Cold is an understatement in Wisconsin this week as below zero temperatures hit, and remain in, the Milwaukee area for the first time this winter.

Is this arctic blast sticking around? Here’s what you need to know.

Why is it this cold in Milwaukee and Wisconsin right now?

The winter storms last week pulled in winds from the north and northwest, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Taylor Patterson.

“Basically, we got a whole bunch of cold air funneling down from Canada,” Patterson said.

What is the coldest it’s been in the Milwaukee area so far?

The coldest air temperature has been negative 5 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. Milwaukee hit that temperature briefly on Monday and has been hanging around that temperature Tuesday morning. With the wind chill, the coldest recorded temperature so far has been -24. That was recorded Tuesday morning.

How long will below zero temperatures stay in Wisconsin?

“If you look on the horizon to this weekend, Sunday and Monday look to be where we’ll turn a corner,” Patterson said. “We’re gonna get a swing in the other direction and see abnormally warm temperatures for this time of year. We’ll see highs in the mid-30s. We’re normally around 20 degrees this time of year, but we’ll be looking at getting above freezing for the end of this coming week and into next.”

What will bring these warmer temperatures in is another wind shift. Winds will come from the Gulf of Mexico and the south.

Could it get this cold again this winter?

“As we look ahead into February and March, there is always the potential we could have another cold snap as cold as this one, but it’s hard to say,” Patterson said. “Winter in Wisconsin, it’s not unusual to have another cold spell.”

More: NOAA’s 2023-2024 winter forecast is here. This is what Wisconsinites should expect.

What were the snow totals for last week in Milwaukee?

The Milwaukee area saw mixed snow depths between shoreline and inland communities, according to Patterson. Those along Lake Michigan saw an estimated one to four inches total last week. For the communities on the west side of the county, they saw accumulation totals of around 14 to 18 inches.

Here are some other totals from around Wisconsin:

• Madison: 10 to 12 inches in Dane County and 12 inches downtown
• Iron County: 9 inches
• Northwest Wisconsin: 8 to 12 inches
• Florence, Marinette County: 7 inches on average
• Menominee, Shawano: 12 to 15 inches
• Door County: 18 inches
• Appleton: 17 inches
• Reedsburg: 9 inches

Drew Dawson can be reached at ddawson@jrn.com or 262-289-1324.