WISCONSIN – Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay and Eau Claire face another winter in which warmer seasonal conditions could coexist with significant snowfall. Wisconsin’s historical statewide weather-station average is approximately 55.8 inches annually, highlighting the state’s substantial winter snow potential. Even during El Niño winters, snowstorms, Arctic cold and dangerous travel conditions remain possible through March.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), its October 15, 2026, outlook favors above-normal temperatures across Wisconsin for December 2026 through February 2027. Probabilities are generally around 40%–60%, depending on location. The precipitation outlook favors below-normal totals in portions of northern Wisconsin, while much of the state has equal chances of above-, near- or below-normal precipitation. Neither outlook predicts seasonal snowfall totals.
What Wisconsin’s Snowfall History Actually Shows Wisconsin’s 55.8-inch historical average represents statewide weather-station measurements, not the expected snowfall in Milwaukee or any individual community…