Drivers heading to and from the St. Louis area this Thanksgiving could expect rain and later, some of the coldest temperatures this season.
Rain showers are expected in the region late Wednesday through early Thursday.
While there’s been record-breaking rain this month, widespread showers aren’t expected throughout the St. Louis area this time, National Weather Service St. Louis Lead Meteorologist Fred Glass said.
“This is just an average fall system where it's going to come in and produce probably for most of the area under a quarter of an inch of rainfall,” Glass said.
But even some rain could slow drivers on busy roadways. AAA predicts predicts up to 80 million people will travel throughout the country during the Thanksgiving holiday.
There is a chance for some of the rain showers to change to snow in parts of central and southeast Illinois between the Illinois River and I-70 on Wednesday evening.
Meteorologists don’t expect the weather to hinder travel across the Interstate 70 and 44 corridors, near St. Louis or central Illinois. But with the increased number of people on the road, drivers should take precautions.
“Make sure you have a winter driving kit prep, make sure you have a blanket and other essential things, and also make sure you check your tire pressure too,” said Nicole Albano, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in central Illinois.
Temperatures are expected to drop to the upper teens and 20 degrees across Missouri and Illinois as the weekend approaches with the possibility of snow flurries. Albano said there could be an inch of snow in central Illinois.
Missouri forecasters are keeping an eye on snow between Lebanon, Missouri, and St. Louis.
Forecasters say that while snow could stick, it isn’t expected to be more than a dusting.
“There's an outside chance some locations could see up to a half-inch, but we're not quite sure where this storm system is going to track and how strong it's going to be quite yet,” National Weather Service meteorologist Jason Schaumann said.
