A day after Hurricane Francine made landfall in Louisiana, the St. Louis area is forecast to feel the storm’s effects.
By then, the system will bring beneficial rain to a parched region, according to the National Weather Service.
Leading bands of precipitation from the tropical depression are forecast to reach the St. Louis area sometime Thursday evening, with waves of rain expected from late Thursday into Friday afternoon.
As of Wednesday evening, the forecast amounts weren’t high enough to warrant a significant flash flooding threat in our area, the Weather Service said.
The lack of recent rain has resulted in dry soil, which will further mitigate flood threats.
St. Louis hasn’t seen significant rain in two weeks, and just 1.38 inches of rain fell here in August, two inches below the norm.
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The worst of the rain is expected south of St. Louis area in southeast Missouri and southern Illinois, where more than inch of rain was expected in some areas.
Areas north of Interstate 44 in Missouri and Interstate 70 in Illinois are forecast to see lighter rain or even none at all.
Francine made landfall on the Louisiana coast southwest of New Orleans as a Category 2 storm on Wednesday, bringing deadly storm surge, widespread flooding and destructive winds to the Gulf Coast.
It’s forecast to make its way up a path roughly following the Mississippi River with the center of the storm reaching northeast Arkansas or the Missouri Bootheel by late Thursday night.
Flash flooding was possible across the lower Mississippi Valley, the National Weather Service said.
The rain could help barge traffic on the river, where shipments are being limited from St. Louis southward due to low water levels.
As Francine’s remnants move east and linger several days, light showers will be possible daily from Saturday onward for several days, especially in the eastern portions of the St. Louis region.