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Milwaukee's Daily Magazine for Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Tue
Hi: 80
Lo: 59
Wed
Hi: 65
Lo: 48
Thu
Hi: 57
Lo: 42
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The waterfall in Whitnall Park will get some extra fuel this week.
The waterfall in Whitnall Park will get some extra fuel this week. (Photo: Bobby Tanzilo)

A bumpy ride ahead

We have a couple bumpy days ahead. Multiple rounds of thunderstorms are likely Monday through Tuesday night, each of which will have the potential to produce damaging winds and large hail. While these storms may occur at any time, the greatest likelihood is that they will occur during the afternoon and evening.

In addition to damage-producing wind and hail, the storms over the next few days may produce very heavy rain. Several inches of rain are possible across the Milwaukee area.

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Monday

  • Partly sunny with a 60 percent chance of thunderstorms, some may be severe.
  • Highs in the low to mid 80s (mid 70s near the lake).

Monday night

  • Mostly cloudy with an 80 percent chance of thunderstorms, some may be severe.
  • Lows in the low to mid 60s.

Tuesday

  • Partly sunny with a 70 percent chance of thunderstorms, some may be severe.
  • Highs in the upper 70s.

Tuesday night

  • Mostly cloudy with a 70 percent chance of thunderstorms, some may be severe.
  • Lows in the upper 50s to low 60s.

Wednesday

  • Cloudy with a 90 percent chance of showers.
  • Highs in the upper 60s (low 60s near the lake).

Thursday

  • o Mostly cloudy with a 30 percent chance of showers.
  • o Highs in the mid 60s (upper 50s near the lake).

Friday

  • Sunny.
  • Highs in the mid 60s (upper 50s near the lake).
At least we're not seeing this white stuff today, like we did 23 years ago.
At least we're not seeing this white stuff today, like we did 23 years ago. (Photo: shutterstock.com)

How does Friday look?

Friday’s weather is, let’s see, in a word ... sucky.

My question for you is, "Is it more sucky than it was on this date in 1990?"

That day, May 10, a freak, late-season snowstorm occurred. Milwaukee officially received 3.2 inches and Madison picked up 3 inches. These are not only records for each day in each city, but the latest measurable snow on record for each. Even higher amounts accumulated between and north of these cities with as much as 8 inches in parts of Waukesha and Washington counties.

The weight of the wet snow and the emerging leaves on the trees caused thousands of tree limbs to come down. Some of these, in turn, brought down power lines, which led to widespread outages for tens of thousands of customers. It was estimated that 80 percent of the trees in the city of Waukesha were damaged or destroyed. The total damage estimate in Wisconsin was over $4 million.

Here’s the retrospective published last year by our local National Weather Service office.

Today’s forecast doesn’t seem so bad after all, does it?

Friday

  • Cloudy with rain ending by around noon.
  • Highs in the upper 40s to around 50 (low to mid 40s near the lake).

Friday night

  • Partly cloudy.
  • Lows around 40.

Saturday

  • 30 percent chance of rain in the morning, otherwise partly sunny.
  • Highs in the low to mid 50s.

Saturday night

  • Clear with areas of frost possible.
  • Lows in the mid to upper 30s.

Sunday

  • Mostly sunny.
  • Highs in the low to mid 50s.

Sunday night

  • Clear with areas of frost likely.
  • Lows in the low to mid 30s.

Monday

  • Mostly sunny.
  • Highs in the low to mid 60s (mid 50s near the lake).

Tuesday

  • Mostly sunny.
  • Highs in the upper 70s to low 80s (upper 60s near the lake).

Wednesday

  • Partly sunny with a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms.
  • Highs in the upper 70s to low 80s.

Thursday

  • Partly sunny.
  • Highs in the low 70s (mid 60s near the lake).

Friday

  • Partly sunny.
  • Highs in the low to mid 70s (mid 60s near the…
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Expect gorgeous weather ahead.
Expect gorgeous weather ahead. (Photo: Kileigh Hannah)

Sun and warm temperatures ahead

Gorgeous weather continues Tuesday and Wednesday. Expect lots of sun, light winds, temps above normal (normal is mid 60s) and rain likely Thursday along with the start of a cooling trend. The coolest day will be Sunday, with frost possible Saturday and Sunday nights. There is the possibility of a quick warm-up next week with temperatures in the 80s.

Tuesday

  • Mostly sunny.
  • Highs in the low 70s (mid 60s near the lake).

Wednesday

  • Mostly sunny.
  • Highs in the mid 70s (mid 60s near the lake).

Thursday

  • Cloudy with a 90 percent chance of showers, possibly a thunderstorm.
  • Highs in the mid to upper 60s (around 60 near the lake).

Thursday night

  • Cloudy with an 80 percent chance of showers, especially early.
  • Lows in the mid to upper 40s.

Friday

  • Mostly cloudy.
  • Highs around 60 (low to mid 50s near the lake).

Saturday

  • Partly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms.
  • Highs in the low 60s.

Sunday

  • Partly sunny.
  • Highs in the low to mid 50s.

Monday

  • Mostly sunny.
  • Highs in the low to mid 60s (upper 50s near the lake).

Tuesday

  • Mostly sunny.
  • Highs in the mid to upper 70s.

Wednesday

  • Mostly sunny.
  • Highs in the upper 70s to low 80s.
It will be picture-perfect spring weather for the first few days this week.
It will be picture-perfect spring weather for the first few days this week. (Photo: Bobby Tanzilo)

We're in for some real spring weather

Picture-perfect spring weather for the first few days this week. Expect thin clouds to obscure the sun from time to time. There will be a threat for rain late Wednesday night and Thursday, then again Saturday. Temperatures will be slightly above normal early this week heading below normal late in the week and next weekend.

Monday

  • Mostly sunny.
  • Highs in the low 70s (low 60s near the lake).

Tuesday

  • Mostly sunny.
  • Highs in the low 70s (low 60s near the lake).

Wednesday

  • Mostly sunny.
  • Highs in the mid 70s (mid 60s near the lake).

Wednesday night

  • Mostly cloudy with a 30 percent chance of showers late.
  • Lows in the mid 50s.

Thursday

  • Mostly cloudy with a 40 percent chance of showers.
  • Highs in the upper 60s to around 70 (around 60 near the lake).

Friday

  • Partly sunny.
  • Highs in the mid 60s (mid 50s near the lake).

Saturday

  • Mostly cloudy with a 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms.
  • Highs in the upper 50s to around 60 (low 50s near the lake).

Sunday

  • Partly sunny.
  • Highs in the low to mid 50s.

Monday

  • Mostly sunny.
  • Highs in the mid to upper 60s.

Tuesday

  • Mostly sunny.
  • Highs in the mid 70s to near 80.