textproduct: La Crosse

KEY MESSAGES

- Some patchy to scattered frost in central and north-central Wisconsin late tonight and Wednesday morning.

- There will be a chance of rain west of Highway 52 in northeast Iowa and southeast Minnesota from Thursday afternoon into Thursday night.

- More rain possible from Friday into the upcoming weekend.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 1249 PM CDT Tue Sep 22 2026

Tonight

High pressure will provide light winds and mostly clear skies tonight. This will allow temperatures to cool more than the past several nights. Due to this, lowered the low temperatures in central and north-central Wisconsin to the NBM 10th percentile. These temperatures were in the 30s. This will result in patchy to scattered frost. This was far too little to issue a Frost Advisory.

Wednesday into Wednesday Night

High pressure over the Great Lakes will keep the Driftless Region dry. High temperatures will be in the lower to mid-60s. Low temperatures will range from the mid-30s to around 50. The coldest temperatures will be in central and north-central Wisconsin.

Thursday afternoon into Thursday night

A cold front will approach the Driftless Region from the Northern Plains. This may result in a chance (20-50 percent) of showers west of Highway 52 in northeast Iowa and southeast Minnesota. High temperatures will be in the lower and mid-60s. Low temperatures will range from the mid-40s to lower 50s.

Friday into the Weekend

The 500 mb ridge will shift east of the area. This will allow a shortwave trough to move into the Driftless Region. As this occurs, there will be periodic showers and maybe a few storms. High temperatures will be in the 60s and low temperatures will range from the mid-40s to mid-50s.

AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z WEDNESDAY/

Issued at 1249 PM CDT Tue Sep 22 2026

Ceilings will be in the 2500 to 4000 feet range this afternoon. With the loss of diurnal heating, skies will clear this evening and remain that way through much of Wednesday morning. There may be some dense fog in the Wisconsin and Lower Kickapoo river valleys tonight and early Wednesday morning.

CLIMATE

Issued at 1249 PM CDT Tue Sep 22 2026

During the astronomical summer of 2026 (June 21 through September 21), it was warmer than the long-term average with highly variable rainfall across the Driftless Region. Average temperatures ranged from 65.9F at Medford Taylor County Airport (WI) to 72.8F to Guttenberg Lock and Dam 10 (IA). Rainfall ranged from 7.10 inches near Colby, WI to 28.69 inches near Spring Valley, MN.

La Crosse was the 16th wettest and tied with 2012 for the 19th warmest. Rochester MN had their 10th warmest and 11th wettest.

Rochester had an average low temperature of 61.3F. This was the warmest. The previous record was 60.4F in 1947.

ARX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

WI...None. MN...None. IA...None.