ST. LOUIS — A dangerous storm system is expected to sweep through the St. Louis region Friday evening, bringing the potential for destructive winds and fast-moving tornadoes. The National Weather Service has placed the area under a Level 4 out of 5 risk for severe weather — the highest the region has faced in recent memory.
The greatest threat is forecast between 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. in the metro area, with wind gusts up to 90 mph possible in the strongest storms. Tornadoes could also develop quickly and without much warning. Damage may be widespread in areas that are hit.
St. Louis radar: See a map of current weather here
Earlier in the day, strong, dry winds will increase the fire danger, particularly from midday through late afternoon, with gusts potentially reaching 40 to 55 mph.
Meteorologists caution residents not to stray far from shelter Friday night. “The metro could well be in the heart of the action,” Chris Higgins writes.
Weather timeline for Friday, March 14:
- Midday to late afternoon : Gusty, dry winds raise wildfire risk; gusts up to 55 mph possible
- Afternoon : Elevated fire danger continues across the region
- 7 p.m. – Midnight : Severe storms move through the area; updated forecast shifts timing later
- 8 p.m. – 11 p.m. : Peak severe weather window for St. Louis metro area
- Overnight : Storm system moves out of the region; damage assessments likely to follow
A map displaying rotating and spinning drafts for Friday evening covers a significant portion of the viewing area. While each track is not a tornado, it rather shows the tracks of storms that have the capability to produce a tornado.
“As you can see, the coverage of extreme storms is significant and very concerning,” Higgins wrote …