A gradual warming trend, followed by colder temperatures this week

Happy Sunday everyone! While it is still cold out there, it has been a bit more tolerable today with lighter winds and continued sunshine! Temperatures will gradually warm starting Monday, and eventually near the average high for this time of year by the middle of the week.

Clouds increase this evening and overnight as an Alberta Clipper type system approaches from the Dakota’s. Most of the area will likely see at least a few flakes late tonight into early Monday morning, with the best chances south of I-90. Any snow accumulations would be below one inch. There could be a few slick spots out there on the roads tomorrow morning, but major travel disruptions are not anticipated.

Clouds hang around Monday, with highs in the low 20F’s and Monday night lows in the low teens. We begin a brief warmup Tuesday, with highs in the mid to upper 20F’s under a partly sunny sky.

Tuesday night lows only drop into the low 20F’s thanks to increased cloud cover, and a warm front passing through, with southerly winds bringing warmer air northward. Wednesday will feature highs in the low to mid 30F’s, but we will have plenty of cloud cover. There is a very slight chance for a few rain/snow showers Wednesday afternoon as a cold front passes through, but the bulk of the precipitation is expected to remain east over Wisconsin.

Temperatures crash Wednesday night into Thursday morning, with lows in the low to mid single digits, and wind chills well below 0F, given gusty northwest winds up to 35 mph at times. The cold hangs around Thursday, with highs in the teens across the area. We’ll be in the 20F’s for Friday under a partly cloudy sky before clouds increase for the weekend and warmer temperatures return, with highs in the 30F’s by Sunday.

Will be watching for the potential of a winter system toward the end of next weekend, but given the time between now and then, hard to have much confidence in any particular outcome. For now, just have a slight chance of a rain/snow mix for Sunday. Things look mainly quiet the next week, however, with no major snow storms in sight for the time being!