Milwaukee expected to see afternoon rain showers Friday, potential for severe weather over the weekend

Showers will begin in Milwaukee on Friday as a storm system will bring rain and potentially severe weather to the area through the weekend.

The National Weather Service is forecasting the storm system to bring between one inch to two-and-a-half inches of rain to parts of central and southeastern Wisconsin through Monday morning, with lower amounts expected near Milwaukee and higher near the Wisconsin Dells. NWS models currently have rain beginning in the mid-to-late afternoon in Milwaukee.

The highest chances of severe weather — a designation that means wind gusts at 58 miles per hour, hail one inch in diameter or a tornado — are on Saturday, with the NWS rating the likelihood at a two out of five. That will linger into Sunday, albeit at a one out of five chance, said Ben Sheppard, a meteorologist at the Milwaukee office of the NWS.

“From late tonight to early Saturday, we expect a brief lull, before things intensify going into late Saturday and into Saturday night,” he said. “The Saturday evening to Saturday night timeframe (is when) our main concern would be potentially some severe weather.”

Friday’s weather should be isolated mainly to rains, with winds not expected to gust much higher than 25 miles per hour and hail less likely. As the weekend progresses, the NWS forecasts the system to diminish by Monday morning, Sheppard said.

Yesterday, Marcia Cronce, another meteorologist at the local NWS, said the weekend’s storm is an “extension” of a large system affecting the central part of the country. States like Iowa, Missouri, Oklahoma and Arkansas are expected to face the worst conditions.

Humid and warm conditions are fueling the potential for severe weather on Saturday, she said.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee, Wisconsin to see 1 to 2 inches rain, severe weather, wind