Is there anything Wisconsinites love more than the first 60-plus degree day of spring?
If so, we’re in luck. Temperatures on Monday could reach between 64 and 69 degrees in Milwaukee, according to the National Weather Service.
Depending on final temperature observations, those highs could break records.
The warmest March 9 recorded in Milwaukee was in 2016, reaching 67 degrees. In Madison, the record was set in 1977 at 66 degrees. Compare that to Milwaukee’s average high for March 9, which is 42 degrees.
Winds coming from the southwest are bringing a warm front into the Milwaukee area, explained NWS meteorologist Cameron Miller.
The official NWS reporting site is at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport, he said, which is closer to the cooler lakeshore. But winds could blow warmer, inland temperatures closer to the lake, Miller said.
“It’s going to be close [to record highs] for the Milwaukee site,” Miller said.
Temperatures will be nearly as warm elsewhere in the state, with the NWS forecasting 67 degrees in Madison, 64 in Green Bay and 63 in La Crosse.
The heat wave won’t stick around. Miller said temperatures are projected to be more winter-like later in March.
“Get out and enjoy it while it lasts,” he said.
A dusting of snow could return later in the week
The rest of the week won’t be nearly as nice as Monday, with temperatures staying below 50 degrees.
Rain and thunderstorm chances return Tuesday night, which could turn into a dusting of slushy snow by Wednesday morning. The Milwaukee area could see a half inch to one inch of snow, Miller said.
That back-and-forth between sunny, warm days and cold, wintry weather is “completely normal” for this time of year, he said.
“This is our battleground season, where the colder air masses are starting to clash with the warmer air masses,” Miller said.
Hope Karnopp can be reached at HKarnopp@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: How warm will it get in Milwaukee on March 9? Here’s what NWS says
Reporting by Hope Karnopp, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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