Milwaukee, WI
Thunderstorms in the forecast as Milwaukee enters its second day of record-warm temperatures
A view via drone of the Lake Michigan lakefront in Milwaukee
Check out the view from a drone of the Lake Michigan lakefront just north of Bradford Beach in Milwaukee.
Mike De Sisti, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
After temperatures in the 80s on Tuesday, Milwaukee will continue closing out October with summer-like weather on Wednesday and into Thursday.
According to the National Weather Service, both Milwaukee and Madison tied their Oct. 29 high-temperature records on Tuesday, recording highs of 81 and 82 degrees, respectively. The records for both cities were set in 1937.
Milwaukee is on track to hit another record on Wednesday, with an early afternoon high of around 78 degrees in the forecast and temperatures close to 80 further from Lake Michigan. Milwaukee’s Oct. 30 record high of 78 degrees was recorded in 1901. The city’s average late-October highs are more than 20 degrees colder at around 55.
As for the reason behind this week’s unseasonably warm weather, Milwaukee-Sullivan NWS meteorologist Benjamin Sheppard said, “We have a low pressure system developing out in the Plains and tracking northeastward into Minnesota. What this has done is it has created a very strong southerly wind feel to winds from the south, and that’s causing the temperatures to rapidly rise.”
Along with the unusual heat, the system has brought with it high winds and likely overnight thunderstorms. Here’s what to know.
Why is it so windy in Milwaukee today?
Tuesday’s high winds are expected to continue in southern Wisconsin over the next two days, with gusts up to 35 mph on Wednesday and up to 40 mph on Thursday in Milwaukee.
Beaches in all Wisconsin counties along Lake Michigan, including Milwaukee County, are under a Gale Warning through 1 p.m. Friday and a Small Craft Advisory through Thursday morning. Click here to learn more about coastal warnings from NWS.
In addition to the low pressure system heading toward Minnesota, “we have a departed high pressure system to our east. The combination of high pressure to the east and low pressure to the west is driving some really strong south winds,” Sheppard explained.
Southern Wisconsin thunderstorm forecast
Moderate-to-heavy rainfall and possible thunderstorms are in the forecast across southern Wisconsin Wednesday evening into Thursday morning.
In Milwaukee, precipitation chances begin to rise around 6 p.m. on Wednesday, peaking between 1 and 6 a.m. on Friday. Rainfall amounts between a tenth and a quarter of an inch are in the forecast, with rain totals higher in thunderstorms, NWS says. Rain is expected to taper off in Milwaukee by Thursday afternoon.
Thunderstorms are most likely in the Milwaukee area between 1 and 9 a.m. on Thursday. Throughout southern Wisconsin, NWS says some “strong to severe” storms are possible, potentially bringing damaging winds and “even a tornado or two.” The heaviest rain and most severe storm threat will mainly be in the Madison area and further west, the weather service said.
When will things cool back down in Milwaukee?
More typical fall temperatures will return Friday after a cold front moves in with the storm. Milwaukee is expected to see a high of 65 degrees around 10 a.m. on Thursday before temperatures drop to the upper 40s by the evening.
A high of 51 degrees is in the forecast on Friday for Milwaukee.
Wisconsin weather radar
Wisconsin weather warnings
MILWAUKEE – Forecast from FOX6 Meteorologist Lisa Michaels
Frosty Monday morning with temps in the teens inland to low 20s near the lake.
Mostly sunny to sunny skies on Monday. Highs in the mid-40s inland, upper 30s near the lake.
A total lunar eclipse will happen Tuesday morning, total eclipse from 5-6am. It may be tough to see due to increasing clouds.
Increasing clouds on Tuesday with highs in the low 40s. Chance of rain and storms possible Wednesday through Friday with warming temperatures.
Today: 39 Lake. Mostly sunny.
High: 44°
Wind: SE 5-10
Tonight: Partly cloudy this evening, mostly clear overnight.
Low: 27°
Wind: SE 5
Tuesday: 39 Lake. Mostly cloudy.
High: 43°
Wind: E 5-10
Wednesday:41 Lake. Chance for scattered showers and t-storms.
AM Low: 32° High: 45°
Wind: E 5-10
Thursday: 39 Lake. Mostly cloudy. Chance storms.
AM Low: 37° High: 42°
Wind: NE 5-10
Friday: Chance for showers and t-storms Warmer. Warming at night.
AM Low: 37° High: 57°
Wind: SE 5-15
Saturday: Mostly cloudy with AM rain showers. Blustery with falling afternoon temperatures.
AM Low: 47° High: 53°
Wind: NE 5-10
6-day planner
FOX6 Weather Extras
Local perspective:
Meanwhile, FOX6Now.com offers a variety of extremely useful weather tools to help you navigate the stormy season. They include the following:
FOX6 Storm Center app
FOX LOCAL Mobile app
FOX Weather app
FOX Weather
Big picture view:
Maps and radar
We have a host of maps and radars on the FOX6 Weather page that are updating regularly — to provide you the most accurate assessment of the weather. From a county-by-county view to the Midwest regional radar and a national view — it’s all there.
School and business closings
When the weather gets a little dicey, schools and businesses may shut down. Monitor the latest list of closings, cancellations, and delays reported in southeast Wisconsin.
FOX6 Weather Experts in social media
Community members and city leaders celebrated the opening of four new community-powered fridges on the North Side of Milwaukee. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on Friday, Feb. 27, at Metcalfe Park Community Bridges, 3624 W. North Ave., to mark the occasion.
The effort to fight food scarcity by opening community-powered fridges comes after several grocery stores closed in the area, creating a food desert.
District 15 Ald. Russell W. Stamper II, who saw several grocery stores in his district close over the past few years, served as the event’s emcee.
“We could either complain about the problem, or we could come together to find a solution,” Stamper said.
In July 2025, a Pick ‘n Save on the North Side closed, prompting the opening of a community-powered fridge at Tricklebee Café in the Sherman Park and Uptown area. Since then, several other grocery stores have closed in the area.
This led Stamper, FEED MKE, Metcalfe Park Community Bridges and One MKE to open four more community-powered fridges.
Christie Melby-Gibbons, executive director of Tricklebee Café, talked about the organization’s community-powered fridge. About a week ago, the fridge was empty for the first time since its launch, so staff turned to their online community for support.
“Within 20 minutes, a woman came in with bags of food and filled the fridge for less than $100,” Melby-Gibbons said.
The community-powered fridge network is run by residents on a take-what-you-need, leave-what-you-can model. Taking a grassroots approach to solving food insecurity in the area, community members provide fresh produce and other healthy food options to ensure that their neighbors have access to nutritious foods.
“Everybody deserves to eat. I can’t go to sleep at night knowing my neighbors are hungry,” said Melody McCurtis, deputy director of Metcalfe Park Community Bridges.
Here’s a list of all the community-powered fridges:
Metcalfe Park Community Bridges
3624 W. North Ave.
Rooted & Rising- Washington Park
3940 W. Lisbon Ave.
Sherman Park Community Association
3526 W. Fond du Lac Ave.
Dominican Center
2470 W. Locust St.
Tricklebee Café
4424 W. North Ave.
Jonathan Aguilar is a visual journalist at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service who is supported through a partnership between CatchLight Local and Report for America.
This article first appeared on Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
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