St. Louis Weather Radar
St. Louis Live Weather
St. Louis Live Weather Radar
St. Louis Hourly Weather Forecast
St. Louis 7-Day Weather Forecast
St. Louis Weather Overview
St. Louis weather radar is essential for tracking severe storms across eastern Missouri, where the city's location at the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers creates volatile conditions year-round. Positioned on the eastern edge of Tornado Alley, St. Louis faces persistent threats from tornadoes, flooding, severe thunderstorms, and winter ice storms. The NWS St. Louis office monitors 42.17 inches of annual precipitation across the metro area.
Tornadoes pose the most dramatic risk — spring supercells can spawn violent twisters with minimal warning. The April 22, 2011 Good Friday tornado was an EF4 with 200 mph winds that destroyed Lambert Airport's Concourse C and damaged 750 homes, killing one person. More recently, a December 10, 2021 EF3 tornado struck Edwardsville, Illinois during a historic late-season outbreak, killing 6 people. St. Louis weather radar helps residents monitor these developing threats in real-time.
Flooding presents long-duration dangers — the 1993 Great Flood crested at 49.58 feet, nearly 20 feet above flood stage. Flash floods from intense rainfall are equally deadly: on July 26, 2022, over 9 inches of rain in 12 hours killed two people. Winter ice storms periodically paralyze the region. Monitoring St. Louis weather radar provides critical advance warning for all these hazards across the metro area.
St. Louis Weather Risks & Safety
Tornado Risk
Tornadoes hit St. Louis hardest in spring and early summer, when warm Gulf air slams into cooler northern fronts. Supercell thunderstorms can spin up EF2+ tornadoes with very little lead time. On radar, rotation signatures inside storm cells give you a few critical minutes to reach shelter. St. Louis averages several tornado warnings per year — know where your safe room or interior closet is before you need it.
Severe Thunderstorm Risk
Severe thunderstorms roll through St. Louis regularly, especially spring through early fall. Expect damaging winds above 58 mph, large hail, and dangerous lightning. The radar shows you each storm cell's position, movement, and intensity — so you can tell if one is headed your way. When a thunderstorm warning drops for St. Louis, get indoors and away from windows until it passes.
Flooding & Flash Flood Risk
Flash flooding is St. Louis's most persistent weather hazard. Slow-moving thunderstorms or tropical moisture can dump enough rain to overwhelm drainage systems within hours — especially in paved urban areas where water has nowhere to go. Check the radar to see where the heaviest rain is falling and which areas to avoid. The standing rule: turn around, don't drown. Never drive through flooded roads, even if they look shallow.
Ice Storm Risk
Ice storms are rare in St. Louis but devastating when they hit. A quarter-inch of freezing rain coats everything — roads turn into skating rinks, power lines snap, trees come down. The radar shows whether you're getting rain, freezing rain, sleet, or snow — that distinction is critical. When St. Louis gets an ice storm warning, stay off the roads and prepare for power outages that could last several days.
How to Use St. Louis Weather Radar
Check Current Conditions
View the real-time weather status at the top of the St. Louis radar page — it shows temperature, humidity, wind speed, and current conditions at a glance.
Watch the Radar Map
The radar map shows precipitation and cloud cover moving across St. Louis. Toggle between the two views and hit play on the animation — you'll see which direction storms are moving and how fast.
Check the Forecast
Scroll down to the hourly and 7-day forecast. Look for any tornado or severe thunderstorm warnings in the next few hours or days that could affect your plans in St. Louis.
Decide What to Do
Storms moving in? Reschedule outdoor plans. Spring tornado season approaching? Check back more often — St. Louis weather can shift fast during that period.
Who Benefits from St. Louis Weather Radar
Commuters & Drivers
St. Louis commuters cross I-64, I-70, and I-55 in some of the Midwest's worst spring thunderstorms. Check the radar before your drive — see where hail and heavy rain are hitting and whether they'll reach your route during rush hour.
Outdoor Enthusiasts
Runners and cyclists on the Forest Park trails — check the hourly forecast before heading out. Spring storms can develop fast across eastern Missouri, and the radar shows them 30 minutes before they reach you.
Event Planners & Families
Planning an outdoor event at Forest Park or Busch Stadium? The 7-day forecast helps pick the best day. On event day itself, radar shows exactly when storms will roll across downtown St. Louis.
Outdoor Workers
Construction crews across the St. Louis metro — check the radar before scheduling outdoor pours or roofing work. Severe thunderstorms bring damaging hail and lightning with very little lead time from April through June.