For folks that don't like the cold and snow, this forecast is for you! Unfortunately this pattern does not bode so well for our Northwoods economy which depends on snow and of course below freezing temps for most outdoor activities. Since December, we've posted the 12th warmest winter thus far here in Rhinelander when taking into account overall average temperatures which is at 18.3°. Wausau was even warmer with an overall average temperature of 22.8° which puts them in 4th place overall.

Don't expect any changes for this weekend as temps continue to remain on the unseasonably mild side with highs into the upper 30's and low 40's. Also expect more sunshine throughout this weekend as high pressure remains in command of the weather across the northern US. We'll finally see some changes into next week as colder air moves into the area Monday night into Tuesday. That colder push of air could touch off a few lake effect snow showers across the Northwoods, but at this point, it looks like any accumulating snow will be held to the core of the snowbelts.


Gearing up for Super Bowl weekend!
Chief Meteorologist Matt Benz
Forecast updated 10:00 PM Friday

Rhinelander Snowfall:
Last 24 Hours: 0.0"
Last 72 Hours: Trace
Last 5 Days: 0.8"


Saturday: Partly cloudy and continued mild.
Temps: 36° to 42°
Winds: NNW @ 3-8 mph

Super Sunday: More sun that clouds. Continued mild!
Temps: 36° to 42°
Winds: WSW @ 5-10 mph


If you are interested in being a daily weather observer for your town call 715-365-8812, or email mbenz@wjfw.com for more information!!!
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Related weather notes...

If you would like a Meteorologist to speak to your group or class contact:

Matt Benz: mbenz@wjfw.com

or call the Weather Center at: 715-365-8812

If you have a weather photo that you want to put on the air, send it to weatherphoto@wjfw.com for consideration!

Matt joined WJFW back in February of 2008 as Weekend Meteorologist, was promoted to Morning Meteorologist in May of 2008 and has been Chief Meteorologist since September of 2010.

Matt graduated in May of 2007 from the University of North Dakota with B.S. degrees in Atmospheric Sciences and Environmental Geography. During his years in North Dakota, Matt was involved with several campus weather and news shows including Prairie Weather Update, River Watch, UND Weather Update and Studio One in which he worked as a forecaster, producer, anchor and feature reporter.

Matt grew up in Eden Prairie, a suburb of Twin Cities in Minnesota, but is a cheesehead at heart and has the Packer Jerseys to prove it! He's considered the Northwoods his second home since childhood as his family’s roots are from all across the Northwoods and Central Wisconsin. In fact his grandparents are Weather Watchers for the evening shows on Newswatch 12!

Believe it or not, Matt equates his move to the Northwoods as a move to the tropics as the winters in North Dakota can be cold, long, but exciting! While living in Grand Forks, Matt honed his forecasting skills with a wide range of weather including frequent blizzards, record setting cold of -43°F (-70° with the wind chill) and snirt (combination of snow & dirt)!

Matt enjoys fishing and hunting during the summer & fall and skiing, snowmobiling and ice fishing when the snow begins to fall. He looks forward to living in the Northwoods and exploring what Northern Wisconsin has to offer!

Matt joined WJFW in April of 2010.

He was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and spent his childhood in the suburb of Wauwatosa. As a kid, he was terrified of storms and ran for cover every time he heard a crack of thunder. Around the age of 12, Matt started asking questions about the weather rather than being afraid of it and quickly grew to love the science of weather. He greatly admired WTMJ's Chief Meteorologist Paul Joseph as a child, and knew that he wanted to take a similar path with his life.

Matt continued his tour of southern Wisconsin by enrolling at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In his first year at school, while collecting hail samples outside his dorm, he was hit by a baseball-sized hailstone! He completed his B.S. in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences in May of 2009. During his time in school, Matt interned at WKOW in Madison where he was lucky enough to have four other Meteorologists to teach him the intricacies of TV weather. Even after storm chasing for 12 hours in Iowa, Matt worked at the station as those same storms rolled through southern Wisconsin in the early morning hours, finally getting back home at 3 AM.

Matt feels fortunate to begin his meteorological career in his home state. In addition to exploring the greater Rhinelander area, Matt enjoys almost anything involving sports. His particular favorites are volleyball, golf, baseball, and soccer, and he enthusiastically supports the Packers, Brewers, and Badgers. Matt also loves going to concerts, discovering new music, and playing his guitar as much (and as loud) as he can. He welcomes any suggestions for places to visit or things to do that are unique to the region.

Ryan Michaels was born and raised in Sarasota, Florida. He has been a Florida resident all of his life until he joined the WJFW team in January of 2011 as a Weekend Meteorologist and Reporter.

When Ryan was growing up he first learned of his interests in meteorology at a young age. He remembers a local meteorologist giving a presentation to his third grade class, and how awesome it would be to be able to “predict the future” by telling someone what the weather will be like a few days in advance. He then became enthralled with hurricanes, tracking and attempting to forecast their path, earning him the nickname Weatherman among friends. He would hope the hurricanes would come his way because enough rain would flood his neighborhood and school, closing it for the day, giving him the day off.

Ryan graduated from The Florida State University in May of 2008, earning a Bachelors of Science degree in Meteorology. He spent most of his college years with WFSU-4FSU Weather where his broadcasting dreams came to life. After graduating he briefly pursued another passion, but maintained his dream of broadcasting by volunteering with WFSU and WCTV, where he soon realized he was born to forecast!

Ryan enjoys all forms of competition, whether it is sports or a simple board game. He is an avid golf enthusiast and cannot wait to see what courses Wisconsin and the Northwoods have to offer. Some of his favorite things to do are cook, workout, or root on one of his beloved sports teams.

Ryan is enjoying his new environment saying, “Feel free to contact me with any story ideas or exciting things to experience in the Northwoods”