Missouri and Illinois May Get Drenched with Big Rain this Week

The good news is we didn't have a lot of snow in Missouri and Illinois this winter. The bad news (for farmers) is we didn't get a lot of snow in Missouri or Illinois this winter. That lack of moisture appears about to change as forecasters are saying both states will likely get drenched with badly needed rain near the end of this week.

I saw the National Weather Service in St. Louis share a rain graphic and it immediately caught my eye because there hasn't been much if any rain to speak of in 2024 so far. Thursday night carrying over into Friday and maybe even the weekend, both Missouri and Illinois can expect big rain in most areas.

My wife (the meteorologist and smart one in our relationship) shared a model run with me from Pivotal Weather which shows which parts of Missouri and Illinois are likely to see the most rain. Looks like the St. Louis area is in the big area.

Both Missouri and Illinois need this rain badly. Look at how little the states got in February. That tiny little green bar is the only moisture recorded for the whole month.

At this point, the rain starting Thursday night into Friday appears to be a certainty for Missouri and Illinois. The only questions are "how much" and "will it be enough?" With the drought conditions both Illinois and Missouri have been dealing with, let's hope both answers are "yes".