If you’ve lived in the Gateway City for more than a week, you know the drill. You can't trust a clear sky for longer than it takes to grab a toasted ravioli. Right now, looking at the 7 day forecast st louis missouri, we are staring down a classic mid-January stretch that is basically a game of "how many layers can I fit under my coat?"
Honestly, it’s cold. Like, "don't leave your dog outside for more than two minutes" cold. As of late Saturday night, the thermometer is sitting at a crisp 15°F, but with that west wind at 8 mph, it actually feels like 5°F. If you’re heading out, just know the air has a bite to it that doesn't care about your fashion choices.
The Week Ahead: Arctic Fronts and Flurries
The National Weather Service out of Weldon Spring has been busy tracking a series of clipper systems. These aren't huge snowmakers, but they keep the air feeling like a freezer.
Sunday, January 18, starts the week with a high of 32°F. That’s the freezing mark, which in St. Louis winter terms, is practically a heatwave compared to what’s coming. Expect mostly cloudy skies and about a 10% chance of snow flurries during the day. It’s not going to bury your car, but it might make the 44 a bit slick in spots.
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By Monday, which is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the "warm-up" is over before it even started. A reinforcing shot of Arctic air is sliding down from the Hudson Bay. We’re looking at a high of only 21°F and a low of 11°F. The wind is going to kick up to 12 mph from the northwest, meaning those wind chills are going to be in the single digits or even negatives for your morning commute.
Mid-Week Moderation (Sorta)
Tuesday and Wednesday actually look... decent? Well, decent for January.
- Tuesday, Jan 20: We hit 39°F. The sun might even peek out.
- Wednesday, Jan 21: This is the "peak" of our week with a high of 44°F.
It’s a brief window of relief. This happens because the deep trough over the eastern U.S. shifts just enough to let some slightly milder air sneak in from the west. But don't get used to it. St. Louis is at the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers, which basically makes us a funnel for whatever Canadian air wants to move south.
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Why St. Louis Weather is So Predictably Unpredictable
People love to say, "If you don't like the weather, wait five minutes." In Missouri, that’s not just a cliché; it’s a geographical reality. We have no mountains to block the Arctic air coming from the north or the humid air from the Gulf of Mexico. We are the ultimate meteorological wrestling ring.
Most people get it wrong when they think St. Louis gets "big" snow all the time. Actually, January is typically our driest month. We average about 2.14 inches of precipitation. The problem is when that moisture meets a cold front. This week, the moisture is pretty low, which is why the 7 day forecast st louis missouri shows mostly small percentages (5-15%) for snow. We're in a "dry cold" pattern.
Late Week Realities
As we move toward the weekend of January 24, things get gloomy again.
Friday, January 23, looks to be about 46°F, which sounds great until you see the cloud cover moving in. By Saturday, a new cold front drops the high back down to 29°F. The humidity is expected to climb to 66%, making that cold feel damp and heavy.
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How to Handle This Forecast
You've gotta be smart about the "feels like" temps. When the humidity hits 50-60% in 20-degree weather, it seeps into your bones way faster than a dry 10-degree day.
- Check your tires: Cold air makes tire pressure drop. If your "low air" light came on this morning, it's not a glitch; it's physics.
- Layering is a science: Wear a base layer that wicks moisture. Even if it's 15 degrees, if you're shoveling or walking fast, you'll sweat. If that sweat stays on your skin, you’ll freeze the second you stop moving.
- Pipe Protection: Since we’re seeing lows of 11°F and 12°F on Sunday and Monday nights, make sure your outdoor hoses are disconnected. If you have a kitchen sink on an exterior wall, leave the cabinet doors open to let the house heat reach the pipes.
The big takeaway for this 7 day forecast st louis missouri is that we are in a classic "yo-yo" pattern. We go from 32 to 21, up to 44, and back down to 29. It’s exhausting for your sinuses and your thermostat.
Keep an eye on the Friday night into Saturday window. While the current models only show a 10% to 20% chance of snow, those "clipper" systems can sometimes pick up extra moisture from the Great Lakes and dump a quick inch or two that isn't always captured in the long-range outlooks.
Stay warm, keep the salt bucket by the door, and maybe grab some extra coffee. It’s going to be a long, chilly week.
Next Steps for You:
- Check your vehicle's antifreeze levels before the Monday morning cold snap.
- Sign up for local NWS alerts to catch any sudden changes in the Friday night moisture totals.
- Plan your outdoor errands for Wednesday afternoon to take advantage of that 44-degree window.