High Heat Followed By Ice and Snow: Mother Nature’s Mood Swings

WAUSAU, Wis. (WXCO) – After 80 degree temperatures are flirted with in Wisconsin, thunderstorms, freezing rain, sleet and snow are set to follow.

It’s the end of March and we know it’s typically when the state’s weather goes wild. Madness in the Midwest and Mother Nature has some tricks up her sleeve this weekend.

First things first, the southern half of the state Friday is feeling like summer! High temperatures spiked to the upper 70s and hit the low 80s southwest. That’s a whopping 30 degrees above our average high temperatures for this time of year. The state was split with a 50 degree temperatures difference in the afternoon.

As the warm front stays draped over the state Friday evening, showers and some storms will spark up, mostly north. The Storm Prediction Center has put northcentral parts of Wisconsin in a marginal risk for them to be severe. The main threats will be hail and gusty winds.

Then more rain is expected to roll in for everyone Saturday.

This is when things start to get interesting and treacherous. By Saturday midday, freezing rain and sleet are likely to mix in, creating slippery slick surfaces.

This should stay mainly up north, but does follow suit for the rest of the state on Sunday.

Focusing on the Northwoods, an Ice Storm Warning has been issued for Phillips, Tomahawk, Merrill, Antigo, Marinette, Crandon, Rhinelander and Park Falls areas.

Winter Weather Advisories are out for Lake Superior bordering counties Friday night as the wintry mix and snow starts to fly.

There’s a Winter Storm Warning for Vilas county. As well as a Winter Storm Watch for the St. Croix Valley, Hayward, Medford, Greenwood and Wausau as well as over to Marinette.

Power outages are possible and travel may become nearly impossible. The wintry mix continues into Sunday. By the afternoon and evening it will be all snow.

Down south, mainly rain will fall until Sunday night.

This is when the freezing rain and snow will mix into areas like Madison and Milwaukee.

To be transparent, this storm has been giving myself and most Meteorologists a headache. It’s one of the hardest to forecast as temperatures will be flirting with the freezing mark. There are chances we fall cold enough, faster and this manifests into a big snow event. If that’s the case, accumulations will be high, with slushy and sloppy wet and heavy snow. But for now… it looks like the highest snow totals will be near Lake Superior. Leaving just a trace to under an inch of snow for the rest of us.

Winds will be whipping out of the northeast and off of Lake Superior. Near a foot of snow could pile up in places throughout the weekend, targeting towns in the snowbelt. Stay safe everyone!

As for the Fox Valley area, stay alert. These storms have been trending a touch south these days… Saturday may turn into an icy mess for you as well.