Monarchs from the generation that emerged last autumn began heading north from Mexico in March, laying eggs along the way. By now, that generation has died, and their offspring are continuing the journey northward. Based on counts from CONANP (Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas – the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas) and the World Wildlife Fund-Mexico, about 64% more monarchs headed northward in spring 2026 than in 2025.

Monarchs have returned to the north earlier this year than for the past several years. The first monarchs usually appear in Wisconsin during the second week of May, but they arrived well before that this year. We can track their progress, thanks to people throughout the state who report monarchs that they see to Journey North and Wisconsinbutterflies.org.

Journey North’s up-to-the-minute map of monarch sightings shows the first monarch in Wisconsin this spring in Prairie du Sac on April 16 and the first photo-documented observation in Elm Grove on April 21.

Wisconsinbutterflies.org provides a record of all (not just monarchs) butterfly sightings, with a monarch sighting on the east side of Madison on April 24. Only three years (out of 21) have had first sightings in April.

How monarchs fare this summer will depend on the weather. Their journey to their northern breeding range was not an easy one, with drought conditions through most of the southern US (see map). But those that make it up here are facing good conditions; if you’ve been in Wisconsin over the last month, you know that we’ve had plenty of rain! Early arrivals don’t always bode well. Other early years were in 2009, 2012, 2017, and 2018. The first three of those years ended with low numbers, but 2018 was the biggest year for monarchs in Mexico since 2006. The good news is that milkweed is popping up, in my garden and throughout the state, so this year’s early arrivals should find host plants for egg-laying.