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Milwaukee weather latest: Expanded severe threat for Friday

By
Published  April 17, 2026 10:42am CDT
Severe Weather
FOX6 News Milwaukee

The Brief

    • Another round of severe weather is expected to hit southeast Wisconsin.
    • The primary concern will be tornadoes and wind damage with more rain and flooding expected.
    • FOX6 offers a variety of weather tools to help you navigate the stormy season.

MILWAUKEE - Southeast Wisconsin is anticipating another round of severe weather Friday following storms that brought wind, rain, hail, flash floods and, in some areas, tornadoes earlier this week. Follow the latest updates below.

Severe Storms Friday

Fox River in Burlington

11:55 a.m.:

The National Weather Service has projected the Fox River flood level in Burlington to be as high as 12 ½ feet by Friday evening. A news release says this is around moderate flood stage. 

Property owners are encouraged to monitor the Fox and White River levels and expect increased flooding into late evening. 

Although the exact extent of potential flooding cannot be predicted, Racine County Emergency Management is coordinating with the City of Burlington and Racine County resources to provide sand and sandbags for public use after 2 p.m. at the 600 block of Maryland Avenue in the City of Burlington. 

Tracking potential for severe weather

10:30 a.m.:

Our active weather setup is on track across southern Wisconsin for Friday, bringing both a severe weather threat and another round of heavy rainfall.

Storms are expected to develop in southwestern Wisconsin this afternoon, initially as discrete super-cells capable of producing large hail, damaging winds, and a few tornadoes. As the evening progresses, these storms will likely organize into a line and push east across the rest of southern Wisconsin. By tonight, storms become more progressive and begin to clear as a cold front moves through.

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One notable update is the eastward expansion of the higher-end severe risk into south-central Wisconsin, reinforcing the need for close monitoring through the late afternoon and evening hours.

Storm Prediction Center Enhanced Risk Expands

Rainfall and flooding Concerns

In addition to the severe threat, storms will be efficient rain producers. Most areas can expect an additional 0.75 to 2 inches of rain, with localized totals exceeding 2.00 inches possible.

The highest rainfall potential is focused across western parts of the region, where multiple rounds of storms may track over the same areas. Farther east, storms are expected to move faster, which should help limit how long heavy rain lingers.

This is a classic spring setup with multiple hazards in play.  Stay weather aware through the afternoon and evening, and be prepared to act quickly if warnings are issued. We will post live updates here throughout the event.

You can find a more detailed forecast from the FOX6 Weather Experts on our weather page.

Kenosha discharge of diluted wastewater

9:45 a.m.:

The Kenosha Water Utility announced on Friday, April 17, that is has discharged diluted wastewater into the storm sewer system and ultimately into Lake Michigan.

Officials said on Wednesday, the utility had to bypass excessive flow from the sanitary sewer collection system in an effort to prevent property damage to homes. The bypass event began at 7 a.m. and ended at 8 a.m. on Wednesday.

Diluted wastewater was discharged into the storm sewer system and ultimately into Lake Michigan. The location of the sewer bypass was at the intersection of 89th Street and 17th Avenue.

All bypasses are reported by the Kenosha Water Utility to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

FOX6 Weather Extras

Local perspective:

Meanwhile, FOX6Now.com offers a variety of extremely useful weather tools to help you navigate the stormy season. They include the following:  

FOX6 Storm Center app

FOX LOCAL Mobile app

FOX Weather app

Maps and radar

We have a host of maps and radars on the FOX6 Weather page that are updating regularly — to provide you the most accurate assessment of the weather. From a county-by-county view to the Midwest regional radar and a national view — it’s all there.

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School and business closings

When the weather gets a little dicey, schools and businesses may shut down. Monitor the latest list of closings, cancellations, and delays reported in southeast Wisconsin.

FOX6 Weather Experts in social media

The Source: Information in this post was compiled by the FOX6 Weather Experts.

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