MISSOURI – St. Louis, Kansas City, Springfield and Columbia are heading toward winter 2026-27 with historical snowfall patterns offering an important reminder: Warmer seasonal conditions do not eliminate dangerous winter weather. Missouri averages approximately 17.5 inches of snow annually across its weather stations, and even during El Niño winters, snowstorms, freezing rain and hazardous travel can remain concerns through March.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), its October 15, 2026, seasonal outlook favors above-normal temperatures across Missouri from December through February, with probabilities generally ranging from 40% to 50%. Precipitation probabilities are less definitive, with much of the state near equal chances and portions of western Missouri leaning wetter than normal. These outlooks describe seasonal probabilities, not predicted snowfall totals.
What Missouri’s Snowfall History Actually Shows Missouri’s historical statewide average of 17.54 inches reflects weather-station measurements rather than snowfall at any single location…