Milwaukee, WI

All of Wisconsin is under an Extreme Cold Warning today due to -30 degree wind chills

Published

8 months ago

January 21, 2025

All of Wisconsin is under an Extreme Cold Warning today due to -30 degree wind chills

All of Wisconsin is under an Extreme Cold Warning Tuesday morning due to wind chills as cold as -35 degrees in some portions of the state.

The Extreme Cold Warning is in effect in southeastern Wisconsin, including the Milwaukee area, until noon. The National Weather Service warns that dangerously cold wind chills, as low as -30 degrees in the region, could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 10 minutes.

“Dress in layers including a hat, face mask, and gloves if you must go outside,” the weather service says. “Make frequent checks on older family, friends, and neighbors. Ensure portable heaters are used correctly. Do not use generators or grills inside.”

Wind chills will gradually improve throughout the late morning and afternoon but will remain below zero through Wednesday morning. Cold Weather Advisories may be needed over portions of the area following the expiration of the Extreme Cold Warning, NWS says.

Schools and many colleges throughout the Milwaukee area are closed due to the extreme cold. Here’s what to know.

How cold is it in Milwaukee today?

According to the NWS forecast, Milwaukee is expected to see a low of around -10 degrees and a late afternoon high of 1 degree on Tuesday.

Wind chills in the city will be between -30 and -20 until 1 p.m. Then, wind chills are expected to be between -20 and -15 for the remainder of the day. Wind chills will reach around 10 degrees by Wednesday afternoon.

It is possible Milwaukee could set a cold temperature record today. According to NWS data, Milwaukee’s lowest Jan. 21 high temperature of -4 degrees occurred in 1883.

When will temperatures warm up in Milwaukee?

Southerly winds will start bringing warmer air Tuesday night into Wednesday, which is when we’ll see our “biggest changes in temperature,” Milwaukee-Sullivan NWS meteorologist Taylor Patterson said.

Air temperatures will climb to between 1 and 3 degrees overnight, with wind chills around -10 to around -16 degrees Wednesday morning.

Wednesday’s high temperatures will be around 22 degrees. By the time we hit Wednesday afternoon and evening, wind chills will be between 8 and 11 degrees.

Overnight Wednesday into Thursday, temps will be in the teens, with wind chills around 2 to 6 degrees. Thursday and Friday are expected to have high temps in the 20s.

Which Milwaukee-area schools and colleges are closed for the cold?

Many schools are closed on Tuesday due to the cold, including Milwaukee Public Schools, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Marquette University.

UW-Milwaukee is canceling all in-person classes, public events and student activities Tuesday, the school announced.

Its Student Union, however, will be open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. That includes the Food Center and Pantry, as well as UW Credit Union. Residence halls and their dining operations will remain open as well. For UWM off-campus events, people are to contact the event’s sponsoring unit for its status.

While all Marquette classes are canceled Tuesday, the university will be operational with limited on-campus services, the school announced. These areas will remain open — including the Alumni Memorial Union, University Dining Services and the Rec Plex — although hours may be reduced. In general, when classes are canceled for severe weather, most campus events and all student-organized events will be canceled, the university said.

Meanwhile, the University of Wisconsin-Madison is planning to “operate normally” on Tuesday, according to a weather update UW-Madison posted Monday afternoon to X and its Instagram Story.

An extensive list of school closures can be found here.

Extreme cold weather safety tips

The Milwaukee Health Department issued a “cold weather health warning” for Milwaukee County in coordination with the NWS and the Milwaukee County Office of Emergency Management.

The agencies recommend a series of actions to stay safe in the subzero weather, including:

Limit time outdoors.
Dress warmly.
Monitor for health risks, including symptoms of hypothermia and frostbite.
Prepare for emergencies by keeping extra supplies in your vehicle and home.
Only use approved indoor heating devices to avoid fire and carbon-monoxide poisoning risk.
Ensure pets are inside or in a “sheltered, warm space with access to water.”
Check in on others.

Individuals in need of public space to stay warm during the day can visit 211’s list of locations in the Greater Milwaukee Area or dial 211. For overnight warming locations, dial 211.

Wisconsin weather warnings

Wisconsin weather radar

Journal Sentinel reporter Hannah Kirby contributed to this report.

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Milwaukee, WI

Spectators of street takeovers in Milwaukee will soon face fines up to $1,000

Published

2 days ago

September 24, 2025

Press Room

Spectators of street takeovers in Milwaukee will soon face fines up to ,000

The Milwaukee Common Council on Sept. 23 unanimously passed new legislation addressing street takeovers, including fines for those who attend them.

The legislation states that no person should knowingly be present at a street takeover, which are gatherings in the public roadway as participating vehicles do burnouts and donuts. The events happen suddenly, with organizers turning to private messaging apps, and one event can be attended by hundreds.

Any person at a street takeover is now subject to a fine between $300 and $1,000, according to the legislation.

Spectators: $500 to $1,000 fine
Operators or organizers: $400 to $1,000 fine
Passengers: $300 to $1,000 fine

Those who attend more than one in the same year will receive a minimum $1,000 fine. And the municipal court can impose community service related to traffic safety and default of payment could result in jail time, the legislation states.

The legislation defines a “spectator” as someone knowingly present for the purpose of viewing, encouraging, recording or otherwise attending a street takeover. This includes people filming or livestreaming the event on social media.

In recent weeks, Mayor Cavalier Johnson and Common Council members signaled an intent to pass legislation as police reported responding to hundreds of takeovers this year. The mayor’s office said Sept. 23 that he plans to sign the legislation.

Ald. Marina Dimitrijevic said at the Common Council meeting that she wanted to be “careful” that this legislation will not result in enforcement for “pop-up, organic gatherings” that she sees in her district, which includes Bay View, sometimes surrounding political actions.

“We should be able to go in our streets and voice our support or discontent with anything. That is quite different than what (we) … seek to stop,” she said. “I feel we have a delicate balance here to stop this poor behavior but still allow … open free speech at any time.”

Street takeovers returned to the forefront over Labor Day weekend, when police received about 15 calls related to them. Those took place throughout the city, including downtown, and police arrested three people. The department also issued 26 citations and towed six vehicles.

Milwaukee police previously told the Common Council the police task force responsible for the takeovers was paused Labor Day weekend to deal with violent crime on Water Street.

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Milwaukee, WI

30th annual Milwaukee zoo bike ride offers families a wild start to Sunday

Published

2 weeks ago

September 15, 2025

Press Room

30th annual Milwaukee zoo bike ride

Nearly 700 cyclists rode through the Milwaukee County Zoo before opening hours for the Ride on the Wild Side fundraiser on Sunday, Sept. 14.

MILWAUKEE – Hundreds of riders pedaled through the Milwaukee County Zoo on Sunday morning, Sept. 14, for the Zoological Society of Milwaukee’s 30th annual Ride on the Wild Side.

What we know:

Organizers said nearly 700 cyclists participated, including some who took on a special 30-mile ride to mark the 30th year of the event. The big draw: a chance to ride bikes inside the zoo before it opened to the public.

“This is the one time a year you can come with your two wheels or four wheels, if you needed training wheels,” said Katie Krecklow with the Zoological Society of Milwaukee. “We have some brave souls today that decided to do a 30 mile ride today to celebrate 30 years.”

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Families described the early-morning ride as a unique experience, with animals just beginning to emerge into their exhibits.

“I think being early in the morning and you just see it from a different perspective – the animals are just coming out,” said Heather Anderson, who attended with her family.

In addition to the bike rides, participants enjoyed activities, like face painting, an obstacle course, and, of course, plenty of animal sightings.

Local perspective:

“Getting to see all the animals when they are coming out and the baby monkeys,” said Claire Anderson. “A lot of animals, like peacocks, like to walk around, and bears and elephants.”

These true stars of the show fuel the heart of the event.

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“We love supporting the zoo,” Heather Anderson said. “We live close and we come often through the year and we take part in their summer camps and family programs.”

Why you should care:

This year’s event raised more than $50,000, money that will go toward supporting zoo operations, conservation efforts, and the society’s mission of teaching children empathy for animals.

“The Zoological Society is the nonprofit partner of the Milwaukee County Zoo, so we take on a lot of the fundraising to try to help the zoo do what they do best, which is care for the animals,” Krecklow said.

The Source: The information in this post was collected and produced by FOX6 News.

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Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee prostitution crime ring; man pleads no contest, fined

Published

2 weeks ago

September 13, 2025

Press Room

Milwaukee prostitution crime ring; man pleads no contest, fined

article

MILWAUKEE – The last of six men charged in what Milwaukee County prosecutors described as a prostitution ring pleaded no contest and was fined on Friday.

Pleas and sentencings

In Court:

Court records show 56-year-old Christopher Riegg, an investment banker, pleaded no contest to three misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct. He was fined $1,500.

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Prosecutors initially charged all six men with misdemeanor pandering solicitation. One of the six, 55-year-old Travis Schwantes, was charged with additional crimes.

Schwantes, a former public defender who once ran for a judgeship, pleaded guilty to one felony and two misdemeanors in August. He was sentenced to 45 days in jail, two years of probation and ordered to complete 100 hours of community service.

Court records show 60-year-old William Green, a former attorney, pleaded guilty to pandering solicitation and was sentenced to nine months of probation in June.

In July, 51-year-old Milwaukee firefighter David Ornstein pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct and was fined $600. George Easton, a 77-year-old retired municipal judge, pleaded guilty to two such counts and was fined $1,000 in May.

Leroy Stewart, a funeral director in Oak Creek, pleaded no contest to three misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct. The 54-year-old was fined $1,200 in April.

The backstory:

Hundreds of pages of search warrants were unsealed last December, and FOX6 News learned the investigation into the prostitution ring began years earlier.

The scope of what investigators uncovered included accusations of extortion. It centered on an apartment building at 29th and Kilbourn in Milwaukee.

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Dig deeper:

A woman, Roya Sedghi, was charged in fall 2023 with keeping a place of prostitution. Court records said she billed herself as the “Iranian Princess.” Records show Sedghi registered “Iranian Princess Fetish Services LLC” with the state in March 2022.

Court records show it all began to unravel a month later when a woman came forward to investigators in Dodge County, detailing what happened, and with whom, in that apartment building.

Sedghi pleaded guilty in October 2024 to keeping a place of prostitution. She was sentenced to one year in prison and three years of extended supervision.

The Source: FOX6 News referenced documents filed in Milwaukee County Circuit Court, as well as Wisconsin Circuit Court records, for this story.

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