The National Weather Service in St. Louis has issued a wind chill advisory for the region starting Saturday at midnight and lasting through noon on Tuesday.

Starting tonight, temperatures in the region will plummet into the teens and single digits, with wind chills well below 0 degrees Fahrenheit through Wednesday morning. Areas under the advisory include St. Louis City, and St. Louis, St. Charles, Jefferson, Crawford, Gasconade and Washington counties in Missouri; and Montgomery, Bond, Fayette, Cinton, Marion, Madison, St. Clair and Monroe counties in Illinois.

Portions of northeast Missouri are under a wind chill warning, including Osage and Warren counties.

Preceding the cold, a storm system is expected to bring 1-3 inches of snow in north Missouri and west-central Illinois, while further south, rain will briefly transition to snow this afternoon as the cold front moves through the area. While any snow will not last, it combined with the strong winds could reduce visibility and impact travel.

Wind chills could fall to below -15 degrees Fahrenheit starting tonight over parts of northwest Missouri, while some portions of northeast and central Missouri and west Illinois could see wind chills below -25 and -40 degrees Fahrenheit between Saturday night and Monday night.

Those without appropriate shelter, or those venturing outdoors without proper clothing, will be highly susceptible to frostbite and hypothermia.

A wind advisory also remains in effect for the region through Saturday at 6 a.m. Sustained winds will range from between 2o to 30 miles per hour, with gusts up to 4o to 5o mph. This could create difficult driving conditions for high profile vehicles, particularly on north-south roads, and in areas where freshly fallen snow can blow and reduce visibility.