Cold weather on its way to Wisconsin

Cold air is blowing through Wisconsin. 

Central Wisconsin, from south of Stevens Point north to Superior, is under a cold weather advisory from Wednesday evening through Thursday morning, issued by the National Weather Service. Wisconsinites can expect wind chills as low as -20 through -30 degrees Fahrenheit. 

“Those who are getting the kids out to the school bus or going outside in the morning will need to take serious precautions to avoid any potential impacts,”  said Kevin Skow, a meteorologist with the weather service in La Crosse.

Residents should cover exposed skin to avoid frostbite. 

Outside of the warning area, wind chills could still hover around -15 to -20 degrees Fahrenheit, he said. 

“We stress for anyone in the state of Wisconsin tonight and tomorrow morning to certainly bundle up,” Skow said. “Just because the cold weather advisory is out for the northern part of the state doesn’t mean it isn’t going to be cold tomorrow morning everywhere else across the state of Wisconsin.”

The weather follows a cold front that brought Wednesday morning snow showers, Skow said.

“We just have a large cold air mass coming out of Canada that’s coming in behind this cold front,” he added. “Thankfully, it won’t last too long.”

Ashland and Bayfield counties are expected to have snow accumulation and slippery roads through Thursday morning, brought by a lake effect. In Iron County, the weather service issued a winter storm warning through Thursday morning, predicting heavy snow and difficult travel conditions.

“With the winds also increasing…blowing snow could be an issue, and that can quickly reduce visibility as you are driving,”  NWS Duluth meteorologist Holly Allen said. “So just kind of take more time.”

Over the weekend, temperatures should warm.

“By Saturday, we could be looking at highs in the low to mid 30s, so we’re going to rebound very quickly after this brief cold snap,” Skow said. 

But warm temperatures could bring mixed precipitation, he added. 

“For Friday night into Saturday morning, especially in the western part of Wisconsin, (we) could see a mixture of snow, rain, even freezing rain,” Skow said. “Not words we want to talk about, but it’s certainly the season.”

The Green Bay Botanical Garden canceled its “WPS Garden of Lights” event on Dec. 12 in anticipation of the severe cold weather.