The cold air will stick around on Tuesday with high temperatures staying in the mid-forties across the state. The light snowfalls from Monday will be in Lower Michigan and left behind is plenty of sunshine for most of Wisconsin. The winds will turn to the southwest by Thursday bring a mini-Indian summer pattern to the state for the end of the week.

Yesterday’s snowfall was the first for all of the state. The first official trace of snow was reported in Milwaukee, Madison, La Crosse, Eau Claire, Wausau, and Green Bay. Measurable snow was reported near Rhinelander and Marquette in Michigan picked up their first measurable snowfall as 2.2 inches of snow accumulated in that city. The trace of snow we saw in Milwaukee on Monday was one day before the average for the first snowflake which is today, October 28th. I received a few e-mails and calls about the significance of the first snow occurring this early in October, and if that is your question also, then let me put you mind at ease.

Snow in October doesn’t mean any thing to the prediction of snow for the upcoming season. A look back at traces of snow in October indicates no real forecast significance, with only a small bias toward less than average seasonal snowfall for the coming winter.