Northern Wisconsin could see up to a half-inch of snowfall; Milwaukee weather forecast calls for rain, wind and low temperatures

The first snowflakes of the season could fly overnight Thursday into early Friday in northern Wisconsin as cold air swoops in and gives the Badger state its first taste of winter.

Up to a half-inch of snow could accumulate on grassy areas in northern Wisconsin near Lake Superior, said Jonathan Wolfe, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Duluth, Minn. (The weather service office in Duluth provides forecasts for a part of far northern Wisconsin.) 

The snowflakes across the northland are arriving pretty much on schedule and are due to a cold front that will drop out of Canada and sweep across Wisconsin on Thursday into Friday. 

Wisconsin weather radar

"It's a strong cold front and the temperatures behind the front are sub-freezing," Wolfe said. "It should be cold enough to get a little bit of snow. 

"It's completely normal this time of year," he added.

Areas further south could see some flakes by Thursday night, too.

"A strong cold front will continue tracking through northeast Wisconsin (Thursday) morning, bringing a swath of rain showers and much colder temperatures to the region," the weather service office in Green Bay said in a statement. "Highs today (Thursday) are likely to occur this morning, with steady or falling temperatures during the afternoon hours. The front will also bring very gusty winds to the region, with northwest to north winds gusting to 20 to 30 mph at times." 

More:Expect a colder Wisconsin winter with more snow in some areas, according to Old Farmer's Almanac

"Some snow could mix in at times late tonight into early Friday morning across far north-central Wisconsin; however, snowfall accumulation is not expected," according to the Green Bay weather service statement.

Milwaukee and southern Wisconsin could expected to see rain, wind and frost

In southern Wisconsin, that same cold front is going to bring seriously colder temperatures along with rain, wind and frost by Saturday morning, said Paul Collar, a meteorologist with the weather service in Sullivan. 

Thursday "looks pretty nasty," Collar said. The forecast for Milwaukee calls for a decent start to the day but it will give way to rain, falling temperatures and north winds gusting to 25 mph.

Milwaukee weather radar

"It will be cloudy and showery with a drop in temperatures as well," Collar said. "Those north winds will be gusting. That will put a little extra bite in the air."

"From a relative standpoint, it's just going to feel like yuck," Collar added. "That's just the best way to put it: Yuck."

Thursday's high temperature is forecast to hit 63 degrees, but that will be early in the day. Temperatures could drop into the 30s away from Lake Michigan on Thursday night. 

In a statement early Thursday, the weather service also said "an isolated thunderstorm or two is possible Thursday afternoon over southeastern Wisconsin."

Bundle up for high school football games

Friday night into Saturday morning is looking like some cold temperatures, with temperatures falling below freezing for southern Wisconsin and the Milwaukee metro.

"There is definitely going to be the need to bundle up and dress warm for high school football on Friday night," across Wisconsin, Collar said.

"There is the potential for a widespread frost and potential freeze conditions Friday night into Saturday morning," across southeast Wisconsin, including the Milwaukee metro area, the weather service said in a statement early Thursday.

By the middle of next week warm air is set to return.  

"We're kind of in a bit of a see-saw pattern which is typical of the change of seasons," Collar said.

"It's nothing out of the ordinary," he added.

Contact Joe Taschler at (414) 224-2554 or jtaschler@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JoeTaschler or Facebook at facebook.com/joe.taschler.1.