MONROE — The first winter storm of the 2025-26 snow season hit the region over Thanksgiving weekend — and it preceded a drop in temperatures thanks to a dipped jet stream.

The system moved northeast from southeast Colorado into southern Lower Michigan and impacted northeast Iowa, southeast Minnesota, and western Wisconsin from the evening of Nov. 28 into the morning of Nov. 30. The main impact from the storm was the snowfall. Snow totals ranged from 2.5 inches near Medford (Taylor County) to 13 inches in Lancaster (Grant County). 

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Monroe received 12.3 inches of snow, nearly a foot higher than the yearly average by December 1 (1.1 inches). Brodhead had a foot of snow, while Argyle registered 11.0 inches and Darlington 10.1 inches.

The Nov. 29 snowfall in Madison (9.3 inches) set a new record for the day, smashing the old mark of 6.0 inches from 1991. The storm also broke Madison’s November total mark, which was 7.6 inches in 1995.

Milwaukee (6.1 inches) had its previous record from 1971 broken as well (3.3 inches)

The official National Weather Service (NWS) snow observers near Rochester (Minn.) International Airport marked record-setting snowfalls. Rochester received a total of 8.5 inches of snow (3-day total). Of the total, 7.6 inches fell on Nov. 29, which not only easily surpassed the previous snow record for the day (3.8 inches in 1988), but it was fifth largest one-day November snowfall. 

This week temperatures are expected to be below normal. As of 11:35 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 1, it was 23 degrees in Monroe, with the wind chill sitting at 17. 

Wednesday, Dec. 3 is supposed to have a high of 30 and a low of -4 degrees — all with 14 mph winds, making the wind chill feel like 19 degrees at the warmest, and more than -25 during the overnight hours. Subzero- temps will continue on Thursday, Dec. 4, with the high just 11 degrees and a low of -3. Wind chills all day will be between -5 and -22.