First sub-zero weather of 2025 recorded in La Crosse, but mild temps are on the way

The Coulee Region has just gotten some of its chilliest weather since before Christmas.

The official low temperature in La Crosse on Tuesday was -3 degrees, the first low recorded below zero in the city during 2025. La Crosse had sub-zero weather on three days during December, including one low of -12 just before Christmas.

It’s not nearly cold enough now to close school, according to La Crosse superintendent, Dr. Aaron Engel, but severe cold in recent years has led to closings.

Engel said Monday on WIZM’s La Crosse Talk that during one recent year, “we had four days off of school, kind of across the area,” recalling that temperatures got below -30 for four days straight.

“When it’s that cold,” Engel continued, “you can’t have kindergarteners standing out at the end of the road, waiting for the bus. Frostbite can develop in minutes, so we want to make sure our kids are safe.”

Engel added that the weather would have to get much colder — 25-below zero — for classes to be called off.

For the next few days, the La Crosse area should have a brief warm-up, possibly getting to 40 degrees above zero by Friday. After that, the next chance for sub-zero temps will be on Saturday night.