Milwaukee set the record for its warmest Jan. 30 on record on Thursday. A high temperature of 56 degrees was recorded at 2:44 p.m., according to data from the National Weather Service. This overtook Milwaukee's previously warmest Jan.

The city saw its warmest-ever Jan. 30 in 1988; it was 53 degrees. Milwaukee's average Jan. 30 high is 31 degrees.

MILWAUKEE — It was a day of record warmth in southern Wisconsin! Temperatures in Milwaukee surged into the mid-50s. Thursday's high exceeded the Jan. 30 record of 53 degrees at Mitchell Airport, set in 1988, according to the National Weather Service.

The Extreme Cold Warning is in effect until noon. Wind chills will remain below zero until Wednesday afternoon.

The Milwaukee area will see light snow all day as the region experiences another round of frigid temperatures. Flurries will move across southern Wisconsin throughout the early morning on Wednesday, followed by light snow showers until 2 or 3 a.

Milwaukee will kick off this week with the most extreme cold of the winter so far. During the coldest periods, wind chill is forecast to range between -15 and -30 degrees. That's well beyond the threshold for developing frostbite and other adverse health symptoms from cold-weather exposure.

Tuesday was one of the 10 coldest Jan. 21 temperatures in Milwaukee's recorded history. Here's where it ranks: Cold sets in over Milwaukee on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. All of Wisconsin is under an Extreme Cold Warning Tuesday morning due to wind chills as cold as -35 degrees in some portions of the state.

The center at 12th and Vliet is open from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday due to the cold. Nick Tomaro with the Milwaukee Health Department said more than 100 people took advantage of the center on day one. Darnell Bonner said on Sunday, he was rushed to the hospital for hypothermia while waiting for a shelter to open.

Bitterly cold temperatures and wind chills as low as -32F are expected during this period, posing significant health risks, including frostbite and hypothermia.

Several Milwaukee-area services, resources and programs won't be available Tuesday due to the extreme cold. Many area schools, including Milwaukee Public Schools, have also already announced Tuesday closures.

The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's office is investigating the death of an 80-year-old man who likely died of hypothermia early Sunday morning.

As wind chills hit dangerous levels, the decision to close schools becomes critical. Kevin Wagner, a lead meteorologist with the National Weather Service, explains how those decisions are made.