Frigid temperatures return this week, with winter storm lurking this weekend

A new year means a new weather pattern for the bi-state region—two systems, in fact, both of which emerge later in the week.

Clouds return in the early morning hours Thursday with temperatures in the upper 20s, as a weak clipper system is expected to slide through that evening.

As temperatures will be subfreezing, we could see a rain and snow mix. Most accumulations with this system will be in northeast Missouri and west-central Illinois, mainly confined to a light dusting on lawns and yards.

It’ll be quiet and cold on Friday and Saturday, with highs near the freezing point. Our next system rolls in from the northwest late Saturday night, bringing a potentially significant winter storm to the area for the rest of the weekend and into Monday.

The entire viewing area will be affected, but the exact path and timing of the storms are still in flux.

With the core of this storm still out in the Pacific Ocean, there are still a lot of questions regarding specifics. However, all winter precipitation types look to be on the table for this. This will be something to monitor for kids heading back to school on Monday.