If you have lived in West Allis for more than a week, you know the drill. You walk out the door at 7:00 AM wearing a heavy parka, and by noon, you are regretting every life choice as the sun hits the pavement near State Fair Park and the temperature jumps fifteen degrees.
The West Allis hourly weather isn't just a forecast. It's basically a test of character.
Right now, as we sit in the middle of January 2026, the local atmosphere is doing that weird Wisconsin thing where it can't decide if it wants to be a winter wonderland or a slushy mess. Today, Tuesday, January 13, is a prime example of why checking the hourly breakdown is more important than looking at the daily high.
The Current State of the West Allis Sky
Honestly, the "high of 49°F" you see on your phone is a bit of a lie. It’s a peak, not a plateau.
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Early this morning, we were hovering around 38°F with a wind chill that made it feel like 28°F. That 10-degree gap is the "Stallis Tax"—the price you pay for living in a place where southwest winds whip through the neighborhoods at 15 mph.
As we move through the afternoon, things are getting a little gray. We are looking at heavy cloud cover for most of the daylight hours. If you’re planning on hitting the shops along Greenfield Avenue or grabbing a quick bite, you’ve got a narrow window of "pleasant" before the sun goes down and the floor drops out.
The Afternoon Breakdown
By 2:00 PM, we hit that forecasted high of 49°F. It sounds warm for January, right?
Don't be fooled.
The humidity is sitting high at nearly 70%, which means that "mild" air is going to feel damp and heavy. There’s a slight 10% chance of a stray rain shower during the commute home, but the real story is the wind. It’s shifting to the west and picking up speed.
Why the Hourly Forecast Matters for Your Evening
If you are planning to be out past 6:00 PM, you need a different kit. The West Allis hourly weather shows a sharp transition as the sun sets.
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- 7:00 PM: Temperatures start to slide into the low 40s.
- 10:00 PM: We hit 34°F.
- Midnight: We are looking at 31°F and a 20% chance of snow showers.
This is the classic January "bait and switch." You leave the house in a light jacket because it’s nearly 50 degrees, and you come back to your car at 11:00 PM to find a dusting of snow and a freezing windshield.
Lisa Michaels and the team over at FOX6 have been tracking this weak La Niña pattern all season. It’s why we are seeing these wild swings—one day it’s 45, the next day the wind chill is -15. According to the National Weather Service in Sullivan, this volatility is the hallmark of the 2025/2026 winter.
The Microclimate Myth
People think West Allis weather is exactly like Milwaukee weather. It's close, but not quite.
Being just a few miles inland from Lake Michigan actually matters quite a bit. We don't get the same "lake effect" intensity as the East Side, but we also lose that lake-moderated warmth in the early winter. When a cold front moves in from the west, West Allis feels it 15 to 20 minutes before it hits the lakefront.
It’s a subtle difference, but it’s the difference between "I should probably salt the driveway" and "I'll do it tomorrow."
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Preparing for the Next 24 Hours
Looking ahead to Wednesday, January 14, the "warmth" of today will be a distant memory. The high tomorrow is only 29°F, and the low is 14°F. That is a 35-degree swing in less than 24 hours.
If you have outdoor chores, do them now. Seriously.
The wind is expected to gust up to 25 mph tonight as the cold front pushes through. This will likely drop the visibility if those snow showers actually manifest. Even a "coating to an inch" can turn the Miller Parkway interchange into a nightmare during the morning rush.
Actionable Steps for West Allis Residents:
- Check the Dew Point: When it’s close to the air temperature like it is today (29°F dew point at 34°F air temp), expect fog or frost on your windows tonight.
- Layers are Mandatory: The 20-degree drop between 3:00 PM and 10:00 PM means you need an extra layer in the car.
- Wind Shielding: If you are walking the dog, head toward the neighborhoods with more mature trees to break the 17 mph gusts predicted for this evening.
- Monitor the Turn: Watch the 9:00 PM hour. That’s when the wind shifts from WSW to WNW, signaling the arrival of the colder Arctic air.
Keep an eye on the radar. In West Allis, the weather doesn't just change; it shifts gears without using the clutch. Stay warm, keep the salt handy, and don't trust a 49-degree day in January further than you can throw a snow shovel.