ST. LOUIS (KMOX) — We all know it's going to be cold tonight. Not only is it abnormal, it could be historic.
AccuWeather is forecasting a low of 31 degrees at around midnight. The record on this date was set when St. Louis was preparing for the 1904 World's Fair, which opened 10 days later.
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According to the National Weather Service's records for St. Louis at Lambert Airport, they don't have *any* observations of snow on April 20. Not even a trace amount. There's been a little in previous years in other parts of the state, but not here St. Louis. So if it does snow, it would be the first time.
For the two-week stretch surrounding April 20 (April 13-27), there's only four recorded instances of more than a trace of snow since records started being kept. The biggest of which was in 1980, when we got five inches on April 14.
PLANT CARE IN THE SNOW
Take a picture of the pretty spring blooms in your yard, because they may not survive the snow.
The President of Rolling Ridge Nursery in Webster Groves, Lynn Cresller, warns the trees will take the brunt of it.
"Some of the flowers could take a hit on flowering trees and shrubs," Cressler tells KMOX. "They may look fine right away, but within 24 hours, they could turn brown and fall off."
Cressler says bring in your potted plants, and cover up your flowers with a sheet, but never use plastic. If you just planted grass seed, she says that should be fine.
POTHOLE SEASON
St. Louis County transportation officials say this year's pothole season could last until May, thanks to the late freeze in February and this cold snap.
David Wrone of the St. Louis County Department of Transportation tells Fox 2the freezing temperatures in February were followed days later by springlike weather, which made the roads ripe for potholes. Some potholes can be ankle-deep, or worse.
Officials say they typically repair about 15,000 potholes each year. This year, they expect they'll come close to that number, if not exceed it.
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