Wisconsin and nearly half a million square miles of the US under a freeze warning Friday night

SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN -- The last time we fell well below freezing was April 16 and on Saturday morning, May 9 widespread freeze warnings are in effect. Freeze chances stretch from Green Bay all the way down to Nashville.

One of the most impressive statistics from this is that there are nearly half a million square miles of the United States that will see this late-season freeze. That's an area as big as Peru!

Cold Weather Alerts for Saturday morning, May 9

Everyone in southeast Wisconsin will have a good chance of dropping into the upper 20s. Bringing in or covering sensitive plants is highly recommended, especially in low valley areas.

Low-temperature forecast for Saturday, May 9

Long term we will have multiple nights where low temps drop into the mid to low 30s, but looking at climate averages our odds of getting back into the 20s dramatically decrease after Mother's Day in Milwaukee.

Only one time on record have we dipped into the 20s after May 10, which was back on May 27, 1961.