407  
FXUS63 KLSX 012020  
AFDLSX  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAINT LOUIS MO  
220 PM CST THU JAN 1 2026  
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
- NEAR NORMAL TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE THROUGH SUNDAY WITH A 20  
PERCENT CHANCE OF RAIN FRIDAY AFTERNOON/EVENING ACROSS PARTS OF  
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI.  
 
- THE WEATHER PATTERN WILL SHIFT NEXT WEEK BRINGING ABOVE NORMAL  
TEMPERATURES TO THE REGION.  
 

 
   
SHORT TERM
 
(THROUGH LATE FRIDAY NIGHT)  
ISSUED AT 217 PM CST THU JAN 1 2026  
 
A COLD FRONT MOVED THROUGH THE AREA LAST NIGHT HAND HAS BECOME  
NEARLY STATIONARY OVER SOUTHERN MISSOURI. A WEAK WAVE OF LOW  
PRESSURE IS DRIFTING ALONG IT, AND IS TRYING TO MOVE IT BACK TO THE  
NORTH A LITTLE. WARM MOIST AIR TO THE SOUTH OF THE FRONT  
INTERACTING WITH THE COOLER AIR TO THE NORTH IS PRODUCING A DECK OF  
LOW STRATUS THAT IS BLANKETING THE NORTHERN 3/4 OF THE FORECAST  
AREA. THERE'S SOME SLOW EROSION FROM THE SOUTH BUT RECENT PIREPS  
SUGGEST THE STRATUS IS 1500-2000 FEET THICK SO IT LOOKS VERY  
UNLIKELY THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE STRATUS WILL BREAK UP BEFORE  
SUNSET.  
 
IT'S VERY LIKELY THE STRATUS WILL SPREAD SOUTH AGAIN WITH  
THE LOSS OF DAYTIME HEATING, AND THERE COULD ALSO BE SOME FOG  
OVERNIGHT, PRIMARILY ACROSS CENTRAL MISSOURI. LOW CLOUDS ARE LIKELY  
TO LINGER THROUGH MOST IF NOT ALL DAY FRIDAY AS WELL WITH LOW LEVEL  
FLOW FROM THE NORTHEAST CONTINUING TO REINFORCE THE COOLER AIR.  
TEMPERATURES THROUGH FRIDAY WILL BE VERY SIMILAR TO TODAY'S WITH THE  
EXCEPTION OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI WHERE PREVAILING CLOUDS WILL LIMIT  
DIURNAL RISES. EVEN IF THE STRATUS DECK DOESN'T BUILD THAT FAR  
SOUTH, THERE WILL BE CLOUDS AND POSSIBLY SOME SHOWERS FROM A LOW  
MOVING ACROSS ARKANSAS. MOST DETERMINISTIC GUIDANCE KEEPS THE  
PRECIP OUT OF OUR AREA FRIDAY, BUT THE NBM AND LREF CONTINUE TO SHOW  
LOW PROBABILITIES FOR LIGHT RAIN, AND A FEW CAMS ALSO SHOW  
SOME LIGHT RAIN, MAINLY JUST FOR REYNOLDS COUNTY. ANY RAIN THAT  
DOES FALL SHOULD END BY EARLY FRIDAY EVENING AS THE LOW FINALLY  
DRAGS DRIER AIR INTO THE AREA BEHIND IT.  
 
CARNEY  
 

 
   
LONG TERM
 
(SATURDAY THROUGH NEXT THURSDAY)  
ISSUED AT 217 PM CST THU JAN 1 2026  
 
NEAR NORMAL TEMPERATURES AND QUIET WEATHER CONTINUE SATURDAY AND  
SUNDAY UNDER A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE. WINDS TURN TO THE SOUTHEAST  
SUNDAY AFTERNOON AS THE RIDGE MOVES INTO THE OHIO VALLEY WHICH WILL  
BRING TEMPERATURES UP A FEW DEGREES OVER SATURDAY'S HIGHS, MOST  
NOTABLY ACROSS CENTRAL MISSOURI WHERE THE WIND SHIFT WILL HAPPEN  
FIRST. GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO SHOW AN UPPER LEVEL PATTERN SHIFT FROM  
NORTHWEST FLOW TO ZONAL FLOW BY MONDAY. THE GFS AND ECMWF SHOW  
PERSISTENT ZONAL FLOW ACROSS THE CENTRAL U.S. AT LEAST THROUGH  
MIDWEEK WHICH WILL KEEP THE TRULY COLD AIR LOCKED UP ACROSS CANADA.  
DETERMINISTIC GUIDANCE DOES SHOW A COUPLE OF WEAK SHORT WAVES MOVING  
QUICKLY ACROSS THE MIDWEST MONDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY. THESE WAVES  
PUSH A WEAK COLD FRONT INTO THE MID MISSISSIPPI VALLEY, WHICH  
CONTINUES TO ADD UNCERTAINTY TO THE TEMPERATURE FORECAST. LREF  
TEMPERATURE IQRS INCREASE FROM 4 DEGREES OR LESS SATURDAY THROUGH  
MONDAY TO AS MUCH AS 8 DEGREES TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. REGARDLESS,  
EVEN THE 25TH PERCENTILE IS WARMER THAN NORMAL. GUIDANCE SHOWS A  
MORE SUBSTANTIAL SHORT WAVE MOVING INTO THE CENTRAL U.S. THURSDAY,  
ALTHOUGH THEY DIFFER ON ITS TIMING AND AMPLITUDE. REGARDLESS,  
SOUTHWEST FLOW AHEAD OF THE WAVE FINALLY TAPS SOME GULF MOISTURE AND  
BRINGS US OUR NEXT BEST CHANCE FOR MEASURABLE PRECIPITATION. CURRENT  
FORECAST TEMPERATURES WILL BE WARM ENOUGH TO RULE OUT WINTRY PRECIP.  
 
CARNEY  
 

 
   
AVIATION
 
(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z FRIDAY AFTERNOON)  
ISSUED AT 1137 AM CST THU JAN 1 2026  
 
A BROAD AREA OF LOW STRATUS IS COVERING MUCH OF THE AREA. LATEST  
SATELLITE PICS SHOW SOME SLOW EROSION FROM THE SOUTH AND FROM THE  
NORTHEAST, HOWEVER THE MAJORITY OF THE AREA WILL REMAIN IN THE  
CLOUDS THROUGH SUNSET UNLESS THE CLEARING SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASES  
IN SPEED. BASES RANGE FROM JUST OVER 1000 FEET ACROSS WEST CENTRAL  
AND SOUTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS, DOWN TO AROUND 200 FEET IN CENTRAL  
MISSOURI. FORECAST SOUNDINGS SUGGEST THERE WILL BE SOME  
IMPROVEMENT TO MAINLY LOW MVFR THIS AFTERNOON, BUT THEN FALL TO  
IFR AGAIN TONIGHT. ADDITIONALLY, IFR VISIBILITIES WILL BE LIKELY  
AGAIN IN CENTRAL MISSOURI TONIGHT WITH CEILINGS AT OR BELOW 400  
FEET.  
 
CARNEY  
 

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

 
 

 
 
WFO LSX  
 
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