La Crosse, Wis. – A rare Northern Lights display could paint the skies over Wisconsin late Monday into early Tuesday, giving residents a stunning September sendoff before storm chances arrive.
According to the National Weather Service and NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center, a powerful solar flare may trigger auroras across the Midwest, including La Crosse, if skies stay clear. Drivers along I-90 and rural highways should prepare for patchy fog overnight, followed by the risk of thunderstorms Tuesday afternoon.
The sun erupted with a coronal mass ejection on August 30, sending plasma racing toward Earth. That surge is expected to fuel geomagnetic storms through Tuesday morning, expanding aurora visibility into unusual regions like Wisconsin, Missouri, and New England. La Crosse residents may glimpse the glow if low clouds break after midnight.
By Tuesday afternoon, attention shifts from the sky to the roads. Forecasters say showers and thunderstorms are likely, with rainfall amounts between a quarter and half an inch possible. Temperatures will hold near 76 degrees, but travel could slow during evening commutes. Motorists should allow extra time and avoid flooded underpasses.
Midweek brings a cooler pattern as highs fall into the 60s. Sunshine returns Thursday, though another chance of rain lingers Thursday night.
The mix of celestial spectacle and shifting weather marks an active start to meteorological fall across Wisconsin. More advisories are possible if storms intensify.
Five Day Forecast for La Crosse, Wisconsin
- Tuesday: High near 76. Thunderstorms likely after 1 p.m.
- Wednesday: High near 68. Showers possible, cooler breeze.
- Thursday: High near 61. Mostly sunny.
- Friday: High near 63. Mostly sunny, calm winds.
- Saturday: High near 68. Sunny with light northwest breeze.
