Will the metro-east get winter weather in time for Thanksgiving? See holiday forecast

Metro-east and St. Louis area residents may want to check out the weather forecast for Thanksgiving to prepare, especially those who are planning to attend a local parade or participate in any outdoor activities.

While Belleville and St. Louis residents may see some rain early on this week, Thanksgiving Day could bring clearer skies.

Here’s what kind of weather you can expect in Belleville this Thanksgiving week.

Thanksgiving weather forecast

The National Weather Service St. Louis office forecasts chances of rain Monday and Tuesday in Belleville, with expected temperatures ranging from 32 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

Wednesday should be sunny with a high around 48 degrees, the NWS forecasts, while Wednesday night is expected to be clear with a low around 32 degrees.

Thanksgiving is forecast to be the warmest day this week, NWS St. Louis office meteorologist Jared Maples told the News-Democrat Monday, but it’ll still be very near average. The average temperature in St. Louis for Nov. 23 is 54 degrees, Maples said.

Of course, the exact date of Thanksgiving varies each year, but average temperatures and precipitation don’t vary wildly by a day or two, Maples added. While the average temperature available was for St. Louis, Belleville’s average is likely within one to two degrees of the normal across the river.

Belleville should see a sunny Thanksgiving Day this year, with temperatures from 55 degrees during the day to 35 degrees at night. There’s a slight chance of rain, about a 30% likelihood, Thursday night.

The St. Louis region is not expected to get snow this Thanksgiving, Maples said, and on the off chance it did, it probably wouldn’t be much.

The average first snowfall date in the St. Louis area is Dec. 4, Maples told the News-Democrat earlier this month. The forecaster recommends residents keep tabs on not only the local forecast, but also plan ahead for any holiday travel by checking forecasts for your destination and along your route.

NWS forecasters expect Friday to be partly sunny with a high near 47 degrees, while that night will be “mostly cloudy” with a low around 32 degrees.

Saturday should be mostly sunny with a high around 44 degrees, according to the NWS, and Saturday night is looking to be colder — partly cloudy with a low near 28 degrees.

Weather predictions for Thanksgiving Day

The Farmers’ Almanac has released a Thanksgiving prediction for the U.S., as well. Illinois is in the almanac’s Zone 2, along with Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky and Wisconsin. Missouri is in Zone 4 with Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming and Montana.

Here’s what the almanac predicts:

Zone 2:

“Grab the firewood! Rain and possible snow should clear for a mostly fair but cold Thanksgiving.”

Zone 4:

“Get ready for a roller coaster ride for the holiday weekend! Light snow in the Rockies will be heading east for the Big Day. Clearing for a fair and cold moment, quickly followed by a heavy snowfall into the Nebraska, Dakotas region.”

The organization makes predictions based on a mysterious formula that considers factors such as planetary positioning, sunspot activity and tidal action of the moon.

“The only person who knows the exact formula is the Farmers’ Almanac weather prognosticator who goes by the pseudonym of Caleb Weatherbee,” the organization’s website says. “To protect this proprietary formula, the editors of the Farmers’ Almanac prefer to keep both Caleb’s true identity and the formula a closely guarded brand secret.”