textproduct: La Crosse

KEY MESSAGES

- Below normal temperatures return for the rest of the week. Frost potential for some Tuesday through Friday nights.

- Precipitation/meager storm chances (20-30%) this afternoon/evening with low rain chances (30%) returning by Thursday afternoon. Otherwise, generally dry conditions areawide.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 625 PM CDT Mon May 4 2026

Tonight: Cooling Off

As winds finally start to decrease later this evening and into the overnight hours, temperatures will drop into the 30s to low 40s. Given that the lack of moisture will likely make it quite difficult to condense into anything for frost and a lack of widespread freezing temperatures, have held off on any headlines for the time being.

Tuesday - The Weekend: Relatively Benign Pattern

A strong upper low is expected to sit and spin over Ontario and the Hudson Bay for much of this work week, keeping our region under northwest flow aloft. At the surface, a drier air mass will continue to seep into the region with a weak surface high dropping into the Plains by midweek. This, along with continued northwesterly surface flow will prevent any sort of appreciable moisture return. As such, our forecast will remain dry through Thursday. A weak shortwave will pass overhead late in the week and give rise to some low rain chances, mainly along and east of the Mississippi River. Given the weak forcing and minimal moisture return by that point, are not expecting this to amount to much overall with minimal QPF returns forecasted thus far. This trend continues into the weekend with dry conditions expected through Sunday before some low rain chances return for southern portions of the area. Persistent west/northwest surface flow into the weekend will work to keep the boundary layer pretty dry across the Upper Midwest this week, a nice reprieve from the hectic and soggy April we had.

High temperatures will also be slow to climb out of the 50s and 60s with highs not even flirting with the 70 degree mark until Saturday. Low temperatures will fall to right around freezing most nights with the dry conditions and light winds so frost/freeze headlines may be needed for at least portions of the area Tuesday night through Friday night.

AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z WEDNESDAY/

Issued at 625 PM CDT Mon May 4 2026

VFR conditions are expected for the TAF period with gusty northwest winds of 10-20G20-30kts at 00Z gradually subsiding to 5-10 kts by 05Z, increasing for the late morning and afternoon on Tuesday at 10-15kts--still from the northwest.

ARX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

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