Freeze Watch Friday Night

A Freeze Watch will go into effect late Friday night, lasting through Saturday morning, for most of southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois. A very strong cold front stretches from Minnesota, through central Iowa and into northwest Missouri Thursday evening. Temperatures ahead of the front have warmed into the upper 60s and low 70s, but drop significantly behind the front in the 30s and 20s.

Scattered showers will continue Thursday night with a few isolated thunderstorm possible early Friday morning. Southerly winds will keep temperatures in the mid 60s overnight Thursday and very early Friday, but as the cold front moves through temperatures will drop rapidly during the morning. By mid-morning temperatures will fall into the mid 50s, down near 50 degrees at Noon and then in the 40s through early afternoon. 

West winds will increase following the front, gusting to 30 mph. This will push wind chills down into the 30s by sunset and then into the low to mid 20s by Saturday morning. Be sure to bring indoors, or cover, anything that may be sensitive to the cold. The freezing temperatures could put an end to the growing season.