With several days of heavy snow and bitter cold behind the St. Louis region, a stretch of milder temperatures is finally in sight — offering relief after one of the coldest periods of the winter.
Looking ahead, the region is expected to see a steady warmup over the next week.
High temperatures are forecast to reach the mid-teens to upper 20s Friday through Sunday, with a chance of light snow Sunday. Early next week, highs are expected to climb into the low to upper 30s Monday through Thursday, with no major snow or ice storms currently in the forecast.
The storm that started Saturday dumped between 8 and 12 inches of snow across the area as extreme cold settled in, bringing temperatures well below zero. Early Monday morning lows fell between 5 and 10 degrees below zero, according to AccuWeather St. Louis. That followed a frigid weekend, with temperatures ranging from a low of 2 degrees to a high of 10 degrees Saturday and a low of 6 degrees to a high of 14 degrees Sunday.
The conditions forced widespread closures across the region. Most St. Louis City and County schools closed Monday and Tuesday, along with major attractions including Gateway Arch National Park, the Missouri Botanical Garden, the St. Louis Zoo and all St. Louis City and County public libraries.
The weekend storm was messy and inconvenient but far less damaging than last year’s Jan. 4-6 system, which brought prolonged snow, sleet and freezing rain that created days of hazardous travel conditions.
City and county crews worked through the weekend to clear streets and keep major routes passable during the recent snowstorm.
St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer and Chief Operating Officer Colonel Ben Jonsson said the city used Real Time Crime Center cameras to monitor road conditions and direct plowing efforts where they were most needed.
The city also deployed warming buses for people without homes, GPS-equipped snowplows and roughly 50 private contractor plows. Jonsson said those additional resources helped crews clear about 450 miles of snow routes, including primary and secondary streets.
Some contractors also worked on residential streets — a shift from how the city has handled previous storms, Jonsson said.
In St. Louis County, more than 100 trucks worked through the weekend clearing roads, according to county transportation officials.
“County streets aren’t ‘treacherous,’” said Dave Wrone, a spokesman for the St. Louis County Department of Transportation, told St. Louis Public Radio for a story Monday. “You’re most likely going to encounter snow in some areas. But in terms of drivability the system overall is in fair to good shape.”
Both Jonsson and Wrone said the closure of schools and government buildings helped reduce traffic, giving plow crews more room to work and speed up clearing efforts.
The warmer stretch should allow continued snowmelt and improved road conditions, though officials cautioned drivers to remain alert for lingering slick spots during overnight refreezing.
Sylvester Brown Jr. is the Deaconess Foundation Community Advocacy Fellow.