM RANGE GUIDANCE (NAM) HAS DELAYED  
ITS ARRIVAL SLIGHTLY.  
 
THE MAIN CONCERN THURSDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY FRIDAY MORNING WILL BE  
THE POTENTIAL FOR ADVECTION FOG WITH WARMER AIR ADVANCING OVER COOL,  
SATURATED SURFACES, COMPLEMENTS OF REMAINING SNOWPACK. IT HAS BEEN  
NOTED THAT HRRR GUIDANCE IS QUITE A BIT MORE AGGRESSIVE WITH SNOW  
DEPTH, HOLDING ONTO AMOUNTS (12+ INCHES) THAT ARE SEVERAL INCHES  
HIGHER THAN LATEST NOHRSC ASSESSMENTS. CONSIDERING THURSDAY'S  
WARMTH, PART OF THE QUESTION WITH FOG POTENTIAL WILL STEM FROM HOW  
MUCH SNOW IS LEFT OVER THURSDAY NIGHT. WHILE THERE IS GOOD POTENTIAL  
FOR ADVECTION FOG, I HAVE CAPPED IT AT PATCHY WITH SOME UNCERTAINTY  
IN THE LINGERING SNOW DEPTH/COVERAGE THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING.  
 
WARM AIR ADVECTION GETS INTO FULL SWING FRIDAY WITH ABOVE NORMAL  
TEMPERATURES LIKELY. ONCE AGAIN, LINGERING SNOW MAY DETERMINE HOW  
FAR NORTHEAST THE 50S MAKE IT. MID-LEVEL 850 MB AIR OF 10-15C OVER  
THE PLAINS MODERATES SLIGHTLY AS IT SHIFTS INTO THE MID-MISSISSIPPI  
VALLEY WITH 5-8C ENCOMPASSING THE CWA. A MAJORITY OF ECM/GFS  
ENSEMBLES ARE SOLIDLY IN THE LOW TO MID-40S, INCHING NEAR 50 FURTHER  
SOUTH AND WEST OF ST. LOUIS AND COLUMBIA. LREF GUIDANCE ISN'T TOO  
BULLISH WITH 50S, PLOTTING 20-30% PROBABILITIES IN THE AFOREMENTIONED  
AREAS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST MISSOURI. HOWEVER, PROBABILITIES JUMP  
(40% NEAR KUIN/80-90% FROM ROLLA TO FESTUS, MO) ALONG AND WEST OF  
THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER FOR TEMPERATURES ABOVE 45 DEGREES. IF THERE'S  
ANY GUARANTEE, IT WILL BE FOR A PRODUCTIVE DAY FOR SNOWMELT.  
 
THE NEXT CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION ARRIVES LATE FRIDAY INTO FRIDAY  
NIGHT BEFORE EXITING EARLY SATURDAY MORNING. THE PROMINENT FEATURE  
IS A STRONG 984 MB LOW THAT TRAVERSES SOUTHERN CANADA, WHERE THE  
COLD AIR MASS ORIGINATES. LOCALLY, PRECIPITATION CHANCES COME FROM A  
WEAKER SURFACE LOW THAT TRACKS FROM THE TEXAS PANHANDLE AND SOUTH OF  
THE MO/AR BORDER. THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT THERE ISN'T MUCH QUESTION  
WITH PRECIPITATION TYPE AS WE ARE WELL WITHIN THE WARM AIR UPON ITS  
ARRIVE. LATEST GLOBAL GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO SHIFT THE SYSTEM SOUTH  
(REFERENCING DP/DT) WITH A EARLIER ARRIVAL (MAYBE AN HOUR OR TWO) OF  
THE COLD FRONT. THE MAIN CHANGE SINCE THE LAST UPDATE HAS BEEN A  
SLIGHTLY LATER ONSET OF PRECIPITATION WITH ONLY SLIGHT CHANCE (BELOW  
20%) POPS FRIDAY EVENING AND LOWER PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS BY THE TIME  
IT ALL ENDS. LREF MEANS HAVE TIGHTENED THE NORTHERN GRADIENT WITH  
LESS THAN 0.10" NEAR KUIN AND UP TO 0.3" SOUTHEAST OF I-44 AND SOUTH  
OF I-64 IN ILLINOIS. LREF PROBABILITIES FOR 0.25" OR MORE PEAK AT 50-  
60% OVER THESE AREAS AND QUICKLY DROP OFF TO THE NORTHWEST.  
FORTUNATELY, THE BACK SIDE OF THE SYSTEM LACK MUCH SUPPORT FOR  
WINTRY PRECIPITATION WITH LITTLE MID-LEVEL SUPPORT AND ADVANCING  
DEEP, COLD AND DRY AIR MASS BEHIND THE COLD FRONT. A VERY BRIEF  
PERIOD OF LIGHT SNOW/FLURRIES CANNOT BE RULED OUT BUT ACCUMULATIONS  
LOOK UNLIKELY, ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING 36-48 HOURS OF WARMER AIR THAT  
LIES AHEAD OF THE FRONT.  
 
THE COLD WILL BE THE MAIN STORY OVER THE WEEK INTO NEXT WEEK.  
TEMPERATURES WILL BE SEASONABLY COOL SATURDAY WITH LITTLE UPWARD  
MOVEMENT THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. THE BRUNT OF THE COLD MOVES IN  
SUNDAY, EXTENDING INTO THE EARLY PORTION OF NEXT WEEK. TEENS AND 20S  
RETURN TO THE REGION FOR DAYTIME HIGHS. WIDESPREAD SINGLE DIGITS ARE  
EXPECTED ACROSS THE REGION MONDAY AND TUESDAY MORNING, POSSIBLY AS  
LATE AS WEDNESDAY MORNING. SUB-ZERO TEMPERATURES CANNOT BE RULED  
OUT, SHOULD SKIES REMAIN CLEAR AND WINDS CALM. GFS IS POSITIONING AN  
IMPRESSIVE 1052 MB SURFACE HIGH OVERHEAD, WHILE THE ECM CENTERS A  
1045 MB HIGH OVER THE TX/OK PANHANDLES. THE POSITION OF THE HIGH  
WILL BE PARAMOUNT TO ANY POTENTIAL FOR SUB-ZERO READINGS WITH LFREF  
MEMBERS LINING UP PROBABILITIES (30-60%) NORTH OF I-70.  
PROBABILITIES ARE HIGHEST (40-60%) ACROSS NORTHEAST MISSOURI TUESDAY  
MORNING.  
 
MAPLES  
 

 
   
AVIATION
 
(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z THURSDAY AFTERNOON)  
ISSUED AT 1138 AM CST WED JAN 15 2025  
 
PERSISTENT MID LEVEL CLOUDS (9-10KFT AGL) THAT STRETCH FROM KCOU  
TO KSPI CONTINUE TO PUSH EASTWARD WHILE SLOWLY THINNING AS THEY  
MOVE INTO DRIER AIR EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. AN AREA OF  
MVFR CLOUDS IS LOCATED OVER PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN IOWA AND NORTHERN  
MISSOURI. THE EASTWARD PROGRESSION OF THIS LOWER CLOUD DECK HAS  
BEEN SLOW DUE TO THE EASTERN EXTENT STEADILY DECAYING WITH TIME. A  
SCATTERED GROUP OF LOWER CLOUDS WAS INCLUDED AT KUIN TO EXPRESS  
THE LOW CHANCE THAT THIS LOWER CLOUD DECK REACHES THE VICINITY.  
 
SOUTHERLY SURFACE WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO VEER AND INCREASE THIS  
EVENING EVENTUALLY GUSTING OUT OF THE SW-W OVERNIGHT WITH A  
PASSING FRONT. ALONG AND AHEAD OF THIS FRONT, WINDS OF 40-50KTS AT  
2FKT ARE EXPECTED. HOWEVER, WITH GUSTY SURFACE WINDS IN PLACE,  
LEADING TO A GRADUAL VERTICAL WIND GRADIENT, THE MENTION OF LLWS  
WAS LEFT OUT OF THIS TAF PACKAGE. THIS WILL CONTINUE TO BE  
MONITORED THIS EVENING WITH THE NEXT TAF PACKAGE.  
 
PEINE/JAJA  
 

 
   
LSX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
MO...NONE.  
IL...NONE.  

 
 

 
 
WFO LSX  
 
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