The beginning of October normally means cooler fall weather is on the way, but the first week of the month will feel much more like summer in Wisconsin.
In Milwaukee, temperatures are expected to reach the mid-70s or higher in the first few days of October. The National Weather Service’s forecast for Saturday, Oct. 4, features a high of 80 degrees.
Temperatures in areas farther away from Lake Michigan will be even warmer. In Madison and La Crosse, for example, Oct. 3 could reach 83 degrees.
Areas farther north, where fall colors are starting to pop up, will still see warm temperatures in the mid-70s. The high in Rhinelander is expected to hit 77 degrees on Oct. 3.
Those unseasonably warm temperatures are expected to stick around through at least Oct. 11, according to the NWS’ temperature outlook, meteorologist Marcia Cronce said.
“The whole center of the country is in a high probability of above-normal temperatures,” Cronce said. “We’re going to be under those exceptionally warm temperatures.”
What are Milwaukee’s record temps for early October?
According to NWS data, record high temperatures have reached the mid-to-upper 80s in Milwaukee for the first two weeks of October.
For comparison, average high temperatures in that time period for Milwaukee hover in the mid-60s. That means temperatures will be about 20 degrees above normal.
It’s possible Milwaukee could hit a new record in the coming days if there’s a breeze or winds coming from the south or southwest, bringing warmer air, Cronce said.
That’s what happened on Saturday, Sept. 27, when Milwaukee hit a high of 85 degrees.
“We warmed up a lot in Milwaukee because of those westerly winds,” she said.
Milwaukee has never recorded a 90-degree day in October, though records show Madison hit that mark on Oct. 1, 6 and 13 in 1976, 1963 and 1975, respectively.
Here are the historical record highs for Oct. 1 through 14 in Milwaukee:
Oct. 1: 86 degrees in 1971
Oct. 2: 87 degrees in 1891
Oct. 3: 86 degrees in 2018
Oct. 4: 88 degrees in 1897
Oct. 5: 87 degrees in 1997
Oct. 6: 89 degrees in 1963
Oct. 7: 85 degrees in 2007
Oct. 8: 85 degrees in 2007
Oct. 9: 84 degrees in 2018
Oct. 10: 84 degrees in 1938
Oct. 11: 86 degrees in 1928
Oct. 12: 83 degrees in 1995
Oct. 13: 88 degrees in 1975
Oct. 14: 87 degrees in 1897
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Early October weather features highs in 80s. Will that break records?