MILWAUKEE, Wis. — A sharp weather change is underway in southeastern Wisconsin, with rain giving way to snow and plunging temperatures expected to create slick travel conditions across Milwaukee late Thursday into Friday.
Rain is forecast to continue through the afternoon, with temperatures briefly climbing into the mid-40s before colder air sweeps in. As the system exits this evening, rain is expected to change to snow showers and isolated snow squalls. Forecasters warn that rapidly falling temperatures will cause wet roads to freeze, leading to patches of black ice overnight. Visibility could briefly drop in heavier snow bursts, especially during the evening commute.
By late tonight, temperatures are expected to fall into the single digits to lower teens, freezing any remaining moisture on untreated surfaces. Winds will remain breezy, adding a bitter feel to the air and increasing the risk of slick conditions on bridges, overpasses and side streets.
Friday brings a quieter but colder day. Skies will gradually clear, but highs will struggle to reach the mid-20s. Wind chills will dip into the single digits, making it feel more like midwinter than the calendar suggests. Friday night remains cold, with lows near 20 degrees under mostly cloudy skies.
The weekend stays chilly overall. Saturday may bring a slight chance of snow showers, though accumulations appear minimal. Highs rebound into the upper 30s before colder air returns Saturday night. Sunday looks dry and sunny but cold, with highs near 20 and overnight lows dipping into the teens.
Looking ahead to the holiday, Christmas Eve falls on Wednesday, and early forecasts suggest a relatively calm pattern for Milwaukee. While temperatures remain seasonably cold, current outlooks point toward dry weather with no major storms expected at this time. Cloud cover may linger, but travel conditions appear favorable compared to the wintry snap arriving tonight.
Forecast confidence decreases several days out, but after tonight’s wintry transition, Milwaukee residents can expect a quieter stretch as the city moves closer to Christmas Eve.
