textproduct: La Crosse

KEY MESSAGES

- Around 1-2" of snow is expected late this morning into early this evening, leading to minor impacts (use caution while driving) as snow falls.

- Winds ramp up this evening, leading to potential for blowing snow, particularly west of the Mississippi valley, where both terrain and winds will be more favorable compared to areas to the east. A Winter Weather Advisory has been issued for those areas due to potential for occasional moderate impacts (use extra caution while driving).

- Windy conditions and plummeting temperatures lead to wind chills in the 25 below to 35 below range Sunday night into Monday morning.

- Another shot of light snow possible Tuesday night into Wednesday

DISCUSSION

Issued at 311 AM CST Sun Jan 18 2026

- Another shot of snow possible Tuesday night into Wednesday

Snow and blowing snow today:

Next upper wave to impact the area within the northwesterly flow aloft will dive southeast out of Alberta today. While overall moisture with this wave is limited, pretty good PVA with the wave should lead to precipitation with progged soundings and 18.00z MPX RAOB clearly pointing toward an all snow event with temperature profiles firmly in the DGZ from just off the surface. Given this profile and the potential for multiple hours with a deep DGZ, have moved snow ratios toward the high end of guidance, above 20:1. Thus, while QPF is expected to be low, should easily get at least 1" out of today's snow with some spots ending up around 2". Indeed, adjusting 18.00z HREF probabilities to account for a 20:1 ratio, all but our far southwest has at least a 50% chance to top 1" with this probability approaching 90% along the Mississippi River.

Blowing snow this evening into tonight:

As the upper wave begins to depart, 40-45 knot 850/925mb upper jet advances over areas along and west the Mississippi. WIth a period of strong CAA along coupled with surface pressure rises around or greater than 1 mb/hr, should see solidly breezy winds develop with potential for a period of strong winds with gusts to 40 mph west of the more sheltered Mississippi River valley. Given potential for light falling snow as winds ramp up and expected fresh snow on the ground, impacts due to blowing snow appear probable. Due to limited contribution from falling snow, do not expect visibilities to a quarter mile or less. Have therefore issued a Winter Weather Advisory this afternoon and early this evening in our west for expected period of occasional moderate (extra caution while driving) impacts.

Cold tonight into tomorrow morning:

Ongoing cold temperatures - values early Sunday morning are in the single digits above and below zero - don't go anywhere for tonight and will in fact be reinforced and winds become northwesterly across the area. Given lingering surface gradient after the solidly breezy evening, continued gusty winds into the early morning will cause wind chills to plummet below -25 and get close to -35. Needless to say, have retained the Cold Weather Advisory already issued for the entire CWA.

Snow Tuesday night into Wednesday:

Another clipper style system ejects southeastward out of Canada Tuesday night into Wednesday. While there is an outside chance to reach 3" of accumulation (10% per 18.07z NBM), overall pattern suggests another lower QPF setup. PoPs will very likely need to increase above NBM values over the coming days.

AVIATION /12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z MONDAY/

Issued at 530 AM CST Sun Jan 18 2026

Conditions, initially VFR across a good portion of the region, should deteriorate to widespread MVFR ceilings and then MVFR/IFR conditions as snow overspread the area west to east late this morning. As the afternoon goes on, winds ramp up, leading to blowing snow, particularly in unsheltered areas west of the Mississippi, where visibility to a half mile is favored. Due to limited amounts of new, loose snow, visibility reductions from blowing snow should eventually abate late in the period.

ARX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

WI...Cold Weather Advisory from 3 AM to noon CST Monday for WIZ017- 029-032>034-041>044-053>055-061. MN...Winter Weather Advisory from noon today to 9 PM CST this evening for MNZ086-087-094-095. Cold Weather Advisory from 9 PM this evening to noon CST Monday for MNZ079-086>088-094>096. IA...Winter Weather Advisory from noon today to 9 PM CST this evening for IAZ008-009-018-019. Cold Weather Advisory from 9 PM this evening to noon CST Monday for IAZ008-009-018-019. Cold Weather Advisory from 11 PM this evening to noon CST Monday for IAZ010-011-029-030.