Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS St. Louis, MO
Issued by NWS St. Louis, MO
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999 FXUS63 KLSX 291703 AFDLSX Area Forecast Discussion...Updated Aviation National Weather Service Saint Louis MO 1203 PM CDT Wed Apr 29 2026 .KEY MESSAGES... -Cool and largely dry conditions will prevail through Saturday. -Temperature return to near normal Sunday and continue into next week. && .SHORT TERM... (Through Late Wednesday Afternoon) Issued at 141 AM CDT Wed Apr 29 2026 Light showers are still moving across the forecast area early this morning, but as the mid-level shortwave responsible for them shifts eastward, they will exit the forecast area before day break. An elevated cold front is also sliding through the forecast area this morning, ushering in a cooler and drier air mass that will stick around into the first half of the weekend. This boundary is also helping to shunt the lingering showers to the east. Today will be seasonally cool under the influence of the new airmass, with high temperatures peaking in the 60s area wide. By Thursday the mid-level pattern will have shifted to its new position that will persist through much of the forecast period. The mid-level low will move from south-central Canada into the Great Lakes region, and a mid-level ridge will build into and stall over the Intermountain West. A subtle shortwave will push through the west to northwesterly flow on Thursday, resulting in 20% chances of showers and thunderstorms along a weak cold front dropping south through the region Thursday into Friday. Confidence in widespread or substantial rain is low, given the weakness of lift from aloft and at the surface. Delia && .LONG TERM... (Wednesday Night through Monday) Issued at 141 AM CDT Wed Apr 29 2026 Thursday`s cold front will bring a reinforcing surge of cooler air into the region for the weekend, with Friday on tap to be the coolest day of the period. Ensemble guidance indicate highs on Friday will be below 65 degrees area wide, with only a 20% chance for high temperatures to exceed 60 degrees north of I-70. The region is expected to be on the periphery of a surface high Friday into Saturday. While this isn`t the most favorable position for efficient overnight cooling, the cool airmass and proximity to the surface high means we`ll have to keep an eye on the frost potential Saturday morning. NBM probabilities of low temperatures less than 37 degrees peak north of I-44 in Missouri and I-70 in Illinois between 30-50%. While this isn`t a slam dunk frost potential, we`ll have to continue to keep an eye on this as the growing season continues to progress. Dry conditions and below normal temperatures will continue on Saturday before low-level flow becomes west to southwesterly and warm air advection kicks up on Sunday. High temperatures will jump around 10 degrees starting Sunday, and near normal temperatures will persist into next week. Sunday and beyond the mid-level pattern remains stagnant with the ridge over the Intermountain West and the trough stalled over the eastern CONUS. Multiple disturbances will pass through the northwesterly flow across the mid- Mississippi Valley, reintroducing chances of showers and thunderstorms to the forecast. Delia && .AVIATION... (For the 18z TAFs through 18z Thursday Afternoon) Issued at 1154 AM CDT Wed Apr 29 2026 Dry and VFR conditions are expected through the period. Northwest winds will gust up to 20 knot this afternoon before turning light and variable after 00Z tonight. Britt && .LSX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MO...None. IL...None. && $$ WFO LSX