MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin – Streetlights glow over misty yards and crisp rooftops early this Thursday, a calm before the cold. By early Friday, much of southeast Wisconsin—including Milwaukee, Waukesha, and Kenosha—will plunge below freezing as a Freeze Warning takes effect. Temperatures could fall as low as 27°F inland from Lake Michigan, signaling the end of the growing season and the first true taste of winter across the region.
According to the National Weather Service in Milwaukee/Sullivan, the freeze warning begins at 2 a.m. and lasts through 9 a.m. Friday. Widespread frost is expected before temperatures dip further toward dawn. Sensitive vegetation and unprotected outdoor plumbing are at risk, and residents are urged to cover plants, disconnect hoses, and prepare garden systems for the cold snap.
Despite the icy start, Friday will bring plenty of sunshine, though highs will struggle to reach the low 50s under a light northwest wind. The chill lingers into Saturday morning, when lows again hover near freezing across outlying suburbs. By Saturday afternoon, warmer air will begin to return, lifting highs to the mid-50s under mostly sunny skies—a classic late-October rebound that should hold through Sunday.
Across the Midwest, nearly a dozen states from Iowa to Virginia are seeing similar freeze alerts as the season’s first major cold front settles in. Farther north near the Upper Peninsula, some light flakes may even mix in later this week—a reminder that the first snow is inching closer. For Wisconsin, this front firmly closes out the growing season and ushers in a stretch of bright, brisk fall weather to close the weekend.
Five-Day Forecast for Milwaukee, WI:
Thu: 50/34 – Partly sunny; chilly breeze.
Fri: 52/38 – Hard freeze early; bright sun, cold air.
Sat: 55/46 – Mostly sunny; milder trend begins.
Sun: 57/48 – Partly cloudy; calm and cool.
Mon: 57/47 – Cloudy; chance of showers late.
