Wisconsin Braces For 'Frigid' Sub-Zero Wind Chills Wednesday

MILWAUKEE, WI — People in parts of southern Wisconsin should brace for wind chill dipping into negative temperatures on Wednesday night and Thursday morning, the National Weather Service said in an announcement.

"Frigid, arctic air" is expected as gusts between 15 and 20 mph turn as cold as 20 and 25 degrees below zero in western and south central Wisconsin on Wednesday night, meteorologist Chris Stumpf told Patch.

Forecasters have a higher confidence in dangerous wind chills and issued a wind chill advisory for 20 counties, including Waukesha and Milwaukee, Stumpf added. Wind chills this cold can cause frostbite on exposed skin in just 30 minutes, he said.

What does this mean for the Milwaukee area? Wednesday is expected to be partly sunny and temperatures will fall to 12 degrees by 10 a.m., forecasters said. Wind chill will be between five degrees and five degrees below zero throughout the day, and gusts could reach up to 35 mph.

Temperatures will likely drop to 4 degrees Wednesday night, and forecasters said that wind chills will drop to 10 degrees below zero. Winds are expected to reach 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.

Thursday will be cold, a low of 4 degrees, but clear skies are expected for the day. Friday will be sunny, but chances of snow will return this weekend starting Saturday.

Here's the forecast for the rest of the week.

Wednesday: Partly sunny, with a temperature falling to around 12 by 10 a.m. Wind chill values between -5 and 5. Northwest wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph.

Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 4. Wind chill values between -5 and -10. Northwest wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 12. Wind chill values between -5 and -15. Northwest wind 5 to 15 mph.

Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 4. Wind chill values between -5 and zero. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm after midnight.

Friday: Sunny, with a high near 20. Light and variable wind becoming southwest 5 to 10 mph in the morning.

Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 14. Southwest wind 10 to 15 mph.

Saturday: A 40 percent chance of snow showers after 7 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 26. Southwest wind around 15 mph.

Saturday Night: A 30 percent chance of snow showers before 7 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 9. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph.

Sunday: A 20 percent chance of snow showers after 7 a.m. Partly sunny, with a high near 17.

Sunday Night: A 20 percent chance of snow showers. Partly cloudy, with a low around 7.

Monday: A 30 percent chance of snow showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 19.

Monday Night: A 30 percent chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 5.