After a mild weekend, the widely mixed weather forecast for the Milwaukee area this week will include above-normal temperatures, single-digit temperatures and possible snow.
The pleasant portion of the weekend will continue on Monday, with partly sunny conditions and a high near 50 degrees by early afternoon, according to the National Weather Service. This is more than 10 degrees above Milwaukee’s average high of 38 degrees on Dec. 9, according to data from the Milwaukee-Sullivan NWS office.
The weather service says “polar air” will move into the area on Tuesday and Wednesday, causing temperatures to drop. Tuesday will be cloudy during the day, with temperatures in the upper 20s and low 30s and wind chills in the upper 20s.
Wednesday will see a high of about 80 degrees (with wind chills in the mid-teens) in the early afternoon before tanking temperatures of “Arctic front and windy conditions” develop after about 5 p.m., NWS predicts. Wind speeds of up to 30 km/h are forecast until Thursday.
Snow is possible most of Wednesday, with the best chance between noon and 5 p.m. The atmosphere is expected to be “too dry” for much of an impact from the snow, Milwaukee-Sullivan NWS meteorologist Michaela Heeren said. No more than a few tenths of an inch of snow is expected, she said.
Wednesday evening through Thursday morning is expected to be Milwaukee’s coldest period this week. On Thursday morning the temperature will drop to around 5 degrees, with chills of up to -12 degrees. Negative single-digit wind chills are forecast through late Thursday evening.
“With that air mass in the Arctic, we’re indicating that the wind chill is well below freezing, with a few spots even reaching minus 20, especially in southwestern Wisconsin,” Heeren said. “That does pose a risk of frostbite. If we reach that negative threshold of 20, that is our criterion for a warning for excessive cold.”
It will be a bit warmer all day on Friday; An afternoon temperature is expected to be around 80 degrees, with wind chills in the upper teens and low 20s. Conditions will be cloudy with a chance of snow from the afternoon through Saturday morning. The chance of snowfall is greatest between 6:00 PM and 5:00 AM
Mild temperatures should return on Saturday, with highs in the low 30s. It may rain all day on Saturday.
Weather warnings for Wisconsin
Weather radar in Wisconsin
This article originally appeared in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: ‘Arctic front’ to bring snow and single-digit temperatures to Milwaukee this week
