Milwaukee Weather: Hello February, let's recap January

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MILWAUKEE - January 2026 recapped as the 51st coldest start to a new year.

The average temperature was 19.3°F, which is 4.8°F colder than average.

It may be hard to believe since we started off January with very warm temperatures in the 40s and 50s. Then the polar vortex kicked in, dropping temperatures the second half of the month mainly in the teens and single digits. 

With all the cold air, it brought snow as the primary form of precipitation with low-pressure systems.

In fact, most of the snow fell during the second half of the month with a total of 14.5".

Seasonal snowfall for Milwaukee remains above average at 32.3" due to an early start to winter back in November. 

We have officially passed the coldest part of the year! Looking ahead to February, high temperatures should be warming instead of getting colder.

While the 30s sound warm, temperatures this cold will still support snow accumulation depending on the system. On average, Milwaukee experiences close to another foot of snow in February. 

Warmer normal temperatures should be back in the upper 30s by the end of February, but that all depends on what Mother Nature gives us, and what Punxsutawney Phil has to say. 

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