MILWAUKEE JOURNAL-SENTINEL - Jan. 7, 2009 10:34 p.m. A cold wave expected to head south from Alaska could send temperatures in southern Wisconsin plunging below zero for most of next week, according to the National Weather service in Sullivan. That would follow snow showers expected to dump up to six inches of snow on the area Friday, according to the weather service. Extreme cold has already gripped Alaska, with temperatures falling to between 40 and 60 degrees below zero in recent days. The cold air mass will likely slide south and east of the Rocky Mountains and could result in wind chill watches and warnings. If the air mass tracks as expected, temperatures will fall below zero Monday night and stay below zero much of the time into Friday, resulting in "one of the colder periods we've experienced in the past 15 years or so," according to the weather service.
From the National Weather Service:
Naturally this is a long way off and much can happen a week out to change the final outcome. But there is a strong possibility that temperatures fall below zero Monday night and stay below zero much of the time into Friday. If this happens, it would be one of the colder periods we've experienced in the past 15 years or so. Comparison of forecast parameters for next week are comparable to those seen in the cold wave of January 18-20 1994, when Madison saw 3 consecutive days with low temperatures of 27 degrees below zero. If the cold wave materializes next week, both daytime highs and nighttime lows would be approaching record levels.
Although we are not yet predicting record cold, for informational purposes, here are the record temperatures for Tuesday through Friday of next week:
Milwaukee Record Low Record Low
Minimum Temperature Maximum Temperature
Tue Jan 13 -18 in 1929 -7 in 1929
Wed Jan 14 -19 in 1881 -2 in 1893
Thu Jan 15 -24 in 1963 -13 in 1972
Fri Jan 16 -23 in 1982 -5 in 1977
Milwaukee All time record low -26 on January 17th, 1982, and Feb 3rd, 1996
Milwaukee All time record low maximum -13 on December 28th, 1880 and January 15th, 1972
Madison Record Low Record Low
Minimum Temperature Maximum Temperature
Tue Jan 13 -22 in 1916 -8 in 1929
Wed Jan 14 -26 in 1963 -5 in 1963
Thu Jan 15 -30 in 1963 -13 in 1972
Fri Jan 16 -28 in 1979 -5 in 1977
Madison All time record low -37 on January 30th, 1951
Madison All time record low maximum -15 on Feb 9th, 1899
Naturally this is a long way off and much can happen a week out to change the final outcome. But there is a strong possibility that temperatures fall below zero Monday night and stay below zero much of the time into Friday. If this happens, it would be one of the colder periods we've experienced in the past 15 years or so. Comparison of forecast parameters for next week are comparable to those seen in the cold wave of January 18-20 1994, when Madison saw 3 consecutive days with low temperatures of 27 degrees below zero. If the cold wave materializes next week, both daytime highs and nighttime lows would be approaching record levels.
Although we are not yet predicting record cold, for informational purposes, here are the record temperatures for Tuesday through Friday of next week:
Milwaukee Record Low Record Low
Minimum Temperature Maximum Temperature
Tue Jan 13 -18 in 1929 -7 in 1929
Wed Jan 14 -19 in 1881 -2 in 1893
Thu Jan 15 -24 in 1963 -13 in 1972
Fri Jan 16 -23 in 1982 -5 in 1977
Milwaukee All time record low -26 on January 17th, 1982, and Feb 3rd, 1996
Milwaukee All time record low maximum -13 on December 28th, 1880 and January 15th, 1972
Madison Record Low Record Low
Minimum Temperature Maximum Temperature
Tue Jan 13 -22 in 1916 -8 in 1929
Wed Jan 14 -26 in 1963 -5 in 1963
Thu Jan 15 -30 in 1963 -13 in 1972
Fri Jan 16 -28 in 1979 -5 in 1977
Madison All time record low -37 on January 30th, 1951
Madison All time record low maximum -15 on Feb 9th, 1899
