La Crosse, WI – Fields sparkle under a thin coat of frost this Friday morning as a sharp chill settles across the Coulee Region. The still air and crystal-clear skies mark Wisconsin’s first widespread hard freeze of the season, with temperatures plunging into the mid-20s before dawn.
According to the National Weather Service in La Crosse, a Freeze Warning remains in effect until 9 a.m. CDT, covering much of western and central Wisconsin as well as parts of northeast Iowa and southeast Minnesota. Meteorologists warn that the sub-freezing cold could kill remaining crops and harm sensitive outdoor vegetation. Homeowners are urged to disconnect hoses, cover plants, and check plumbing ahead of next week’s chilly mornings.
By midmorning, sunshine returns and the freeze loosens its grip. Highs will climb to near 54°F Friday afternoon, with calm winds and bright skies offering a short-lived reprieve. Saturday brings increasing clouds and a slight chance of light showers by afternoon, followed by another quiet stretch Sunday with highs near 60°F — a classic late-October rebound before the next system arrives.
Looking ahead, light rain chances return Monday and Tuesday, but temperatures stay steady in the upper 50s. Models hint that colder air could dip back in near Halloween, though no snow is expected yet.
Across Wisconsin, residents are already watching the skies for the first flakes of the season, especially near the Upper Peninsula. For now, though, La Crosse gets a calm, crisp reminder that winter’s doorstep is near — and that frost-covered mornings are here to stay.
