textproduct: La Crosse

KEY MESSAGES

- Cooler weather arrives for the end of the week and the weekend with highs falling into the 40s and lows sliding into the 20s.

- Periodic rounds of very light rain or snow showers transit the region between today and possibly as late as Friday morning. Impacts from these showers would be very minimal.

- Temperatures warm back into the 50s for early next week with drier weather for the weekend and early next week.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 1141 PM CST Wed Nov 11 2026

Today - Friday: Cooler, Periodic Sprinkles/Flurries

Cooler temperatures continue to filter into the area as colder air through the lower and mid troposphere sags southward behind the departing trough axis and surface low. With this cold air advection expected to linger to some degree over the coming days, high temperatures are expected to struggle to climb into the lower 40s both today and Friday.

Weak upper level impulses will pass overhead through the broadly cyclonic flow aloft. As this interacts with a fetch of moisture off of Lake Superior, steep low level lapse rates and low amounts of instability look to be enough to support periodic sprinkles or even flurries, even amidst the lack of moisture below 800 mb. Little to no impacts are anticipated from these very light showers with any precipitation likely coming to an end for most by this evening. Locations in the Chimney/North Central Wisconsin could see flurries/sprinkles continue into Friday morning owing to closer proximity to the Lake Superior moisture source.

This Weekend into Mid Next Week: Dry and Slowly Warming

An omega block sets up aloft over the High Plains/Rockies by Saturday with a strong Canadian high pressure dropping south into Northern Plains/Upper Midwest. This blocking pattern, which redevelops into a broad upper ridge by early next week, and the strengthening surface high will dominate our pattern with little to no precipitation expected between Friday and next Wednesday. Modest return flow by the start of the work week will allow for a gradual warm up back into the 50s by mid week. The next chance of precipitation doesn't look to come until next Thursday when the upper ridge finally breaks down, lending to the potential for a shortwave trough to move through.

An amplification of the upper level pattern for the end of next week does set the stage for a potentially more active stretch of weather leading into the Thanksgiving holiday. How this pattern evolves remains to be seen, but impactful snow somewhere in the Upper Midwest is one plausible scenario that is showing up in a few ensemble members.

AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z FRIDAY/

Issued at 1036 AM CST Thu Nov 12 2026

Low-VFR to MVFR cigs will persist early this afternoon before trending mostly VFR throughout the remainder of the TAF period with stratocumulus persisting across the region. Some isolated sprinkles or flurries will be possible (10% chance), however these will not result in any category reductions. Winds will remain from the north at around 10 kts but will lessen slightly overnight.

ARX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

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