First freeze of the season expected Friday morning; NOAA releases Winter Outlook

The first freeze warning of the season has been issued for all of southeast Wisconsin. Milwaukee is still waiting on it's first low in the 30s. The rest of southeast Wisconsin has seen 30s but most have stayed warmer than 32. The freeze warning goes from 2-9 AM on Friday morning. 

Low temperatures could drop into the upper 20s for some of our far western counties. That could result in a hard freeze where even hearty plants die. The rest of southeast Wisconsin is expected to drop below 32. Some areas right near the Lakefront, like Milwaukee, could stay in the mid 30s, but just a few miles away from the Lakefront will likely be colder. 

The arrival of the first freeze of the season comes as NOAA has released the official outlook for winter. The forecast for meteorological winter as defined as December, January and February looks to be wetter, and potentially snowier, than average. The wetter weather is expected across the Midwest, Great Lakes states, Northern Plains and Pacific Northwest. The southern part of the country is expected to be drier than average. 

Some of the areas expected to be wetter than average are also expected to be colder than average with below average temperatures possible in the Northern Plaines through the Upper Midwest. Northern Wisconsin is included in the area of below average temps but southern Wisconsin is not, and currently has equal chances for both above and below average temps. The southern part of the country is expected to be warmer than average for winter. 

Download the CBS 58 Weather app to track the cold temps for Friday morning and see if any snow is in our future.