


Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan, WI
Issued by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan, WI
178 FXUS63 KMKX 050243 AFDMKX Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Milwaukee/Sullivan WI 943 PM CDT Thu Sep 4 2025 .KEY MESSAGES... - Rain is likely (60-80% chances) this evening and overnight, particularly across the north. - Widespread gales expected both in nearshore zones and over the open waters of Lake Michigan tonight into Friday morning. - Below normal temperatures continue into this weekend. High temperatures slowly warm back up early next week. - Latest model runs have introduced some periods of storms/shower chances from Tuesday through the end of next week. && .UPDATE... Issued 943 PM CDT Thu Sep 4 2025 A weak line of rain and sprinkles has move through ahead of the main system/occluded front. This weak line of rain is mainly latching onto some mid level WAA and upper level jet dynamics. This weak line of showers currently stretching from Door County to Dodge County continues to weaken as it moves east. The more widespread rain is located along the occluded and cold front that is moving east through tonight. Light to moderate rain is expected as this low pivots through northern Wisconsin into the UP of Michigan. The better chances for rain remains north of I-94 where a more solid line to potentially scattered line of showers will be. This is also the area with the best lift. As the front moves through, the southern flank is expected to weaken and become more isolated (this can already be seen on satellite and radar). Southwestern Wisconsin therefore will have a better potential for rain than south central or southeastern. When looking at the larger picture the difference ends up being a 50 % chance vs a 30% chance. Either way the rain will largely be light with a couple tenths of an inch of rain or less expected across southern Wisconsin. Patterson && .SHORT TERM... Issued 220 PM CDT Thu Sep 4 2025 Tonight through Friday night: Quiet weather through the rest of the daylight hours is expected but another system swinging down through the region will start to bring in some more widespread midlevel clouds. This low pressure system will be strengthening with a strong shortwave and a strong LLJ associated with it bringing strong WAA. This system is expected to be fairly compact, quick- moving, but strong with the pressure center around 992mb as it pushes through northern WI overnight tonight. This will bring a period of likely (60-80%) rain showers across the northern parts of the CWA but keeping largely just chances from I-94 and south. Most may not even realize it rained because it will occur overnight in large part and the quick moving nature of it (in and out in just a couple hours) will keep rainfall totals fairly low. There may be a lingering post- frontal chance for a light shower or sprinkle into the day Friday associated with some TROWAL type WAA aloft with some low level moisture but for the most part Friday should be dry with clouds gradually clearing out through the day. Otherwise expect breezy winds with this system overnight lingering into the day Friday. High pressure quickly returns to the area Friday night with winds turning light and from the west. Kuroski && .LONG TERM... Issued 220 PM CDT Thu Sep 4 2025 Saturday through Thursday: High pressure will continue to build into the region Saturday, with the high pressure center moving from the northern Central Plains Saturday moving through the western Great Lakes region for Sunday and then pushing out to the eastern Great Lakes for Monday. This is all while the upper trough remains largely in place through the weekend. Under the influence of this high pressure and upper trough aloft below normal temperatures and dry conditions are expected. Temperatures are expected to remain in the 60s through Sunday before southerly winds return as large scale ridging pushes back in from the west. We will then slowly warm back up over the course of next week. Models are in fairly good agreement through at least midweek and there is certainly increased chances for showers/storms Tuesday and Wednesday as latest model runs have started to introduce shortwave activity Tuesday on the north side of the ridge and then into Wednesday a stronger trough digging through the eastern Great Lakes region squeezing the ridge back to the west somewhat. At this point the upper trough looks to be a glancing blow but may carry a frontal boundary with it that may bring some precip chances. This will be short-lived, however, as the ridging will push back in toward the end of the week. This will not completely take out our precip chances as another shortwave looks to ride the north side of the ridge through the region Friday through Saturday, inevitably flattening out the upper ridge. Kuroski && .AVIATION... Issued 943 PM CDT Thu Sep 4 2025 MVFR to VFR conditions are expected through the period. BKN to OVC skies are expected through Friday morning as a low pressure system and frontal boundary move east northeast across the state. Ceilings are around 5 to 7 kft and are expected to start breaking up late Friday morning into the afternoon. A line of rain is expected tonight and should clear southern Wisconsin to the east during the early morning hours. Light to moderate rain is expected with the best chances for rain being across central and northern Wisconsin. Scattered to isolated showers will move through southern Wisconsin. In the areas of moderate rain, which are few and far between, slightly lowers ceilings around 3-5 kft are expected with visibilities around 3-4 SM. LLWS will be possible ahead of and along the frontal boundary as strong winds aloft will have yet to mix down to the sfc. The LLWS is expected to be around 45-50 kts at roughly 2 kft from the southwest. Both the LLWS and rain is expected to end prior to sunrise. Clouds will gradually become partly cloudy Friday afternoon before becoming clear by Friday night. Winds will gradually weaken Friday becoming light and southwesterly by Saturday morning. Patterson && .MARINE... Issued 220 PM CDT Thu Sep 4 2025 High pressure is weakening and pushing through the Ohio River Valley, allowing winds to turn out of the southwest this afternoon. Southwest winds will become gusty tonight as a low pressure system approaches the northern parts of Lake Michigan tonight. Widespread gale force gusts are anticipated across the entirety of the open waters and nearshore waters, where a Gale Warning is in effect between 1 AM and 10 AM CDT Friday morning. Wind directions will shift out of the west- northwest during the Gale Warning time frame as the low pressure crosses and moves east of Lake Michigan. Breezy west winds will persist into Friday night, weaken for Saturday before shifting to the northwest for Sunday as high pressure pushes through the region. A Small Craft Advisory will be needed following the Gale Warning through at least the rest of the daylight hours Friday. In addition its worth mentioning there will likely be a few hours of small craft conditions in the lead up to the Gale Warning tonight. Rain is likely with the system tonight into Friday morning, particularly over the northern two thirds of Lake Michigan. Embedded thunderstorms are possible over the northern third of the lake. Embedded thunderstorms will be capable of producing a few waterspouts, particularly after midnight. Smaller chances for more scattered rain showers and isolated waterspouts will continue through Friday afternoon across the northern half of the lake, with waterspout potential decreasing by the evening. Kuroski && .MKX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WI...None. LM...Gale Warning...LMZ080-LMZ261-LMZ362-LMZ364-LMZ366-LMZ563- LMZ565-LMZ567-LMZ643-LMZ644-LMZ645-LMZ646-LMZ669-LMZ671- LMZ673-LMZ675-LMZ777-LMZ779-LMZ868-LMZ870-LMZ872-LMZ874- LMZ876-LMZ878...1 AM Friday to 10 AM Friday. && $$ Visit us at weather.gov/milwaukee Follow us on Facebook, X, and YouTube at: www.facebook.com/NWSMilwaukee www.x.com/NWSMilwaukee www.youtube.com/NWSMilwaukee