Areas of Extreme Heat and Excessive Rainfall Potential

Dangerous and extreme heat will remain across portions of the central U.S. this week, persisting across the mid to lower Mississippi Valley, Gulf Coast, southern Plains and portions of Texas. A heat wave over the Southwest U.S. will peak this weekend. Heavy to excessive rainfall may produce flash flooding from the Delmarva Peninsula north into the Hudson Valley today and tonight. Read More >

A band of higher reflectivity developed on the NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan (KMKX) radar early this morning. It looks like it originated just southeast of Madison. This band was indeed enhanced by Lake Effect processes. Conditions were just right where cold northwest winds flowed across four lakes (Mendota, Monona, Waubesa, and Kegonsa) with relatively warm water temperatures. There were probably light snow showers underneath this band (we would appreciate any reports) that occurred from approximately 1 am through at least 7 am.

MKX Radar Loop

To learn more about the Lake Effect Snow Process, click HERE. The ideal conditions to produce lake effect snow are: a sufficient fetch (distance the air travels across the water), and a lake temperature to 850 mb (around 3500 feet above the ground during that time) temperature difference of at least 13°C. The UW Lake Mendota Buoy water temperature was 56°F (13°C), and the 850 mb temperature was around -5°C. The air temperature at the buoy at this time was 37°F and around 35°F at the Dane County Regional Airport.

National Weather Service

Milwaukee/Sullivan

~Cronce

MKX RSS Feed

Areas of Extreme Heat and Excessive Rainfall Potential

Lake Effect Snow From Madison Lakes?