U.S. Drought Monitor + NOAA Climate Normals
Foundation Weather Risk for St. Louis, MO
The two weather forces that actually move a foundation in St. Louis, MO — drought drying out clay soil, and freeze-thaw cycles heaving the ground — from real, current public data.
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Current drought
As of Jun 30, 2026
0%
County in severe+ drought
Share of the county, D2 or worse
81
Freezing days
Per year at/below 32°F — frost-heave cycles
What this means if you live in St. Louis: your winter delivers 81 days at or below freezing — about middle-of-the-pack (#5 of 20 we track) for cold, about 48% above the average across the metros we track. Each freeze-thaw cycle expands and then contracts the water in the soil under your foundation, and it's that repeated heaving — not a single cold snap — that works footings loose over years. In a climate this cold, frost heave, not drought, is the force to watch, and proper drainage that keeps water away from the foundation before it freezes is the practical defense. What decides how hard these forces hit your specific lot is your soil type — see what actually moves a foundation for how soil, water, and construction interact.
What do the drought categories (D0–D4) mean?
They're the U.S. Drought Monitor's official national scale, released weekly: D0 is "abnormally dry," D1 moderate, D2 severe, D3 extreme, and D4 exceptional drought — the most intense. The percentage above is the share of your whole county sitting in D2 or worse, which is the range where expansive clay soils dry and shrink enough to stress a foundation. It's a real, current reading, not a historical average, so it changes week to week as conditions do.
Drought: U.S. Drought Monitor (NDMC/USDA/NOAA), most recent weekly release for St. Louis city. Freezing-day counts: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, 1991-2020 Climate Normals. Comparison figures are computed across the metros ClearPick tracks, not a national survey. The clay-shrink mechanism applies specifically to expansive clay soils; a local inspection is the only way to confirm your lot's actual soil and risk.
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