textproduct: La Crosse

KEY MESSAGES

- While air temperatures remain cold, winds remain light and variable until Sunday afternoon. Wind chills will stay between -5 and -15 degrees.

- Bitterly cold conditions return Sunday night as winds increase causing wind chills between -20 and -30 to occur.

- Cold conditions remain through the week as highs generally stay in the upper single digits to mid teens and low temperatures mostly stay in the single digits below zero. Low end snow chances this week beginning on Monday night north of I-94 and another chance with more coverage on Wednesday.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 147 PM CST Sat Jan 24 2026

Today-Monday: Cold Conditions Continues, Bitter Cold returns Sunday Night

As a surface high shifts off to the east today, west to southwest flow aloft will help to increase temperatures today and moreso tomorrow. Temperatures today get close to zero south of I-90 then fall back down into -5 to -15 degrees range for tonight, with the coldest temperatures north of I-94. Despite these cold low temperatures, our area will still be on the western side of the surface low allowing for winds to be very light and variable which in turn helps keep apparent temperatures from reaching Cold Weather Advisory criteria. Instead, wind chill values will largely remain in the -5 to -15 degrees range. As the surface high moves further eastward, the coldest air also moves way from the area. Despite our forecast area being under northerly winds, air temperatures will rise above zero with highs for Sunday staying in the single digits.

Heading into Sunday night, another shortwave trough bringing slightly colder air dips down into the Upper Midwest. Winds will also increase bringing sustained northwest winds of 10 to 15 mph to the area, the higher winds will stay west of the Mississippi River. Combining this wind with air temperatures between -5 and -15 degrees, wind chill values are expected to range from -20 to -30 degrees. A Cold Weather Advisory will likely be needed with these wind chill values.

Monday-Saturday: Cold Lingers, Mostly Dry

Northwest flow aloft returns Monday and continues through the rest of the week. This allows for colder air to linger across the Upper Midwest which will translate to low temperatures staying mostly in the single digits below zero. High temperatures will stay in the upper single digits to mid teens. For those who like warmer weather, NBM probabilities for at least 20 degrees are between 30 to 70% for areas along and east of the Mississippi River with higher probabilities to reach 20 degrees on Sunday! With the area under northwest flow, a few shortwaves traverse down into the area bringing low end snow chances to the area. The first wave comes into northern Wisconsin Monday night bringing low snow chances, less than 20%, to areas north of I-94. For the rest of the week, there are disagreements amongst models on timing and location so PoPs are generally below 10% for now, with the one exception of Wednesday when a wave moves down and both the GFS and ECMWF have light snow with this, but location differences have kept PoPs under 20%.

AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z MONDAY/

Issued at 542 PM CST Sat Jan 24 2026

Predominantly VFR conditions expected through the 25.00Z TAF period. MVFR-IFR ceilings sag south through central-Minnesota and central Wisconsin through Sunday, potentially reaching the local forecast area as early as 25.18Z. While current forecast confidence keeps MVFR-IFR ceilings out of either TAF site, will be subsequent detail to monitor in coming TAF issuances.

Light and variable winds remain light while turning out of the north through Sunday morning, and strengthening out of the northwest through Sunday afternoon/evening and after the 25.00Z TAF period terminus. Increased west and southwest winds expected Sunday night through Monday morning rotating back to the northwest Monday Night through Tuesday morning.

ARX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

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