Has this been the worst spring weather Milwaukee has ever seen? Here's what NWS says
With temperatures in the mid-40s and near constant rain, some Milwaukeeans may be wondering if warm weather will ever come —or if this is one of the worst springs the Cream City has ever experienced.
But, despite what it may feel like, Milwaukee's weather is actually "sitting pretty average" for the season thus far, National Weather Service Meteorologist Taylor Patterson told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
The NWS defines meteorological spring as the months of March, April and May.
Patterson said it is 'definitely colder than normal" this week and heading into Memorial Day weekend, as temperatures are typically around 66 to 68 degrees at this time of year.
'We are in a cooler spell, but that's just part of the month and also larger season as a whole,' Patterson said.
Overall, this is the 65th coldest spring so far in Milwaukee in the last 154 years, according to Patterson. 'So not quite dead center, but still in that middle ground,' she said.
In terms of precipitation, this is the 36th wettest spring so far in Milwaukee. Patterson noted this "value is likely to change" towards the end of June since Milwaukee is still in the middle of spring.
More: Summer is almost here. What to know about the start of the 2025 season in Wisconsin
NWS data shows there have been 11 days of rain in May so far, totaling 3.77 inches. That's 1.41 inches above normal — and there's a chance Milwaukee could see small showers Sunday. March also saw 4.19 inches of rain, or 1.99 inches more than normal. The only month below normal was April, which saw 1.09 less inches of rain than years prior.
Last year, Milwaukee saw its third-wettest spring on record, followed by a rainier-than-normal summer. Patterson said a "big shocker" for the season was in 2023, when May only saw 0.88 inches of rain. The lack of precipitation across the region ultimately triggered a drought from May to June that year.
Milwaukee's wettest May on record was in 1933, when the city received a whopping 9.56 inches of rain, according to Patterson.
Even though Milwaukee's weather has been less than ideal, you can expect the tide to change in the coming days.
"Temperatures will start to gradually increase," Patterson said. "So we will start to get those 60s and potentially 70s back in our forecast again."
More: What will summer weather be like in Wisconsin in 2025? Here's what the Old Farmer's Almanac predicts
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee weather: Is spring 2025 colder, wetter than usual?
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