Quieter weather through midweek with a gradual warm up

High pressure overhead will lead to a mainly sunny sky to take us through the afternoon. The departing high will eventually shift our winds out of the south later this afternoon, ushering in some milder temperatures toward the latter half of the afternoon. Being that we had such a cold start to the morning, though, we have plenty of climbing to go, and we will still top out shy of our average high which falls around the 40 degree mark this time of year. Meanwhile, low pressure to our west will start to traverse the Northern Plains, creating a tightening pressure gradient which will increase our winds a bit through the overnight, keeping us relatively mild as we only dip to the mid 20s by tomorrow morning.

Mid and upper level moisture will begin to increase later tonight, out ahead of the next developing front coming into the Western Plains. Meanwhile, southerly flow will take over as the high slides into the Great Lakes. The set up will favor a noticeable warm up heading into Wednesday. A warmer airmass will be sliding into the state, favoring the return of above average temperatures, at least briefly. Wednesday will start off with partial sunshine, before clouds take over through the afternoon. Breezy winds will lead to highs into the 40s. As the front approaches we may see a few stray showers arrive by Wednesday night, while it remains mild with temperatures staying above freezing. By Thursday, another large storm system will come together in the Plains while tracking to the northeast. Initially we will remain in the milder airmass east of this low, and as moisture arrives, rain will develop. The big question that follows revolves around the track of the low. Forecast models have differing solutions, but it does appear a track to our south is likely. This will be critical in determining how quickly we will see a transition over to snow, which is looking to favor early Thursday night. The storm will carry abundant moisture back into the state, so there is potential for another round of accumulating snow that could be significant for at least parts of Wisconsin. Highs will still be in the 40s Thursday, before cooling down. The colder air will take hold into Friday with highs staying below freezing. Snow will begin to move away during the day with increasing winds. The weekend will remain colder than average, especially Saturday when we may only reach the mid 20s with lingering flurries.

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