ALTON - Bing Crosby's dream of a white Christmas will not be fulfilled this year; instead Riverbend residents will experience a spring-like holiday.
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National Weather Service (NWS) Meteorologist Patrick Walsh said the weather conditions are not specifically unusual for this time of year. He said the St. Louis area experiences spring-like storms in November and December nearly every year. He said a few years ago, the area experienced such storms on New Year's Eve, and last year's holiday season saw historic flooding, which was definitely not typical winter precipitation.
"On Sunday, we will see thunderstorms and a high of 60 degrees," Walsh said. "It's more of a spring time storm system. It's due to a cold front moving in with warm air ahead of it. It's nothing too out of the ordinary. We get storms in November and December every year."
What is slightly unusual about this year's weather is the nearly 60 degree temperature difference within such a short span of time. Last weekend's icy mix was followed with frigid temperatures hovering around zero degrees. Walsh said such a temperature fluctuation is not typical, but also not impossible. He said the NWS has seen such temperature differences in previous years.
Sunday's predicted thunderstorms will be the result of a cold front colliding with a warm general southern flow. Following the storms, temperatures will lower to 40s and 50s, which is still slightly above average for this time of year. Walsh said evening lows could dip into the low 30s and 20s for a few days next week, with the next chance for precipitation coming late Wednesday night into Thursday. Walsh said he could not speculate to the nature of that precipitation as of yet.
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