Get ready for wild weather over the next 24 hours! One of the largest temperature swings on record will enter our area as Tuesday's breezy southwesterly winds bring temperatures up and then a brutal cold front quickly cools us down. Let's start with the temps. Tuesday morning was already very mild in the 40s and low 50s. We warm up in the upper 60s to around 70 in the afternoon. The current record high in Milwaukee for Tuesday, February 27 is 65* and we will likely break that record.
But then a cold front rolls in and drops temperatures into the 50s, then 40s, then 30s in some areas by midnight. By Wednesday morning, some upper teens around 20 will be the ones temporarily awake. Temperatures don't warm up much from there with Wednesday afternoon highs in the mid to upper 20s.
The strong cold front on Tuesday evening will also bring with it the chance of strong severe storms to the border. The best ingredients for these storms will be south of I-94 and especially in our southeastern counties. The best timing for any storms is from 5pm to midnight.
All or portions of Milwaukee, Racine, Kenosha and Walworth counties are currently under a Level 2 out of 5 Slight Risk for Severe Weather. Large hail will be the main threat in any storms, but strong winds and a brief tornado are not out of the question.
As the cold front descends, temperatures will shift in the evening, and rain and storms will turn to snow shortly after midnight. These snow showers will stay with us through the early morning hours of Wednesday and leave during the morning commute.
The highest snow totals will likely remain in our northern counties where 1-2 inches of snow is possible but almost everyone is predicting about 1 inch or a little less in southern counties. We could see some sunshine Wednesday afternoon which should melt a little of that snow. More will melt on Thursday as high temperatures return to 40* with some sun.
Download the CBS 58 Ready Weather app to track strong storms that turn into snowfall and temperatures.
