Cold and dry start to the workweek, but changes come midweek

Cloud cover will remain the dominant feature for today, with breezy northerly winds continuing to usher in cooler temperatures. That being said, we are only topping out in the upper 20s this afternoon, when our average highs are in the upper 30s and low 40s for this time of year. Later on this evening, however, winds will start to relax and cloud cover will clear out, setting us up for a very cold start to the morning tomorrow. This comes as a large high pressure system will settle over the state tonight. Most of us will dip into the single digits with a few places potentially dipping a degree or two below zero, given the light winds, clearing sky, and fresh snowpack from this weekend.

We will then look forward to a sunny day as the high slowly moves to the east. Winds will begin to shift more to the south with afternoon highs back closer to average, in the mid 30s. A more robust warm up will then likely take place as the high moves further away and that southerly flow increases. A warmer air mass in the mid levels will arrive, and though Wednesday will see the return of a mostly cloudy sky, temperatures will likely push back into the 40s. This will come out ahead of the next cold front dropping through the Northern Plains, with an associated warm front arriving in the Upper Midwest. Temperatures will remain mild at night and the front will bring an increasing chance of showers for the overnight and into early Thursday. Rain is then likely to overspread the state by later Thursday as a strengthening low along the front tracks up from the southwest. Temperatures will again be in the 40s, but they will cool heading into Thursday night and with the low tracking to our east, we have a chance to see rain transition to wet snow. The system will be over the state Friday, spinning more snow across Western Wisconsin before pulling away by later in the day. A large upper trough will grab hold behind the storm for our weekend, dropping temperatures below average with a gradual return to sunshine.

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