738  
FXUS63 KMKX 180812  
AFDMKX  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI  
312 AM CDT FRI APR 18 2025  
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
 
- MORNING ROUND OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH LARGE  
HAIL POTENTIAL BETWEEN 5AM - 10AM CDT.  
 
- LULL IN THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY LATE THIS MORNING/EARLY  
AFTERNOON. THEN ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT LATER THIS  
AFTERNOON/EVENING AHEAD/ALONG THE COLD FRONT. WILL BE ANOTHER  
WINDOW FOR LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS ACROSS SOUTHEASTERN  
WI.  
 
- QUIETER AND COOLER FOR SATURDAY.  
 
- HIGH CHANCE (70-90%) OF RAIN SUNDAY AFTERNOON INTO EARLY MONDAY  
 
- COOLER SUNDAY AND MONDAY, WARMING BACK TO NEAR OR ABOVE  
NORMAL TEMPERATURES BY MID-WEEK  
 

 
   
SHORT TERM
 
 
ISSUED 307 AM CDT FRI APR 18 2025  
 
TODAY THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT:  
 
WILL CONTINUE TO SEE SCATTERED OFF AN ON SHOWERS WITH A FEW  
RUMBLES OF THUNDER EARLY THIS MORNING ACROSS SOUTHERN WI. THE  
NEXT WINDOW FOR SHOWERS AND STORMS WILL SPREAD IN AROUND DAY  
BREAK AND CONTINUE INTO THE THE MID MORNING HOURS. MONITORING  
THE ELEVATED CONVECTION THAT DEVELOPED UPSTREAM AROUND THE  
NE/SD/IA BORDER AND PROGRESSING EASTWARD, WHICH IS BEING DRIVEN  
BY THE 850MB WAA/FRONTOGENESIS ALONG THE NORTHERN FRINGES OF THE  
WEAK SURFACE LOW FEATURE. FOLLOWING THE TRENDS OF THE LATEST  
HRRR RUNS, EXPECTING THIS ACTIVITY TO MOVE INTO SOUTHERN WI  
LATER THIS MORNING. AS THE ACTIVITY TREKS EASTWARD TOWARD OUR  
NECK OF THE WOODS, THINKING THEY WILL REMAIN ELEVATED AS THEY  
TAP INTO THE MUCAPE AROUND 1000 J/KG AND EFFECTIVE SHEAR OF.  
GREATER THAN 40 KT WITH THE MAIN HAZARD BEING LARGE HAIL. THUS  
CANNOT RULE OUT A FEW WARNINGS BEING NEEDED BETWEEN 5-10AM CDT  
THIS MORNING ACROSS SOUTHERN WI.  
 
THEN EXPECTING A BIT OF LULL AFTER THE MORNING ROUND OF  
SHOWERS/ ELEVATED STORMS. ENVIRONMENT LOOKS TO TAKE A BIT TO  
RECOVER AS THE WEAK SURFACE LOW DISTURBANCE LIFTS ACROSS  
NORTHWEST MO/EASTERN IA INTO WI BY THE EARLY AFTERNOON.  
ACCOMPANYING IT LOOKS TO BE A SECONDARY WARM FRONT ASSOCIATED  
WITH THE HIGHER SURFACE MOISTURE WHERE DEWPOINTS LOOK TO CLIMB  
INTO THE 50S AND EVEN LOWER 60S. THIS FEATURE IS PROGGED TO LIFT  
INTO AT LEAST THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE AREA BEFORE THE COLD  
FRONT PUSHES THROUGH. THE MAIN QUESTION WILL BE TIMING AND  
ALIGNMENT OF THE WARM SECTOR IN WI. THIS WILL FACTOR INTO HOW  
THE ENVIRONMENT RECOVERS FOR LATE AFTERNOON/EVENING CONVECTIVE  
DEVELOPMENT. MAY SEE A BRIEF WINDOW FOR MORE ISOLATED CELLS AS  
THINGS DEVELOP, BUT THE FRONT-PARALLEL SHEAR FAVORS RAPID  
UPSCALE GROWTH OF ANY CONVECTION INTO A LINEAR MODE AHEAD/ALONG  
THE COLD FRONT. HOWEVER, GIVEN THE LIMITED SYNOPTIC  
FORCING/UPPER-LEVEL DYNAMICS SUPPORT STILL LENDS WAY TO  
UNCERTAINTY ON THE EXACT TIMING AND PLACEMENT OF STORM  
DEVELOPMENT. NEVERTHELESS, THERE REMAINS ENOUGH OF A CONSENSUS  
FOR INCREASED POP CHANCES AND ANOTHER WINDOW FOR STORMS TO  
DEVELOP LATE THIS AFTERNOON/EVENING. CONTINUE TO SEE  
SOUTHEASTERN WI FAVORED FOR ANY STRONG TO SEVERE DEVELOPMENT  
THAT IS MORE SURFACE BASED. THE MAIN CONCERN WILL BE LARGE HAIL  
AND DAMAGING WINDS THROUGH THE EVENING, BUT ONCE THE COLD FRONT  
PUSHES THROUGH THUNDERSTORM CHANCES DWINDLE LATER THIS EVENING.  
 
WHILE OUR MAIN FOCUS IS WITH THE ACTIVITY AHEAD AND ALONG THE  
COLD FRONT TOWARD THE EVENING, IT IS WORTH NOTING THAT IF THERE  
IS A LONG ENOUGH LULL AN ISOLATED STORM OR TWO COULD DEVELOP  
WELL OUT AHEAD (POTENTIALLY ON A REMNANT OUTFLOW/BOUNDARY) IN  
THE WARM SECTOR. THE POTENTIAL REMAINS LOW AS ONLY THE RECENT  
06Z HRRR PICKS UP ON THIS SCENARIO AT THE MOMENT, BUT IF IT WAS  
TO MATERIALIZE THEN SAID STORM COULD BRING NOT ONLY LARGE HAIL  
AND DAMAGING WIND THREAT, BUT COULD NOT RULE OUT A BRIEF  
TORNADO. AGAIN THE CHANCES OF THIS REMAIN ON THE LOW SIDE, BUT  
IT IS NOT OUT OF THE REALM OF POSSIBILITY.  
 
QUIETER AND COOLER WEATHER IS EXPECTED BEHIND THE COLD FRONT  
FOR SATURDAY AS HIGH PRESSURE WORKS ITS WAY ACROSS THE UPPER  
MIDWEST.  
 
WAGNER  
 

 
   
LONG TERM
 
 
ISSUED 307 AM CDT FRI APR 18 2025  
 
SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY:  
 
DETERMINISTIC MODELS ARE IN PRETTY GOOD AGREEMENT THAT A  
STRONG, NEGATIVELY TILTED SHORTWAVE WILL LIFT THROUGH WISCONSIN  
LATER SUNDAY INTO MONDAY. THE RESULTANT SURFACE LOW IS EXPECTED  
TO LIFT NORTHEAST THROUGH SOUTHERN WISCONSIN SUNDAY NIGHT INTO  
MONDAY. AT THE MOMENT, THERE IS VERY GOOD AGREEMENT AMONG MODELS  
WITH THIS SURFACE LOW TRACK AND TIMING. STRONG WARM AIR  
ADVECTION AND THETA-E ADVECTION AHEAD OF THIS LOW IS EXPECTED TO  
KICK OFF WIDESPREAD SHOWERS BY SUNDAY AFTERNOON, WITH SHOWERS  
CONTINUING THROUGH AT LEAST THE FIRST HALF OF SUNDAY NIGHT AS  
THE SURFACE LOW LIFTS THROUGH. GFS AND ECMWF ENSEMBLES HAVE A  
VERY HIGH (90%+) CHANCE FOR MEASURABLE PRECIP OVER A 24 HOUR  
PERIOD DURING THIS TIME, SO CONFIDENCE IS INCREASING IN A ROUND  
OF WET WEATHER LATE THIS WEEKEND. GIVEN THE ANTICIPATED LOW  
TRACK, MUCH OF THE MILDER AND UNSTABLE AIRMASS SHOULD REMAIN  
SOUTH OF WISCONSIN, THOUGH WOULDN'T BE SURPRISED IF THUNDER  
CHANCES SNEAK INTO THE SOUTHEAST FORECAST AREA.  
 
TEMPS ON SUNDAY WILL LIKELY WARM TOWARDS 50 IN THE MORNING,  
BEFORE COOLING BACK DOWN ONCE THE RAIN MOVES IN. BREEZY EASTERLY  
WINDS AHEAD OF THE LOW WILL AID IN KEEPING IT COOLER THE  
REMAINDER OF THE DAY AS WELL.  
 
A LITTLE PRECIP MAY LINGER INTO MONDAY MORNING AS THE SHORTWAVE  
CLEARS THE FORECAST AREA, WITH MOSTLY CLOUDY SKIES LIKELY  
HANGING ON THROUGH THE AFTERNOON HOURS. THERE IS SOME  
UNCERTAINTY WITH TEMPERATURES ON MONDAY, AS MODELS VARY A BIT  
WITH THE TIMING OF THE COLD FRONT EARLY IN THE DAY. IF THE FRONT  
CLEARS THE AREA BY EARLY TO MID MORNING, TEMPS WILL LIKELY  
STRUGGLE TO GET OUT OF THE 40S. IF THE FRONT IS SLOWER, 50S MAY  
BE POSSIBLE INTO AT LEAST EARLY AFTERNOON.  
 
HIGH PRESSURE IS EXPECTED TO BRIEFLY SLIDE INTO THE AREA MONDAY  
NIGHT, BUT WILL BE EXITING DURING THE DAY TUESDAY AS A WEAK  
SHORTWAVE PUSHES IN FROM THE WEST. TUESDAY SHOULD BE MAINLY DRY,  
WITH A CHANCE FOR SHOWERS RETURNING ANYWHERE FROM LATE  
AFTERNOON TO LATE EVENING, DEPENDING ON THE TIMING OF THE  
SHORTWAVE. IT LOOKS MILDER ON TUESDAY, WITH TEMPS BACK TO NEAR  
OR ABOVE NORMAL.  
 
IT LOOKS MAINLY DRY WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY, BUT THE PATTERN IS  
OPEN TO SHORTWAVES MOVING THROUGH DURING THIS PERIOD, SO LOW END  
PRECIP CHANCES WILL CONTINUE THROUGH MID-WEEK. NEAR TO ABOVE  
NORMAL TEMPS ARE LIKELY TO CONTINUE FOR WED AND THU.  
 
DDV  
 

 
   
AVIATION
 
 
ISSUED 307 AM CDT FRI APR 18 2025  
 
GUSTY SOUTHERLY WINDS LINGER EARLY THIS MORNING. SEEING A BIT  
OF A BREAK IN THE CLOUDS AS WELL. HOWEVER, MONITORING THE  
UPSTREAM STORMS ACROSS NORTHERN IA RACING EASTWARD TOWARD  
SOUTHERN WI. EXPECTING THIS TO BRING A ROUND OF SHOWERS AND  
STORMS ALONG WITH LOWER CEILINGS AND VISIBILITY ALONG WITH  
POTENTIALLY SOME HAIL ACROSS SOUTHERN WI BETWEEN 10Z-14Z. THIS  
ACTIVITY LOOKS TO EXIT THE AREA MID TO LATE MORNING. WITH THE  
LULL EXPECTING VFR CONDITIONS TO RETURN THROUGH THE START OF  
THE AFTERNOON, THEN EXPECTING AN ADDITIONAL ROUND OF SHOWERS  
AND THUNDERSTORMS TO REDEVELOP LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING  
AHEAD/ALONG OF A COLD FRONT. THERE WILL BE A POTENTIAL FOR  
STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS ACROSS SOUTHEASTERN WI WITH THIS  
ACTIVITY, THUS ANOTHER WINDOW FOR LOWER CEILINGS AND VISIBILITY  
WITH IT AS WELL. OTHERWISE THE COLD FRONT LOOKS TO PUSH THROUGH  
LATER THIS EVENING AND SHOWER CHANCES DIMINISH, BUT LOWER  
FLIGHT CONDITIONS MAY LINGER BEHIND THE FRONT INTO EARLY  
SATURDAY MORNING. HOWEVER, LOOKING FOR LIGHTER NORTHERLY WINDS  
INTO SATURDAY AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILD INTO THE REGION.  
 
WAGNER  
 

 
   
MARINE
 
 
ISSUED 307 AM CDT FRI APR 18 2025  
 
BREEZY SOUTHERLY WINDS PERSIST AS LOW PRESSURE CONTINUES  
NORTHEASTWARD FROM IA INTO WI AND THEN CROSSING CENTRAL PORTIONS  
OF THE LAKE THIS AFTERNOON. EXPECT TO SEE SMALL CRAFT  
CONDITIONS ACROSS SOUTHERN WI NEARSHORE ZONES TODAY. A COLD  
FRONT WILL EXTEND SOUTHWEST FROM THE LOW CROSSING THE SOUTHERN  
HALF OF LAKE LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. MODEST SOUTH  
WINDS OVER LAKE MICHIGAN TODAY WITH THE STRONGEST TOWARDS THE  
SOUTHERN THIRD WILL VEER NORTHWEST THROUGH THIS EVENING  
(BEGINNING WITH THE NORTHERN LAKE, THEN THE SOUTHERN HALF AS THE  
FRONT PASSES). THERE ARE CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS ALONG WITH  
SOME HAIL AND STRONG WINDS ACROSS SOUTHERN HALF OF THE LAKE  
LATER TODAY INTO TONIGHT WITH THE COLD FRONT. MODEST NORTHWEST  
WINDS CONTINUE BEHIND THE COLD FRONT OVERNIGHT FOLLOWED BY  
LIGHTER NORTH WINDS SATURDAY, AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS INTO THE  
GREAT LAKES REGION.  
 
WAGNER  
 

 
   
MKX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
WI...NONE.  
LM...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY...LMZ644-LMZ645-LMZ646 UNTIL 7 PM FRIDAY.  
 
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY...LMZ643 UNTIL 4 PM FRIDAY.  
 

 
 

 
 
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