textproduct: La Crosse

KEY MESSAGES

- Periodic precipitation this week. Generally on the lighter side through mid-week and then it looks heavier from Friday into the weekend.

- Temperatures will gradually warm this week. With the warmest temperatures (mid-60s to mid-70s) being over the area this weekend.

- Crests are working downstream along the Black, Kickapoo, Lemonweir, Wisconsin, and Yellow rivers. Crests are expected by mid- to late week on these rivers. It remains too soon to see how the potential for heavy rain later in the upcoming weekend would impact the rivers.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 114 PM CDT Mon Apr 6 2026

Tonight

A shortwave trough will slide just southeast of the area tonight. This will result in a narrow snow band just southwest and south of the area. Low temperatures will be well below normal with temperatures ranging from the mid-teens to mid-20s. These are 10 to 20 degrees colder than normal.

Tuesday afternoon into Wednesday night

The 500 mb flow aloft will gradually shift from northwest flow to a more zonal flow from Tuesday into Wednesday. As a shortwave moves from Montana into the Northern Plains, the stationary front, just to our southwest, will lift northward into the area. As the 850 mb low level jet increases each night ahead of the approaching 500 mb shortwave trough, moisture transport will increase over the area. This will result in rain and snow developing over the area. From Tuesday afternoon into Tuesday night, there is up to a 33 percent chance of precipitation totals up to a tenth of an inch. There is up to a 25 percent chance that there will be up to 1 inch of snow north of Interstate 94. The highest snow probabilities will be in Taylor county and the northern half of Clark county. From Wednesday into Wednesday night, there is up to a 45 percent chance of precipitation totals up to a quarter of an inch of precipitation.

On Tuesday, high temperatures will range from the upper 30s to mid- 40s. On Wednesday, high temperatures will range from the mid-50s to mid-60s.

Thursday into Thursday Night

Another shortwave trough will be moving through the region. This bring the front back northward into the area. This precipitation will be mainly south of Interstate 90. There is a 20-45 percent probability of up to a quarter of an inch, and up to a 27 percent chance of up to a half-inch. High temperatures will be in the 50s.

Friday into the Weekend

The 500 mb flow will shift more out of the southwest. This will result in additional rain chances into the region. With the flow more out of southwest, there will be more Gulf moisture moving into the region. This could lead to the potential for heavy rainfall.

With the flow becoming more southwest, high temperatures will warm. High temperatures will warm from the mid-50 to around 60 on Friday to from the mid-60s to lower 70s on Sunday.

AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z WEDNESDAY/

Issued at 635 PM CDT Mon Apr 6 2026

VFR conditions are expected through Tuesday evening. Winds gradually back from the NNW at 5-10kts this evening to the SE by midday Tuesday, becoming light overnight and increasing to 5-15G10-20kts for the afternoon, strongest west of the Mississippi River. The next risk for aviation impacts arrives Tuesday night into Wednesday morning as a rain/wintry mix lifts through the region.

HYDROLOGY

Issued at 114 PM CDT Mon Apr 6 2026

Crests are working downstream along the Black, Kickapoo, Lemonweir, Wisconsin, and Yellow rivers. With little rainfall expected through Thursday, the overall forecasts should remain on track. By the time this mid-week rainfall arrives, a number of locations should have crested. Therefore, the impacts from any rain through mid-week will likely only delay the fall of the rivers rather than result in secondary crests. It remains too soon to see how the potential for heavy rain later in the upcoming weekend would impact the rivers.

ARX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

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