693  
FXUS63 KMKX 151950  
AFDMKX  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI  
250 PM CDT WED JUL 15 2026  
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
- HEAT ADVISORY CONTINUES THIS AFTERNOON, BUT TEMPS WILL NOT BE  
AS HOT FOR THE END OF THE WEEK.  
 
- ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM CHANCES ALONG  
AND WEST OF I-90 CORRIDOR THURSDAY AFTERNOON.  
 
- WI DNR ISSUED AIR QUALITY ALERT FOR ALL SOUTHERN WI THROUGH  
THURSDAY FOR UNHEALTHY TO VERY UNHEALTHY CONDITIONS.  
 
- WILDFIRE SMOKE FROM ACROSS NORTHERN MN AND NORTHWESTERN  
ONTARIO IS PUSHING SOUTHWARD INTO EAST CENTRAL WI THIS EVENING  
AND CONTINUE THROUGH THURSDAY CONTRIBUTING TO UNHEALTHY AIR  
QUALITY AS WELL AS LIMITING TEMPS BY A FEW DEGREES, ESPECIALLY  
TOWARD THE LAKESHORE.  
 
- SHOWER AND STORM CHANCES GRADUALLY INCREASE FOR THE END OF  
THE WEEK INTO THE WEEKEND ALONG WITH CLOSER TO NORMAL TEMPS.  
 

 
   
SHORT TERM
 
 
ISSUED 245 PM CDT WED JUL 15 2026  
 
TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT:  
 
AS THE HEAT ADVISORY IS LIFTED FROM THE CWA TONIGHT,  
TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO BEGIN TO TREND SLIGHTLY COOLER.  
OVERNIGHT, LOW TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO DROP TO THE LOW 70S  
AND POTENTIALLY THE HIGH 60S NEAR THE LAKESHORE AS A BACKDOOR  
COLD FRONT STALLS ACROSS THE CWA. DEWPOINT TEMPERATURES WILL BE  
IN THE LOW 60S NEAR THE LAKESHORE AND HIGH 60S INLAND, EXTENDING  
THE HUMID CONDITIONS. UPPER- LEVEL NORTHWESTERLY FLOW ALONG THE  
JET STREAM CREATES A HIGH POTENTIAL FOR WILDFIRE SMOKE FROM  
CANADA AND NORTHERN MINNESOTA TO ADVECT INTO WISCONSIN, MAINLY  
IMPACTING AREAS ALONG AND EAST OF I-90 CORRIDOR BRINGING A  
REDUCTION IN VISIBILITY AT TIMES TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY.  
 
THE PERSISTENT HOT AND HUMID AIRMASS, ESPECIALLY FOR  
SOUTHWESTERN WI THURSDAY WILL KEEP TEMPERATURES IN THE UPPER 80S  
TO AROUND 90F ACROSS THE REGION, BUT THE STALLING OF A BACKDOOR  
COLD FRONT AND THE PRESENCE OF WILDFIRE SMOKE MAY DECREASE THE  
PREDICTED HIGH TEMPERATURES. THIS FRONT ALSO INVITES THE  
POTENTIAL FOR ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND STORMS ACROSS  
THE CWA, BUT THE UPPER-LEVEL RIDGING AND SMOKE MAY INHIBIT  
CONVECTION AND LOWER PRECIPITATION CHANCES (CURRENTLY 20-30%).  
IF ANY THUNDERSTORMS DO DEVELOP, EXPECT THEM TO BE BRIEF AND  
PULSEY IN NATURE GIVEN THE LACK OF SHEAR. NEVERTHELESS STILL  
WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING GUSTY WINDS AS THEY COLLAPSE.  
OTHERWISE EXPECT POOR AIR QUALITY AND DECREASED VISIBILITY TO  
CONTINUE ON THURSDAY, AND POTENTIALLY INTO FRIDAY MORNING DUE TO  
SMOKE AT THE SURFACE.  
 
ZAWLOCKI/WAGNER  
 

 
   
LONG TERM
 
 
ISSUED 245 PM CDT WED JUL 15 2026  
 
FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY:  
 
MAIN STORY OF THE EXTENDED WILL BE THE GRADUALLY COOLER TEMPS  
INTO NEXT WEEK ALONG WITH PERIODIC SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM  
CHANCES.  
 
EXPECT TEMPS TO GRADUALLY COOL THROUGH THE WEEKEND. FRIDAY AND  
SATURDAY ARE STILL LOOKING AT ABOVE NORMAL TEMPS WITH HIGHS IN  
THE UPPER 80S TO LOWER 90S ALONG WITH DEWPOINTS IN THE UPPER 60S  
TO LOWER 70S. HOWEVER, NOT LOOKING AS HOT AS THE START OF THE  
WEEK AS THE UPPER-LEVEL RIDGE BEGINS TO FLATTEN WITH A SERIES OF  
MID-LEVEL SHORTWAVE TROUGHS TRAVERSING THE REGION, WHICH WILL  
BRING ALONG WITH IT INCREASED DAILY SHOWER AND STORM CHANCES.  
FRIDAY WILL BE THE FIRST OF THESE WAVES AS MID-LEVEL VORTICITY  
TREKS THROUGH AS THE STALLED BOUNDARY LIFTS NORTHWARD AS WARM  
FRONT AHEAD OF A DEVELOPING SURFACE LOW IN THE PLAINS. THIS WILL  
PLACE SOUTHERN WI IN THE WARM SECTOR, BUT NOT MUCH IN THE WAY  
OF FORCING TO CONCENTRATE DEVELOPMENT. NEVERTHELESS WITH THE  
INCREASING PWATS AND BUILDING INSTABILITY STILL COULD SEE  
SCATTERED SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT. MORE LIKELY  
PULSE TYPE CONVECTION IF ANYTHING DEVELOPS ON FRIDAY. BETTER  
FORCING ARRIVES SATURDAY AS THE SURFACE LOW PUSHES OVER THE  
UPPER GREAT LAKES DRAGGING A COLD FRONT THROUGH THE AREA.  
HOWEVER, THE LATEST GUIDANCE HAS THE BOUNDARY SLIDING SOUTH  
THROUGH THE MORNING AND DEPARTING BY THE EARLY AFTERNOON. WHILE  
FORCING AND MOISTURE BETTER ALIGN WITH A SECOND MID-LEVEL  
SHORTWAVE TROUGH ARRIVAL, THE TIMING MAY NOT BE CONDUCIVE TO  
BUILD UP ENOUGH INSTABILITY FOR STRONGER STORM DEVELOPMENT  
UNLESS THIS SYSTEM SLOWS DOWN IN THE NEXT FEW MODEL RUNS AND/OR  
REMNANT UPSTREAM CONVECTION/ REMNANT MCS MOVES INTO THE AREA  
FOCUSING REDEVELOPMENT. NEVERTHELESS, WILL SEE ADDITIONAL ROUND  
OF SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM CHANCES FOR SATURDAY.  
 
ONCE THE COLD FRONT SWINGS THROUGH THE AREA ON SATURDAY, IT  
LOOKS TO USHER IN A COOLER CANADIAN AIRMASS WITH SURFACE HIGH  
PRESSURE FOR SUNDAY. LOOKING AT COOLER TEMPS WITH DAYTIME HIGHS  
IN THE LOW TO MID 80S. SOUTHERLY FLOW ALONG WITH A BRIEF WARM UP  
AND HIGHER DEWPOINTS RETURN FOR THE START OF NEXT WEEK. THEN  
EXPECTING ANOTHER MID-LEVEL TROUGH TO DEVELOP AND TRAVERSE THE  
UPPER GREAT LAKES REGION LATER MONDAY INTO TUESDAY. GFS AND  
ECMWF BOTH PROG A DEEPENING SURFACE LOW ACROSS ONTARIO AND  
DRAGGING A COLD FRONT DOWN ACROSS OUR NECK OF THE WOODS. AGAIN  
THIS WILL BE THE FOCUS FOR ANOTHER WINDOW FOR INCREASE POP  
CHANCES. GIVEN THE BETTER UPPER-LEVEL JET PLACEMENT ALONG WITH  
INCREASED DEEP LAYER SHEAR AND INSTABILITY, COULD NOT RULE OUT  
SEEING A SOME SCATTERED STRONGER STORM ACTIVITY LATER MONDAY  
INTO TUESDAY. STILL PLENTY OF TIME, FOR THINGS TO SHIFT, BUT  
WORTH KEEPING AN EYE ON GIVEN THE MORE FAVORABLE UPPER-LEVEL  
SETUP AT THIS TIME.  
 
OTHERWISE, BEHIND THE EARLY WEEK SYSTEM EXPECT A STRONGER PUSH  
OF CANADIAN AIR TO ADVECT IN TOWARD THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK AND  
GIVEN THE 6-10 DAY TRENDS, THERE IS EVEN A POTENTIAL TO SEE NEAR  
TO BELOW NORMAL TEMPS.  
 
WAGNER  
 

 
   
AVIATION
 
 
ISSUED 245 PM CDT WED JUL 15 2026  
 
SEEING A BOUNDARY/BACKDOOR COLD FRONT OFF OF LAKE MICHIGAN  
PUSHING INLAND THIS AFTERNOON AND EXPECTING IT TO STALL EITHER  
ALONG OR JUST EAST OF I-90 CORRIDOR TONIGHT. TERMINALS TO THE  
EAST WILL SEE LIGHTER EASTERLY WINDS WITH WILDFIRE SMOKE PUSHING  
IN FROM THE NORTHERN MN/WESTERN ONTARIO. SBM IS EXPECTED TO SEE  
DROPS IN VISIBILITY FROM THIS LATER THIS AFTERNOON INTO THE  
EVENING EVENING DROPPING IN MVFR LEVELS. MKE, UES, AND ENW MAY  
ALSO EXPERIENCE THE SURFACE SMOKE THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT,  
BUT TOUGH TO TELL EXACTLY HOW LOW VISIBILITIES WILL DROP WITH IT  
FURTHER SOUTH, BUT NONETHELESS COULD SEE REDUCTIONS INTO  
THURSDAY. MEANWHILE DEPENDING ON WHERE THIS BACKDOOR COLD FRONT  
BOUNDARY STALLS, IT MAY LIMIT THE SURFACE SMOKE FROM PUSHING TO  
FAR WEST INTO MSN AND JVL AREA, BUT CANNOT COMPLETELY RULE IT  
OUT. ON THE WEST SIDE OF THIS STALLED BOUNDARY WILL STILL BE THE  
HIGHER HUMIDITY AND LIGHT WINDS, SO POTENTIAL FOR FOG  
DEVELOPMENT AGAIN TONIGHT WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH MSN AND JVL INTO  
EARLY THURSDAY MORNING WITH VISIBILITIES REACHING INTO MVFR TO  
IFR POSSIBLE. OTHERWISE, SMOKE AND VISIBILITY RESTRICTIONS ARE  
EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE EASTERN TERMINALS AS THE BOUNDARY  
REMAINS STALLED ACROSS SOUTHERN WI FOR THURSDAY DISSECTING THE  
WARM AND MOISTURE AIR TOT HE WEST AND THE NOT AS WARM AND SMOKY  
AIR TO THE EAST. MAY SEE ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWER AND STORM  
DEVELOP ALONG AND WEST OF THE STALL BOUNDARY FOR THURSDAY  
AFTERNOON, WHICH COULD BRING PULSE TYPE THUNDERSTORMS AND GUSTY  
WINDS THROUGH THE EVENING, ESPECIALLY FOR MSN AND JVL.  
 
WAGNER  
 

 
   
MARINE
 
 
ISSUED 245 PM CDT WED JUL 15 2026  
 
HIGH PRESSURE GRADUALLY BREAKS DOWN THIS EVENING AS A WEAK AREA  
OF LOW PRESSURE WORKS ITS WAY ACROSS LAKE SUPERIOR AND DOWN  
LAKE MICHIGAN. THIS HAS BROUGHT A NORTHEASTERLY WIND SHIFT  
ACROSS THE LAKE AND WILL CONTINUE THURSDAY. ADDITIONAL SEEING  
WILDFIRE SMOKE FROM NORTHERN MN AND NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO  
REDUCING VISIBILITY ACROSS THE NORTHERN THIRD OF THE OPEN WATERS  
TO 1 NM OR LESS AT TIMES THIS AFTERNOON AND LIKELY TO CONTINUE  
INTO THURSDAY. THUS A MARINE DENSE SMOKE ADVISORY HAS BEEN  
ISSUED. SMOKE IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TO SPREAD SOUTHWARD, BUT  
UNCERTAIN ON HOW LOW VISIBILITIES WILL FALL FOR THE SOUTHERN  
PORTIONS OF LAKE MICHIGAN. WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR IF AN  
EXPANSION OF THE ADVISORY WILL BE NEEDED.  
 
OTHERWISE, LIGHTER WINDS EXPECTED AGAIN ON THURSDAY AS ANOTHER  
HIGH PRESSURE BRIEFLY BUILDS BACK INTO THE REGION BEFORE  
INFLUENCE FROM A LOW PRESSURE DEVELOPING OVER THE NORTHERN  
PLAINS PUSHES EASTWARD THROUGH THE WEEKEND BRINGING MORE  
SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW FOR FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY. THEN AS THE LOW  
TRACKING NORTHEASTWARD, IT WILL DRAG A COLD FRONT ACROSS THE  
LAKE RESULTING IN NORTHERLY WIND SHIFT THROUGH THE DAY SATURDAY  
WITH ANOTHER HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING OVER THE REGION FOR SUNDAY.  
ADDITIONALLY WILL SEE PERIODIC SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM CHANCES  
ACROSS THE LAKE FOR THE END OF THE WEEK THROUGH THE WEEKEND.  
 
WAGNER  
 

 
   
MKX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
WI...HEAT ADVISORY...WIZ046-WIZ047-WIZ051-WIZ052-WIZ056-WIZ057-  
WIZ058-WIZ059-WIZ060-WIZ062-WIZ063-WIZ064-WIZ065-WIZ066-  
WIZ067-WIZ068-WIZ069-WIZ070-WIZ071-WIZ072 UNTIL 8 PM  
WEDNESDAY.  
 
LM...NONE.  

 
 

 
 
VISIT US AT WEATHER.GOV/MILWAUKEE  
 
FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK, X, AND YOUTUBE AT:  
WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/NWSMILWAUKEE  
WWW.X.COM/NWSMILWAUKEE  
WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/NWSMILWAUKEE  
 
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.

The Nexlab WI Page Main Text Page