Wisconsin weather forecast this week: Subzero temps Tuesday night turn into Thursday winter storm with snowfall, high winds

Subzero temperatures. A winter storm affecting much of Wisconsin and the Midwest. And winds above 30 mph, with gusts exceeding 40 mph.

That's the prediction for Tuesday night, Wednesday and Thursday with stormy weather potentially continuing Friday, forecasters say.

The National Weather Service has been predicting subzero temperatures Tuesday night for an area from Oshkosh north to Rhinelander, and from the shores of Lake Michigan west almost to Minnesota. Forecasters say that will morph into a winter storm arriving Wednesday night or Thursday morning depending on where in the state someone is located.

Spectrum, a cable and internet provider serving the Green Bay area, warned customers Tuesday that it's "preparing for potential service outages during the storm."

Temperatures are predicted to be very cold Sunday, but otherwise the rest of Christmas Day is expected to be sunny across much of the state.

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The storm in Wisconsin: Plan ahead, take forecast seriously

Light to moderate snow could arrive in the Upper Midwest, including Wisconsin, beginning Wednesday. As Thursday arrives, the weather service turns its attention to snowfall — and the winds that will follow. Forecasters predict Wisconsin and other states surrounding the Great Lakes could receive as much as 8 inches of snow, although some of that will depend on the track the storm system follows.

Then, strong winds and potential blizzard conditions could make things extremely challenging to people who must travel by automobile.

"The worst of the storm will be Thursday night through Friday night," said Roy Eckburg, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Ashwaubenon. "Visibilities will be very low, potentially a quarter mile or less. That's pretty extreme, even for Northeastern Wisconsin. If you have to travel, dress in layers, and carry a winter kit with you."

The weather service Tuesday morning said "very strong winds are expected to impact nearly the entire eastern half of the U.S. as this system becomes fully mature by Thursday night. Winds will create blizzard conditions throughout the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes, and blowing and drifting snow over locations with fresh snow cover."

Low visibility, the weather service said, could make things even worse: dangerous travel conditions atop snow-covered roadways.

"Strong winds could lead to potential power outages from the Midwest to the Northeast," forecasters said. "With such a large and powerful storm system impacting a majority of the nation during one of the biggest travel weeks of the year, it is imperative that travelers check the latest forecast before venturing out."

Eastern Wisconsin forecast

Wind chills Tuesday night are predicted to reach single digits below zero in northeastern Wisconsin, not quite as extreme as those in central and north central Wisconsin.

But travel could be especially difficult around Green Bay, and at points to the north and west. Travel conditions from late Wednesday into the weekend range from hazardous to potentially dangerous at times, depending on the amount of snow that falls and the speed at which the wind is blowing.

The weather service says several inches of snow are possible, although winds aren't expected to be extreme until the Thursday night-to-Friday afternoon range. But then, forecasters say winds gusting to 50 mph could result in dangerous blowing and drifting snow that affects both car and air travel.

"This will be a very large storm affecting much of the region," the weather service cautioned. "Be sure to closely monitor later forecasts for more specific information during the latter part of this week."

The Appleton-Outagamie County area can expect falling show, particularly from 7 p.m. Wednesday through 1 p.m. Friday with Wednesday night's low near minus-3. From Friday daytime into Saturday, forecasters say, people can expect blowing snow to be widespread.

Those in the Milwaukee area can expect the storm's arrival a little later than people to the north and west. Snow showers after midnight Wednesday could become 1 to 2 inches of snowfall Thursday morning, then another 3-5 inches Thursday night.

Forecasters have issued a winter storm warning for the Milwaukee region from 6 a.m. Thursday through 6 a.m. Saturday. Blowing snow will pose a challenge Friday and Saturday. The highest gusts are possible Friday, when wind speeds could exceed 50 mph.

Central Wisconsin forecast

In the Wausau/Marathon County area, temperatures could fall to a low of minus-20 Tuesday night at the cold-weather part of the system moves in. Air temps could fall to minus-12.

Wednesday highs are unlikely to exceed 10, with 3 inches of snow expected. Thursday weather during the day looks decent, but residents of the area will be affected by widespread blowing snow Thursday night through late Friday.

Email Doug Schneider at DSchneid@gannett.com, call him at (920) 265-2070 and follow him on Twitter @PGDougSchneider.

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Wisconsin weather: Subzero temps Tuesday night, Thursday snowstorm