Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan, WI
Issued by NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan, WI
092 FXUS63 KMKX 081848 AFDMKX Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Milwaukee/Sullivan WI 148 PM CDT Tue Sep 8 2026 .KEY MESSAGES... - Moderate swim risk at Ozaukee & Sheboygan County beaches this afternoon & evening. Stay away from breakwaters and piers if planning to be in the water. - Periods of off/on showers & thunderstorms continue this afternoon through tonight. Some storms could produce locally heavy rainfall and isolated gusty winds, particularly tonight. - Warm temperatures with low humidity through the second half of the work week. Shower and storms return to the forecast Friday night into Saturday. && .SHORT TERM... Issued 150 PM CDT Tue Sep 8 2026 Rest of this Afternoon through Friday: Synopsis/Mesoanalysis: Low pressure is centered over central Manitoba this afternoon, with an attendant cold front extending from the Manitoba-Saskatchewan border south toward the Sioux Falls, SD vicinity. A muddy prefrontal warm sector is apparent regionally, with areas of showers and embedded thunderstorms ongoing from Sheboygan southwest to the Missouri River. Activity is ongoing within steady warm advection north & east of a warm front currently extending from Des Moines to near St Louis. Both the warm & cold fronts will work their way toward and into southern Wisconsin this evening into Wednesday morning, bringing continuing chances for on and off showers and storms. Some storms could produce isolated gusty winds and locally heavy rainfall. The approaching cold front will push southeast of the area by Wednesday afternoon, with high pressure settling into the western Great Lakes Wednesday night through the day on Friday. The arriving high will maintain pleasant & warm conditions with low humidity through the end of the work week. Rest of this Afternoon: On and off showers and thunderstorms will continue areawide. Storms could produce a few flashes of lightning & brief heavy downpours, although scattered coverage & limited residence time will keep locally heavy rainfall concerns low. With better instability still lagging to the west of the region, not expecting any severe weather hazards in storms. Keep an eye on the radar if planning to be outside. Increasing wave heights will lead to a moderate swim risk at Sheboygan and Ozaukee County beaches. Exercise extreme caution if heading lakeside in these locations. Tonight into Wednesday morning: Moderate swimming risk continues through mid-evening (~9 PM) at Sheboygan and Ozaukee County beaches. Anticipating a steady southwest-northeast uptick in showers and storms near & after 12 AM as cold frontal and low level jet- affiliated forcing spread into southern Wisconsin. Increasing storm coverage could begin a touch earlier (~9 PM-midnight) west of I-39 & a touch later (midnight-3 AM) further east. Modestly higher instability will be arriving into southern Wisconsin during this time frame, so greater embedded thunderstorm coverage is anticipated relative to this afternoon`s showery activity. As evidenced by upstream 12Z soundings from MPX & SGF, an unseasonably moist air mass characterized by 1.75"+ precipitable water values will also be arriving, which will help to support brief periods of enhanced rainfall rates within storms. Thus expecting a general 0.1-0.5" rainfall areawide, with areas to the west of I-39 most likely to see the higher accumulations. Front-parallel steering flow points toward some potential for brief periods of training & affiliated locally higher totals in the 1-2"+ range. Best potential for these locally higher totals will be over the southern half of the area. Could see some minor hydro impacts (ponding of water, urban & small stream flooding) in areas of localized training, though widespread flash flooding potential is low. An isolated stronger storm with gusty winds can`t be ruled out, though more widespread severe weather potential is expected to remain well southwest of the area. Quigley && .LONG TERM... Issued 150 PM CDT Tue Sep 8 2026 Friday night through Tuesday: Synopsis: Near or slightly above normal temperatures are expected through the duration of the long term period. A pair of upper disturbances are progged to move through the western Great Lakes Saturday-Saturday night & Monday-Monday night, providing larger scale forcing for periods of showers & embedded thunderstorms. Each disturbance will be accompanied by an affiliated pairing of surface warm & cold fronts, with seasonably muggy conditions anticipated in the warm sectors building in between the boundaries. Currently looking at the highest humidities being on Saturday afternoon/evening & Monday afternoon/evening, when southern Wisconsin is forecast to be each in each respective warm sector. Not anticipating humidity reaching heat headline-level thresholds during either period. Friday night through Saturday night: First of two upper disturbances will cross southern Wisconsin, bringing periods of showers and thunderstorms. Expecting an initial wave of activity Friday night into early Saturday morning as a warm front & affiliated warm/moist advection overspread the area, with more precip development possible Saturday afternoon/evening along the trailing cold front. Saturday afternoon/evening storm development will be contingent on sufficient sunshine & thermodynamic recovery in the wake of overnight/early morning activity, with more details becoming apparent as finer scale model guidance arrives later in the week. Raw shear and precipitable water values point toward some potential for organized storms with heavy downpours in any development, though whether or not favorable parameters will be realized remains to be seen. Will be watching trends through the end of the week and providing updates. Sunday night through Monday night: Next window of shower and storm potential arrives ahead of the next upper disturbance. Expecting similar system evolution to Friday night-Saturday night, with an initial batch of warm advection showers & storms Sunday night/early Monday morning & cold frontal redevelopment Monday afternoon/evening. Like the weekend system, global ensembles point toward sufficient deep layer shear & precipitable water values for more organized storms with heavy downpours, with the realization of favorable environmental conditions being dependent on still uncertain thermodynamics. Will be providing updates as trends clarify. Quigley && .AVIATION... Issued 150 PM CDT Tue Sep 8 2026 Mainly VFR flight categories prevail through this afternoon across southern Wisconsin. Areas of -SHRA are ongoing regionally, and are expected to continue spreading east across the area into early evening. Have accounted for precip potential with a combination of TEMPO and prevailing groups based on current radar & short term forecast guidance trends. Will continue to make near-term amendments as conditions warrant. CIGs will steadily lower this evening & tonight ahead of an approaching cold front, with MVFR anticipated near or shortly after midnight at all aerodromes. The approaching front will trigger additional SHRA development from the predawn hours through the first half of Wednesday morning. Can`t rule out a embedded TSRA & CB, though confidence in occurrence at any given terminal is too low to justify mentions at this time. Will be monitoring trends through this evening and adjusting wherever necessary. Brief pockets of LLWS are possible near FL020 during the overnight hours. Have withheld mentions given an anticipated brief & scattered nature of conditions, but will be monitoring obs trends for insertions later tonight. Quigley && .MARINE... Issued 150 PM CDT Tue Sep 8 2026 Southerly winds will increase into tonight over Lake Michigan as 998 mb low pressure shifts toward the Hudson Bay from the Canadian Great Plains. A cold front will move across Lake Michigan on Wednesday, bringing a generally westerly wind shift across the lake. Periods of showers and occasional thunderstorms will accompany the approaching/passing surface front this afternoon through Wednesday morning. Severe weather isn`t expected. A new area of 1020 mb high pressure will move from the northern Great Plains across Lake Michigan Wednesday night through Thursday night, bringing a period of light and variable winds to the waters. The next area of 992 mb low pressure will shift from the Canadian Great Plains across the Hudson Bay Friday afternoon through Saturday night, bringing increasing southwest winds. A few gale force gusts are possible during this time frame, particularly over the northern third of Lake Michigan. Will be monitoring trends through late week for possible headlines. A cold front will move over Lake Michigan Sunday morning, bringing a northwest wind shift to the waters. Occasional wind gusts approaching Small Craft Advisory thresholds are possible through this evening to the north of Port Washington. Have held off on any headlines in the afternoon update given an expected brief & isolated nature to any such conditions, but will nevertheless continue to watch trends. Scattered shower and thunderstorm chances will continue through early Wednesday morning in advance of an approaching cold front, with severe weather not anticipated. Periods of Small Craft Advisory conditions are possible Friday into Saturday & early next week, with trends being monitored for headlines over coming forecasts. Quigley && .MKX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WI...None. LM...None. && $$ 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