textproduct: La Crosse

KEY MESSAGES

- Slightly above normal temperatures expected today cease by midweek with cooler, below normal temperatures returning. Frost potential for some Monday through Thursday nights.

- Precipitation/meager storm chances Monday afternoon/evening currently bifurcating the southeastern 5/8 of the forecast area.

DISCUSSION

Issued at 1233 AM CDT Sun May 3 2026

Another day of slightly warmer temperatures expected with daytime highs peaking into the low 70s for the climatologically warmer local areas to upper 60s elsewhere. Upper/mid level confluence from the Central Plains to Upper Midwest on GOES WV imagery loops between return flow downstream of a quasi-closed upper level extratropical cyclone off the West Coast and wobbles in the quasi-stationary Canadian extratropical cyclone over central Canada causes another southeast sagging upper level trough to shunt east as it approaches the Upper Mississippi River Valley through the start of the week. Resultant precipitation chances remain relatively low locally, shunted in other directions until Monday night when Rocky Mountain Low unifies a cold front through the central CONUS, potentially bifurcating the southeastern 60% of the forecast area (NBM/LREF) with preciptiation chances. Local impacts appear minimal as best synoptic forcing stretches east and south.

The synoptic cold front drapes across the forecast area through midweek, ushering in below seasonable temperatures locally. Initial frost potential grazes northwestern peripheral counties from southeast Minnesota into central Wisconsin Monday night, eeking slightly farther south bifurcating the southern half of the forecast area Tuesday night, before slightly weakening/lowering confidence in location and strength for Wednesday night.

AVIATION /12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z MONDAY/

Issued at 606 AM CDT Sun May 3 2026

Light sprinkles at issuance time will depart quickly to the southeast along with associated clouds in the 5-10 kft layer, leading to certain VFR conditions with mostly clear skies for the first 18 hours of the period. Upper level cloudiness will be on the increase from 06z to 12z Monday. Next reductions may occur with rain after 18z Monday, beyond the current operational period. Winds, initially out of the southwest, will become out of the northwest this morning.

ARX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

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