Cold snap strikes Southeast Missouri

Cold weather hit the Cape Girardeau area this weekend, putting a damper on outdoor spring activities and worrying home gardeners who didn't want their plants to freeze.

Temperatures climbed into the low 50s in Cape Girardeau Saturday, but the blustery winds out of the northwest at 10 to 20 mph made it feel like the 40s, the National Weather Service said.

Forecasters warned of a possible nighttime freeze over the entire region. Temperatures could dip to just below freezing in Cape Girardeau, said meteorologist Jim Packett with the weather service office in Paducah, Ky.

The cold front, fueled by high pressure from Canada, descended on the area Friday night.

But temperatures should start warming up today. Packett said high temperatures could be in the 50s or even lower 60s in parts of Southeast Missouri.

Low temperatures today could be in the mid- to upper 30s, he said.

Starting Monday, wind from the southwest will help warm up the area. The region should see high temperatures in the 60s and lows in the 40s, Packett said.