Weather StoryAlmanac, microseasons, and the day's weather story.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Weather

Night falls a minute earlier. Day 43 of summer. Read this microseason across nine climate regions →

Milwaukee weather forecast — hour by hour, 7-day outlook, NOAA radar

Milwaukee, WI
Sunday, August 2 at 11:04 AM
70
°
Partly Cloudy
Feels like
71°
Humidity
91%
Wind
11 mph
Sunrise
12:44 AM
Sunset
3:12 PM
Milwaukee, WI
Hour by hour · 24h
24-Hour ForecastMilwaukee, WI: 24-hour forecast. Temperatures range from 62 to 73 degrees Fahrenheit.
L 62°H 73°
Milwaukee, WI
7-day forecast
  1. Today
    Aug 2
    Overcast
    —
    —
    73°63°—
  2. Monday
    Aug 3
    Partly Cloudy
    —
    —
    78°62°+5°
  3. Tuesday
    Aug 4
    Overcast
    10%
    —
    83°60°+5°
  4. Wednesday
    Aug 5
    Thunderstorm
    58%
    0.12″
    80°66°-3°
  5. Thursday
    Aug 6
    Showers
    43%
    0.43″
    78°64°-2°
  6. Friday
    Aug 7
    Light Drizzle
    —
    —
    84°64°+6°
  7. Saturday
    Aug 8
    Light Drizzle
    17%
    —
    89°68°+5°
Milwaukee, WI
Next 24 hours · Mild now
58°67°76°12p6p12a6anow 68°high 73°low 62°
Milwaukee, WI
Anemometer · 24h winds · from true
NESW
From · True
N
006° · backing 10°
Direction
N
006°
Sustained
11
mph
Gust
19
mph
Peak 24h
27
avg 9 mph
Beaufort · 3 · GENTLE BRZ
0
CALM
<1
1
LIGHT AIR
1–3
2
LIGHT BRZ
4–7
3
GENTLE BRZ
8–12
4
MOD BRZ
13–18
5
FRESH BRZ
19–24
6
STRONG BRZ
25–31
7
NEAR GALE
32–38
24h · sust vs gust · mph
avg 9 mph · pk 27 mph @ 11:00a
01020MPHB1B2B3B4B5-21h-18h-15h-12h-9h-6h-3h-24hNOWpk 224SUSTGUST
−24h−18h−12h−6hnow
Light breeze backing 10° from the n.
Milwaukee, WI
Barometer · 24h pressure · mb
STORMRAINCHANGEFAIRDRY9901000101010201030
Pressure · mb
986.4
+0.9 mb in 3h · rising · 29.13 inHg
Now
986.4
mb
3h
+0.9
mb
12h
+1.4
mb
24h
+2.0
mb
Regime · STORM
STORM
RAIN
CHANGE
FAIR
DRY
24h · Pressure · mb
range 984–986
9809859909951000STORM|RAIN10051010RAIN|CHG1015CHG|FAIR10201025FAIR|DRY1030-21h-18h-15h-12h-9h-6h-3h-24hNOW986.3984.1986.3
The low is filling — pressure climbing out of storm territory.
Milwaukee, WI
Air quality
55
AQI
Moderate
→-2 in 6h

AQI 55 (Moderate), driven by PM2.5. AQI flat over the last 6 hours (within ±3 points). PM2.5 at 9.7 µg/m³, PM10 at 10.0 µg/m³ — typical background levels with no transport signature.

OK No precautions needed for the general population; unusually sensitive individuals may consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion.

PM 2.5DRIVERGood
9.7μg/m³
PM 10Good
10μg/m³
NO₂Good
2μg/m³
OzoneModerate
67μg/m³
UV IndexModerate
3.0

What's driving it

Ozone × UV × Sky

Ozone at AQI 32 now. With UV 4.2 peaking around 1 PM under partly cloudy skies, surface ozone likely climbs to AQI 13.

Present
AQI 32
UV peak
4.2 at 1 PM
Sky at peak
partly cloudy
Projected peak
AQI 13

PM × Wind × Precip

PM2.5 at 9.7 µg/m³, PM10 at 10.0 µg/m³ — typical background levels with no transport signature.

PM2.5/PM10
0.97
Wind
breezy
Recent rain
0h in last 6h
Pattern
background

Trends

Seven days of AQI and PM2.5.

Hourly air-quality data from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, charted across the past and next several days. Dashed lines mark the AQI breakpoints at 50 (Good → Moderate) and 100 (Moderate → Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups).

7-DAY AQI TREND50100SUNMONTUEWEDTHUFRISATSUN7-DAY PM2.5 TREND · μg/m³380
Milwaukee, WI
Sky cover · visibility · 24h
Cloud cover
75%
MOSTLY CLOUDY
100%0%−24h−18h−12h−6hnow
Visibility
30.2mi
UNLIMITED
34 mi0 mi−24h−18h−12h−6hnow
Earth · GOES-19 ABI
Full Disk · Visible · GeoColor
GOES-19 full disk Visible · GeoColor
True-color daytime, blue/IR sandwich at night
16:04 UTC · Milwaukee, WI · NOAA NESDIS / STAR · up to 10848 px
Continental US · GOES-19 ABI
CONUS Sector · Visible · GeoColor
GOES-19 CONUS Visible · GeoColor
Daytime true-color, blue-light/IR sandwich at night
16:04 UTC · Milwaukee, WI · NOAA NESDIS / STAR · 5-min cadence · up to 10000 px
Milwaukee, WI
Satellite · infrared · animated
Milwaukee, WI
Loading IR frames…
IR · cloud-top temp© RainViewer · Carto
Milwaukee, WI
Almanac · Sunday, August 2
Red sky at night, sailor's delight.
Civil dawn
5:12 AM
Sunrise
12:44 AM
Daylight
14h 28m
Sunset
3:12 PM
Civil dusk
8:46 PM
Planting note
Sow fall peas. Start kale and collard seedlings for fall.
Milwaukee, WI
The moon
Waning Gibbous
84% illuminated
Moonrise
9:36 PM
Moonset
9:58 AM
In sign
♓︎ Pisces
Milwaukee, WI
Microseason
Aug 1–5

Night falls a minute earlier

celestial
Jan 159% of the yearDec 31

Read this microseason across nine climate regions →

Milwaukee at a glance

  • Today vs. normal: 11°F above the seasonal normal for this latitude
  • Last frost: May 4 (climatological average for this latitude)
  • Microseason: Aug 1–5
  • Planting window: Sow fall peas. Start kale and collard seedlings for fall.

ZIP codes: 53202, 53203, 53204, 53205, 53206, 53207, 53208, 53209 +21 more

16-Day Forecast — Milwaukee

  1. Sun73°63°1%
  2. Mon78°62°0%
  3. Tue83°60°10%
  4. Wed80°66°58%
  5. Thu78°64°43%
  6. Fri84°64°7%
  7. Sat89°68°17%
  8. Sun91°75°24%
  9. Mon75°65°24%
  10. Tue78°63°24%
  11. Wed87°68°23%
  12. Thu86°70°23%
  13. Fri93°71°24%
  14. Sat79°67°20%
  15. Sun77°65°16%
  16. Mon76°66°16%

Forecast data from Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0).

Live wind & temperature near Milwaukee

Right now in the garden

Peak growing season

As of August 2, the growing season is at its peak — frost is months away. Continue succession-planting beans and summer squash. Start fall brassicas (broccoli, cabbage, kale) from seed indoors for transplanting in late summer.

SPC Convective Outlook

Storm Prediction Center — Milwaukee

SPC includes Milwaukee in the general thunderstorm area day after tomorrow — no severe risk, but storms are possible.

  • TODAYNONENo severe risk
  • TOMORROWNONENo severe risk
  • DAY 3TSTMGeneral Thunderstorms

Thunderstorms possible. Not severe, but capable of producing lightning and brief heavy rain.

Source: NOAA / NWS Storm Prediction Center categorical convective outlook. Outlooks are re-issued multiple times per day; this page reflects the most recent SPC polygons covering the city’s coordinates.

Sun & seasons in Milwaukee

Milwaukee sits in Milwaukee County, where the year’s longest day runs 15h 22m of daylight and its shortest just 9h 0m — a swing of +6h 23m between the June and December solstices. Clocks spring forward on Sunday, March 8, 2026 and fall back on Sunday, November 1, 2026.

Madison, the state’s largest city, lies about 72 miles to the W. The nearest town Milwaukee tracks is Racine, roughly 25 miles to the SSE.

Air quality in Milwaukee’s county has trended cleaner since 2020; its cleanest year on record was 2024 (median AQI 43). See the full air-quality history for Milwaukee.

January 1–5: The year turns in silence.January 6–10: Ice thickens on still water.January 11–15: Shortest shadows lengthen.January 16–20: Pheasants begin to call.January 21–25: Springs begin to thaw.January 26–31: Chickadees announce dawn.February 1–5: East wind softens the frost.February 6–10: Sap begins to rise.February 11–15: First snowdrops appear.February 16–20: Red-winged blackbirds return.February 21–25: Rain begins to replace snow.February 26–28: Skunk cabbage pushes through ice.March 1–5: Ice withdraws from the reservoir.March 6–10: Crocuses open to weak sun.March 11–15: Peepers call from the marsh.March 16–20: Woodcocks spiral at dusk.March 21–25: Equinox — light overtakes dark.March 26–31: Forsythia opens along the fences.April 1–5: Cherry blossoms drift like snow.April 6–10: Warblers appear in the understory.April 11–15: Magnolias bloom and fall in a day.April 16–20: Dogwoods float above the forest.April 21–25: Lilacs perfume the evening.April 26–30: Last frost releases the garden.May 1–5: Warblers flood the Ramble.May 6–10: Tulip poplars light their candles.May 11–15: Shad run up the rivers.May 16–20: Roses open along the stoops.May 21–25: Firefly scouts appear at dusk.May 26–31: Strawberries ripen in the sun.June 1–5: Fireflies rise from the lawn.June 6–10: Elderflowers open in hedgerows.June 11–15: Solstice approaches — longest light.June 16–20: Honeysuckle sweetens the night.June 21–25: Solstice — the sun stands still.June 26–30: Lightning bugs drift through oaks.July 1–5: Cicadas claim the afternoon.July 6–10: Queen Anne's lace lines the roads.July 11–15: Thunder builds each afternoon.July 16–20: Corn reaches for the tassels.July 21–25: Dog days settle in the haze.July 26–31: Katydids begin their chorus.August 1–5: Night falls a minute earlier.August 6–10: Sunflowers face the morning.August 11–15: Goldenrod begins to bloom.August 16–20: Crickets pulse through warm nights.August 21–25: First cool morning surprises.August 26–31: Monarchs stage for flight.September 1–5: School buses reappear.September 6–10: Asters purple the roadsides.September 11–15: Hawk migration over the Hudson.September 16–20: Equinox — dark overtakes light.September 21–25: Apples hang heavy on the branch.September 26–30: Geese begin to chevron south.October 1–5: Witch hazel blooms as others fade.October 6–10: Maples begin to blaze.October 11–15: Frost paints the garden black.October 16–20: Oaks turn bronze and russet.October 21–25: Leaves rattle down the gutters.October 26–31: Clocks fall back — dusk at five.November 1–5: Ginkgos drop overnight.November 6–10: Last leaves cling stubbornly.November 11–15: Juncos arrive from the north.November 16–20: Bare branches reveal the sky.November 21–25: First flurries dust the rooftops.November 26–30: Woodsmoke curls through the block.December 1–5: Darkness settles before dinner.December 6–10: Holly and winterberry persist.December 11–15: Shortest day approaches.December 16–20: Ice begins to form at the edges.December 21–25: Solstice — the sun begins return.December 26–31: The year turns in silence.🌱February 14 — First skunk-cabbage spathes thaw their way up☀️March 20 — Spring equinox — day and night balance🌸April 5 — Cherry blossoms peak in the parks🐦May 10 — Warbler migration peaks along the coast✨May 25 — First fireflies scout the meadows at dusk🌞June 21 — Summer solstice — longest day🦗July 25 — Peak cicada chorus in the afternoons🌊August 18 — Warmest sea-surface temperatures of the year🍂September 22 — Autumn equinox — the slow turn❄️October 25 — First widespread frost in the suburbs🍁November 10 — Peak leaf color across the Hudson Valley🌙December 21 — Winter solstice — longest night

Microseason · August 1–5

Night falls a minute earlier

Sunset retreats perceptibly — daylight shortening speeds up.

Day 214 of 365 · Wedge 43 of 72

The solar year drawn as a wheel of 72 five-day windows. Each wedge is one microseason; the four colored arcs mark winter, spring, summer, and autumn; the small icons sit at notable phenological events. The crimson pointer creeps clockwise as the year turns.

Planting calendar

MonthPlantHarvest
January——
February——
March——
April——
Maylettuce, peas, spinach, radisheslettuce, peas, radishes
Junelettuce, peas, spinach, radishes, tomatoes, peppers, beans, squashlettuce, peas, radishes
Julytomatoes, peppers, beans, squashtomatoes, beans, summer squash
Augusttomatoes, peppers, beans, squash, fall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrotstomatoes, beans, summer squash
Septemberfall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrotstomatoes, beans, summer squash
October—winter squash, tomatoes (last)
November——
December——

A year in weather

In Milwaukee, August runs warmest near 73°F and January coldest around 23°F, while May is the wettest month (3.7 inches) and January the driest (1.8 inches).

MonthMean tempPrecipRainy days
January23°1.8″18
February24°1.8″14
March32°2.6″16
April43°3.2″17
May52°3.7″18
June64°3.5″17
July73°2.6″15
August73°2.7″14
September67°3.1″14
October55°2.9″15
November40°3.1″15
December28°2.2″16

Regional context

Per NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals, Milwaukee runs from a 23°F January mean to 73°F in July, a 50°F seasonal spread, with near 33.1 inches of precipitation across about 189 wet days.

No season owns Milwaukee's rain: May reaches 3.7 inches across 18.0 days and January keeps 1.8 inches on 17.8, an even spread through Milwaukee's year. That lines Milwaukee up with places like Wauwatosa, WI, West Milwaukee, WI and Shorewood, WI, fed by overlapping storm tracks.

Milwaukee reaches its last hard frost near late-May; that is the cue for kale, peas, spinach, and parsnips. Tomatoes and peppers do best set out two weeks later in Milwaukee, once nights clear the mid-40s°F. By early-October, frost is back in Milwaukee — protect or harvest anything tender. A creek-bottom lot in Milwaukee can lag Milwaukee's last frost 7-10 days behind a south slope.

Similar climates: Wauwatosa, WI, West Milwaukee, WI, Shorewood, WI, Whitefish Bay, WI, Glendale, WI.

Naturalist notes

Late May brings the first blooms of wild lupine across Wisconsin's sandy soils, their purple spikes emerging as soil temperatures consistently reach 60°F.

American robins begin their dawn chorus in earnest during the third week of April, when daylight extends past 13 hours.

Frequently asked

When does it freeze in Milwaukee?
Frost typically leaves Milwaukee by mid-May and returns to Milwaukee near mid-October.
What is the rainy season in Milwaukee?
May is the wettest month in Milwaukee, about 3.7 inches on average; the year totals roughly 33 inches.
What is the warmest month in Milwaukee?
August is Milwaukee's warmest month, averaging about 73°F.
What is the coldest month in Milwaukee?
Milwaukee bottoms out in January, with a mean near 23°F.
When can I start a vegetable garden in Milwaukee?
Milwaukee's last frost (mid-May) cues hardy greens; in Milwaukee, hold heat-lovers two weeks past.
How many rainy days does Milwaukee get?
Milwaukee records around 189 days of measurable precipitation annually.
What hardiness zone is Milwaukee?
Milwaukee sits in the USDA zone set by January lows near 23°F; the USDA ZIP tool gives the band.
What is the 10-day forecast for Milwaukee?
Milwaukee's extended outlook — daily high and low temperatures and precipitation chances for each upcoming day — is in the daily forecast above.
Will it rain this week in Milwaukee?
See this week's day-by-day rain chances for Milwaukee in the daily forecast above, and the next 24 hours in the hourly chart.
What is the weather like right now in Milwaukee?
Current conditions for Milwaukee and the next 24 hours — temperature, precipitation chance, and wind by the hour — are in the hourly forecast chart above.
How often is the Milwaukee forecast updated?
The Milwaukee forecast on this page is built from Open-Meteo weather-model data and refreshes regularly through the day.
When are sunrise and sunset in Milwaukee?
Today's sunrise and sunset times for Milwaukee are in the Almanac section above, along with civil dawn, civil dusk, and day length. Day length is longest near the summer solstice and shortest near the winter solstice.
How accurate is the weather forecast for Milwaukee?
The next few days in Milwaukee's forecast are the most reliable; accuracy declines beyond about a week as weather-model uncertainty grows.

Climate

Milwaukee, Wisconsin occupies a warm-summer humid continental zone, with January means near 23°F and July around 73°F — a 50°F swing.

Rain and snow bring Milwaukee roughly 33 inches a year across approximately 189 measurable-precipitation days.

The 50°F gap between Milwaukee's summer and winter, at 43.1°N, shapes Milwaukee's frost calendar.

All cities in Wisconsin →

Chicago, IL weather →

ZIP codes in Milwaukee

  • 53203
  • 53202
  • 53207
  • 53206
  • 53205
  • 53204
  • 53209
  • 53208
  • 53233
  • 53218
  • 53219
  • 53214
  • 53215
  • 53216
  • 53210
  • 53211
  • 53212
  • 53213
  • 53295
  • 53225
  • 53224
  • 53221
  • 53220
  • 53223
  • 53222
  • 53228
  • 53201
  • 53237
  • 53259
  • 53263
  • 53274
  • 53278
  • 53288
  • 53290
  • 53293

Climate normals from the Open-Meteo Climate API. Köppen approximation from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Regions. See methodology for data sources, editorial rules, and corrections. Maintainer: Brian Tighe.