


Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS St. Louis, MO
Issued by NWS St. Louis, MO
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979 FXUS63 KLSX 111918 AFDLSX Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Saint Louis MO 218 PM CDT Mon Aug 11 2025 .KEY MESSAGES... - There is a low chance for localized heavy rainfall mainly across portions of northeastern Missouri this evening and tonight. - Seasonable temperatures are expected through Wednesday before hot and muggy conditions return at the end of the week and this weekend. && .SHORT TERM... (Through Late Tuesday Night) Issued at 216 PM CDT Mon Aug 11 2025 Regional satellite imagery and surface observations show a low across eastern Kansas that is moving northeastward along a front that is draped southwest to northeast across the Midwest. Water vapor imagery shows that steering flow supports the low continuing to move northeastward. As it does so this evening, it will skirt portions of northeastern Missouri as a focused low-level jet develops immediately ahead of it, enhancing lift in that part of the CWA. As a result, isolated scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected to blossom, but where specifically in regards to the CWA is still uncertain. Convection may form just west of the CWA, and given it will be moving north-northeastward, most likely remain just beyond the CWA border. However, if convection forms further eastward into portions of northeastern Missouri and possibly even central Missouri and west-central Illinois, slow moving storms, warm cloud depths of around 10kft, and PWAT approaching 2" will lead to areas of localized heavy rainfall and isolated flooding. Rain chances diminish late tonight/early Tuesday morning as the low continues to track northeastward. Through Tuesday morning, outflow from the overnight storms and/or a cold front dropping into the CWA from the north will serve as the focus for isolated showers, possibly a thunderstorm. However, the better chances for rain (40-50%) will be during peak heating in the afternoon when instability and lift from an approaching shortwave combine. Where the front is positioned at that time is uncertain, with one solution being that it is draped across northern portions of our CWA, while the other primary solution being that it is roughly along the I-44 corridor in Missouri and I-70 corridor in Illinois. The former solution favors scattered convection across much of the CWA, while the latter would confine rain chances mainly along and south of the aforementioned corridor. Given the uncertainty, PoPs have been kept broad brushed tomorrow, but given recent guidance trends, the forecast has been tilted slightly toward the latter solution. Deep layer shear of 10-15 kts and shear vectors oriented parallel to the front will favor weak storms that will be relatively short lived, mitigating a severe threat and greatly limiting a flooding threat. With the front moving through the area during the day, a large spread in temperatures is expected from north to south. Where the front is expected to clear prior to peak heating - mainly across northeastern Missouri and west-central Illinois - temperatures are forecast to top out in the low to mid 80s. For locations south of the front during peak heating - mainly southeastern Missouri and southwestern Illinois, another warm and muggy day is expected, with temperatures rising into the low to mid 90s. Elmore && .LONG TERM... (Wednesday through Next Monday) Issued at 216 PM CDT Mon Aug 11 2025 The consensus among ensemble means and deterministic guidance is that in the wake of Tuesday`s shortwave weak northwesterly flow will be present aloft over the Middle Mississippi Valley on Wednesday. This flow will usher in a slightly cooler airmass, bringing temperatures down to or just below climatological normals (upper 80s) for most locations per ensemble means. This relative cool down will be short lived, as confidence is high that upper-level ridging will build back into much of the central CONUS with vengeance Thursday into Friday, signaling the return of heat. This heat is not expected to be realized until Friday, as a majority of guidance has a surface high stubbornly positioned east of the CWA on Thursday, keeping low-level flow east-southeasterly. However, ensemble means support an approximately 5-degree jump in temperatures for Friday as the ridge amplifies, the surface high moves eastward, and low-level flow becomes south-southwesterly. This heat peaks over the weekend, though spread in ridge positioning and the orientation of the low-level flow making confidence low in exactly how warm and humid. Those finer details will likely be moot, as the 25th percentile of ensemble guidance over the weekend has temperatures topping out in the low 90s, pointing to that barring a drastic change in guidance, mid 90s will be realized for most locations. Elmore && .AVIATION... (For the 18z TAFs through 18z Tuesday Afternoon) Issued at 1213 PM CDT Mon Aug 11 2025 Mostly VFR flight conditions are expected at the local terminals through the TAF period, though there is a very low chance for impacts late this evening and then near the end of period. This evening into tonight, scattered showers and thunderstorms are forecast to develop just west of KCOU, KJEF, and KUIN. Some of them could briefly impact the terminals with reduced visibility, and even if they remain west of the these terminals, gusts of wind generally from the west would still be possible. Late tomorrow morning into the afternoon, additional showers and thunderstorms are forecast along a cold front. Given the lead time and uncertainty in the timing of the front, impacts have been left out of the TAFs for now. Elmore && .LSX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MO...None. IL...None. && $$ WFO LSX