From 13 Inches of Snow to 71 Degrees: Kenosha County’s Wild Week of Weather

Kenosha County just experienced one of the strangest November weather swings in years — going from a lake-effect snowstorm that dumped more than a foot of snow in some neighborhoods on Monday, to sunny, spring-like 71-degree weather by Friday.

 

It was a week that had residents shoveling driveways one day and walking their dogs in T-shirts just four days later.

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❄️ Monday: A Narrow Snow Band Buries the Lakeshore

 

The week started with an early-season blast of lake-effect snow that hit eastern Kenosha County hard.

 

Pleasant Prairie and neighborhoods closest to Lake Michigan were slammed with 10–13 inches of snow, while areas just a few miles west saw totals quickly drop off — some reporting 1 inch or less.

 

Meteorologists described the storm as a “classic lake-effect setup,” caused by cold air sweeping over warmer lake waters, creating a narrow but powerful snow band that parked itself over the same few miles for hours.

 

Residents woke up Monday morning to:

• Snowdrifts near a foot deep

• Slippery roads and commute delays

• Kenosha Unified School District canceling classes

• Crews working around the clock to clear priority routes

 

For many, it felt like winter had arrived overnight.

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🌤 By Friday: A Completely Different World

 

If Monday looked like the dead of winter, Friday looked like late spring.

 

By the end of the week, warm southerly winds pushed temperatures into the upper 60s and low 70s, officially reaching 71°F in parts of Kenosha County. People traded snow boots for sneakers, and some even fired up their grills.

 

Parks that had been packed with snow days earlier were suddenly filled with joggers, strollers, and folks soaking up every bit of the unexpected November warmth.

 

The rapid warm-up caused:

• Fast snowmelt across the county

• Minor pooling on low-lying driveways and sidewalks

• A big contrast between Monday’s winter coats and Friday’s T-shirts

 

Many locals joked online that the week felt like “all four seasons in five days.”

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🌡 Why the Extreme Swing?

 

The sharp turnaround came from a massive shift in upper-air patterns. The cold northerly winds that fueled Monday’s lake-effect snow were quickly replaced by a surge of warm, moist air flowing up from the south — the same type of pattern that often brings unseasonably warm temperatures in late fall.

 

Weather experts said the combination of cold air over the lake followed by a rapid warm-air push is unusual but not unheard of for November.

 

Still, a 40-degree jump after a foot of snow is something even long-time locals hadn’t seen in quite a while.

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🌦 What Residents Should Expect Next

 

With the big melt behind us, Kenosha now transitions back into more typical November temperatures — cooler days, chilly nights, and the potential for more weather surprises as the season goes on.

 

After a week like this, residents may want to:

• Clean gutters after the rapid snowmelt

• Check sump pumps in case of lingering moisture

• Prepare winter gear for the next cold surge

• Enjoy the warm memories while they last