Where the snow will be worst this weekend: Map

ST. LOUIS – The weekend is creeping closer, and with it, a snow storm that is projected to dump multiple inches of dust on the FOX 2 viewing area.

With recent data, confidence is high that the vast majority of our viewing area will see at least four inches of snow, and some counties will see much more than that. Four inches will act as our starting baseline, while our worst case scenario is closer to a foot of snow, maybe more by the time the storm ends on Sunday.

It all depends how the system comes together on Saturday night.

The weekend system we’re tracking is actually two systems as of Thursday morning—one north of Alaska and the other sitting just off the coast of California. We are working to determine when the two energy pockets will merge, a very complicated process. Even small changes to when and where or that combination can mess with the alignment of the temperature profile and where precipitation (snow) will form.

Courtesy: Chris Higgins

The presence of dry air in the viewing area will play a big role in the intensity of the snow on Saturday, but it will have a reduced influence that evening.

The data now point more strongly to a two-wave system. The first wave arrives Saturday and could drop 1 to 3 inches of light snow. There will be a break or break until the evening, when the precipitation becomes light and thin. In fact, it would not be surprising to see some frizzing drizzle or very fine sleet for several hours between waves. Not because of the hot/dry air but rather the cloud physics changing between the two. The second wave arrives between 9 pm and midnight, with moderate to heavy snow through Sunday morning. Light snow may last into the early afternoon before the system pulls out.

However, with a two-wave system, the largest totals of snow will come in areas that “dupply dip” both waves. The largest overlap is planned for areas along and southeast of Interstate 44 and south of metro St. Louis. We are projecting six to 10 inches in those areas, centered on a line near Rolla through Park Hills/Farmington and then into Illinois along the Kaskaskia River.

Radar of St. Louis: See a current weather map here

There could be an even heavier band of eight to 12 inches of snow in the viewing area as far south as Reynolds, Iron, and Madison counties in southeast Missouri. The I-70 corridor will take a hit from the first wave but may get the full brunt of the second wave. With more confidence in wave 2 track, we are looking at widespread totals of four to eight inches of accumulation across the metro area.

Winds will not be extreme but will be brisk, with speeds above 20 to 25 miles per hour, which will result in drifting snow, particularly in open and rural areas.

New data is always coming in. You can watch us on our smart TV app. FOX2STL+ or the FOX 2 mobile app via the Apple or Google app stores.