380 FXUS63 KLSX 191923 AFDLSXArea Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Saint Louis MO 223 PM CDT Fri Sep 19 2025
.KEY MESSAGES...
-Isolated afternoon thunderstorms are expected today and Saturday with 50 mph gusts expected with the strongest thunderstorms.
-There are multiple chances for rain Sunday through mid-week, with cooling temperatures near normal by mid-week.
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.SHORT TERM... (Through Late Saturday Night) Issued at 223 PM CDT Fri Sep 19 2025
A weak surface boundary is currently stretched north to south across mid-Missouri and is making progress eastward this afternoon. Ahead of and along the boundary, cumulus has developed nicely and a few showers and thunderstorms have popped up in central Missouri. As a mid-level shortwave associated with a larger trough continues to swing through the forecast area this afternoon into evening it will produce isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms across the area. The best time for these to develop will be during the late afternoon to early evening, when instability will reach its maximum around 1500 J/kg (MUCAPE) with little to no cap in place where sunshine has persisted today. Along and east of the Mississippi River high level clouds have persisted, keeping the area cooler with more stability. Thunderstorm development will be limited in this area.
Any thunderstorms that develop will be able to take advantage of the steep low-level lapse rates and send cores up quickly. But in an environment with weak mid-level lapse rates and 0-6 km shear, these storms are unlikely to become severe. It`s more likely that they will drop their cores quickly into the low level dry air and produce brief periods of up to 50 mph wind gusts. Thunderstorm development will largely wane with sun set, but I cannot rule out a few showers and thunderstorms popping up across the area overnight as additional mid-level shortwaves traverse the area.
Overnight an MCS (stemming from convection currently across central Nebraska), will march through the region. Most guidance is indicating it will slide across Iowa and portions of far northern Missouri overnight and into the early morning hours, decaying as it gets closer to the Mississippi River. CAM guidance is also hinting at an area of convection developing in Kansas tonight and quickly tracking eastward across southern Missouri into the morning hours, though there is less confidence in the development of this system. The timing and position of these systems, combined with the strength of the outflow boundaries and persistence of cloud shields will determine Saturday`s thunderstorm potential. A weaker system and outflow boundary, or thinner cloud shield will allow the area to destabilize tomorrow afternoon. A stronger system and outflow boundary, or thicker cloud shield may be able to keep portions of the area stable through the afternoon, reducing the thunderstorm chances across portions of the area.
Where instability is able to form, around 1000 J/kg of MLCAPE is expected with little cap and strong low-level lapse rates. Just like today, this will allow cells to develop quickly. Despite a continuation of the weak mid-level lapse rates tomorrow, 0-6km shear will be stronger, near 20-30 kts, and will be better able to organize a few strong storms capable of 50 mph wind gusts. The best chance for these thunderstorms will be during the afternoon when instability is maximized.
Delia
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.LONG TERM... (Sunday through Next Friday) Issued at 223 PM CDT Fri Sep 19 2025
Additional chances for showers and thunderstorms persists through the forecast period. The mid-level trough sitting in the Upper- Mississippi River Valley will send additional shortwaves through the area Sunday. The best chance for rain will be during the afternoon when around 1000 J/kg of MLCAPE can form. Sunday`s thunderstorm conditions will be wildly similar to today, resulting in a strong storm or two that produce 40-50 mph winds.
The mid-level trough exits the area overnight Sunday into Monday morning, leaving largely quasi-zonal flow in its wake until another mid-level low moves into the region from the west. All the ensemble guidance shows a mid-level low moving into the mid-Mississippi Valley mid-week, though there is still some disagreement on the specifics of how and when. 75% of ensemble members show the low stalling over the region through Thursday, which if this comes to fruition, would result in beneficial rain across the area. The other 25% show a weakening and more progressive low that would result in less rain.
Regardless of how the specifics of our rain chances shake out, confidence is growing in a "cool down" to at least near normal temperatures by mid-week as these mid-level troughs kick through the area. By Wednesday the 75th percentile for high temperatures will be at normal, and if cloud cover and rain persist with a stalled mid- level low, temperatures will come in much cooler than that.
Delia
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.AVIATION... (For the 18z TAFs through 18z Saturday Afternoon) Issued at 1151 AM CDT Fri Sep 19 2025
High cloud cover is lingering over the St. Louis metro terminals, but is expected to continue to push east this afternoon. Meanwhile, destabilization is occurring in the clear sky to the west, and scattered to broken cumulus around 5,000 ft is expected to develop and persist until sunset. This afternoon isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected to develop across the region, though exactly where remains uncertain. As such, I have left the mention of -TSRA in the PROB30 group for the St. Louis metro terminals. Conditions are most favorable at these terminals compared to KCOU, KJEF, and KUIN where slightly more stable air may be enough to inhibit thunderstorm development. Where thunderstorms develop ceiling and visibility reduction to MVFR or even briefly IFR flight conditions.
There is another chance (20%) for showers and thunderstorms tomorrow afternoon, but confidence is even lower in where and when these storms will occur. Therefore, I have left the mention of showers and thunderstorms out of the St. Louis TAF for now.
Otherwise, winds will prevail largely from the south today, picking up in speed during the afternoon. Overnight light and variable winds will become southwesterly by tomorrow afternoon.
Delia
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.LSX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MO...None. IL...None. &&
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NWS LSX Office Area Forecast Discussion