Milwaukee woke up Wednesday to a gray, foggy chill, with light rain and drizzle hanging over the city and temperatures stuck around 33°F at Mitchell International. That borderline reading is just cold enough to turn some of that moisture into trouble, with slick spots expected, especially on bridges and elevated ramps, as pockets of freezing drizzle develop through the morning.
Morning Commute
Drivers and cyclists can expect areas of drizzle before 10 a.m., transitioning to more widespread freezing drizzle between mid-morning and noon, then changing over to light, wet snow late in the morning and into the afternoon. Northwest winds of 10–15 mph, with gusts up to 30 mph, could help any slushy snow briefly stick, although accumulations should stay under half an inch and mainly on grassy surfaces. Details on this morning's advisory and timing are laid out by the National Weather Service Milwaukee.
Thursday Night Into Friday
A stronger low pressure system is expected to roll through from Thursday night into Friday, first bringing rain Thursday evening along with increasing south winds of 10–25 mph and gusts that could reach 40 mph overnight. Rain is forecast to dominate Thursday night, with only a brief changeover to snow on the backside of the system before drier air arrives later Friday. Local forecasters are putting more emphasis on the higher wind and rain chances with this round and suggest checking for updates before locking in evening plans. (WMTV)
On The Lake
Small Craft Advisories and a Gale Warning remain in effect for parts of southern Lake Michigan through Wednesday evening, and a Gale Watch covers much of the lake from late Thursday night into Saturday, so boaters are being urged to stay off open water. Behind the first system, expect gusty northwest winds over the lake on Wednesday, followed by a chance of southerly gales Thursday night into Friday as the stronger low tracks through the region, according to the National Weather Service Milwaukee.
How To Prepare
Plan for a slower commute, treat bridges and overpasses as potentially icy this morning, and secure loose outdoor items before winds ramp up later in the week. Transit riders should keep an eye on MCTS service alerts, and anyone traveling longer distances may want to check WisDOT updates. For more on the broader setup behind this unsettled stretch, see storms, slush and St. Paddy's plans.
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