Midday Update: Storms into the afternoon then quieter

Updated: 1:50 PM March 31, 2026

It looks like one last batch of storms is pushing through with the strong cold front itself. I believe most of the severe weather is behind us as we get through the second part of the afternoon. We haven't had many reports of storm damage at all. There was one report of half dollar size hail in Howards Grove late this morning. Much cooler weather is moving in behind this system, and there's even the possibility of wintry mix late Wednesday into Thursday.  Stay tuned.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Updated: 10:18 a.m. March 31, 2026

We had one severe thunderstorm warning in Fond du Lac County issued just before 9 AM. Some small hail and frequent lightning along with heavy likely sat there for 30-60 minutes in any given location. Now all of those showers and storms are moving over Lake Michigan. The rest of southeast Wisconsin is currently dry but the window is open for more storms through the evening hours. 

Here is a current radar image that will update with time:

Temperatures are also still seeing the impacts of the warm front and a lake breeze. The warm front has now sunk south of Milwaukee and Racine with the lake breeze there dropping temps into the low 50s while it surges north in Waukesha where it is 70. Northern counties are still chilly in the upper 30s and 40s. I think we are pretty much done warming in Milwaukee with steady or dropping 50s and 40s the rest of the day. The warm front may inch a bit north into Waukesha and Jefferson Counties. Then a cold front arrives for the second half of the day dropping temps for everyone. 

Here are current temps that will update with time:

There is no other change with the expected scattered storms the rest of the day. Some stronger or even isolated severe storms will be possible from now through the early evening. The rest of the forecast, and recap of last night's stronger storms, remains on track below. 

-------

Posted: 8:02 a.m. March 31, 2026

The first round of strong storms ended Tuesday morning. While strong to severe storms were not widespread Monday night, there were a few locations that saw some beefy storms. Parts of Sheboygan and Racine Counties saw the strongest storms with large hail reported in both areas shortly after 11 PM Monday evening. 

A round of showers then rolled through communities along and south of I-94 and brought with them some rapidly increasing wind speeds. The airport in Racine County briefly gusted to 67 mph as those showers rolled in and Milwaukee's airport saw a gust of 46 mph. 

A warm front which initially sparked the storms late Monday evening stalled right across the heart of southeast Wisconsin. It set up right along the I-94 corridor and you could feel the temp difference just across a few miles. To the south of the front temps were very warm in the 60s but to the north they were mostly in the 40s. The front was very close to Milwaukee's weather station at Mitchell Airport and the temperature varied wildly all morning long swinging from the mid 40s to the 60s then back again. Check out the temp swings and wind direction changes from 10 PM Monday evening through 3 AM Tuesday morning. And the wild temp swings continued even after that!

As of Tuesday 8 AM, that front remains in a similar location with 60s down near the IL border and only upper 30s to the north. The front may drift a little farther north during the morning hours allowing temps to warm a bit before a cold front rolls in around midday and drops the temps. There is a chance that cold front also stalls somewhere in southeast Wisconsin setting up another huge temperature range for the afternoon.

Here is a look at current temps that will update with time:

The upcoming cold front will also be the focus of more showers and storms. After a brief dry break for most during the Tuesday morning commute, the chance for storms will return again during the late morning hours. Storms may start up again after 10 AM then stay with us most of the afternoon and into the early evening hours. 

Any of the storms that do form and move through Tuesday could be on the strong side. A Level 1 Marginal risk remains in place for all of southeast Wisconsin for the possibility of stronger storms. A Level 2 Slight Risk is in place just to our east. 

With any strong to severe storms that do develop small hail and gusty wind will be the main threats. There is not much of a tornado threat Tuesday in Wisconsin. Still, an isolated severe thunderstorm warning or two will be possible.

Flooding is not expected to occur with the showers and storms Tuesday with most areas picking up a quarter to half inch of rain. Those that see multiple strong thunderstorms could see higher rain totals. The better chance for heavy rain comes Wednesday night through most of Thursday where steady, heavy rain is possible. 

Download the CBS 58 Weather app below to track the storms with the interactive radar and see how temperatures change by toggling on the temperature map.