Extreme Cold/Wind Chill — Rusk, Wisconsin

2026-01-22 to 2026-01-23 · Rusk, Wisconsin

Event narrative

KRCX reported wind gusts as high as 30 mph during the evening as air temperatures dropped from -15F to -27F overnight. The lowest measured wind chill was -49F at 5AM on the 23rd.

Wider weather episode

A push of dangerously cold air spread across the Upper Midwest behind a series of strong arctic fronts from January 21 through January 23. Wind chills dropped into the -40s across western Wisconsin, with RCX in Ladysmith reporting the coldest wind chill of -49F during this stretch of extreme cold. The strongest winds did not line up with the coolest temperatures, limiting wind chills from getting any colder than -49F.

The peak of the coldest conditions occurred from the evening on the 22nd into the morning of the 23rd. Very cold air temperatures around -10 to -20 below continued until the morning of the 26th, though winds were generally at or below 10 mph, limiting wind chills from dropping below -35F.

The lowest wind chills were:

-49F at KRCX (Rusk).

-47F at KRNH (St Croix).

-45F at KEAU (Chippewa).

-43F at KUBE (Barron).

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1312204. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.