Forecasters say the coldest weather of the season will hit Wisconsin on Tuesday night, with an expected wind chill factor of minus 40 degrees in the far southwestern part of the state.
The National Weather Service in La Crosse said the icy blast that has gripped the state since Sunday is due to a deep dip in the jet stream above the U.S. The pattern has acted like a vacuum, pulling bitterly cold, dry air from the Arctic Circle and northern Canada.
Meteorologist Dan Jones said the change has caused subzero temperatures across most of the state, with the worst of the cold expected Tuesday night through Thursday morning.
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“We’re looking at temperatures dropping down into the teens below zero for much of the state, with some single digits below zero in the eastern part of Wisconsin, and we’re looking at maybe, potentially the lower-20-below range up in the northwest part of Wisconsin,” said Jones.
Jones said there could also be some snowfall in southwestern WIsconsin on Tuesday night.
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