Power Outage in Madison, WI

Tornado damage path tracked from southeast of Stoughton and ended up by Washington Rd east of the city. Mainly tree damage noted along the path, though there were some farm outbuildings that had roofing damage along with some powerlines being snapped near Tower Drive.

Tornado damage path tracked from southeast of Stoughton and ended up by Washington Rd east of the city. Mainly tree damage noted along the path, though there were some farm outbuildings that had roofing damage along with some powerlines being snapped near Tower Drive.

Trees down on a house and a power pole. Small branches down.

Large tree and power line down.

Numerous trees and power lines down in the area.

Numerous trees and power lines down. Debris flying past window on 8th story of office building.

Numerous trees and power poles down.

Scattered trees and power lines down on the north and east sides of Madison.

Westerly wind gusts of 40 to 50 mph. Scattered tree limbs down and some power outages.

Snow accumulations of 3 to 4 inches. A brief period of slick roads during the morning rush hour caused some vehicle slide-offs and accidents. Power outages from tree limbs landing on power lines. Approximately 1,200 customers were without power in Middleton.

A lake cruiser on Lake Monona had its canopy blown-off from straight-line winds. The boat did make it to shore and the 33 occupants were not injured. In Monona, large tree branches and power lines were downed, including one large Oak tree.

A lake cruiser on Lake Monona had its canopy blown-off from straight-line winds. The boat did make it to shore and the 33 occupants were not injured. In Monona, large tree branches and power lines were downed, including one large Oak tree.

An EF0 tornado started near the intersection of S. First St. and Winnebago St. in Madison and tracked over 9 miles to Sun Prairie, paralleling Highway 151 for most of the path. In Madison, approximately, 200 trees were damaged or destroyed. Some of the trees landed on homes, garages, and vehicles. At least three households were displaced due to damage to their homes. The rear wall of a car wash collapsed, and the three-season porch of a home collapsed. A roof was partially torn away from a commercial building. Many power lines were downed with some arcing. In total, four commercial buildings and 12-18 homes sustained some damage. In Sun Prairie, near and east of the intersection of W. Main St. and O'Keeffe Ave., several traffic standards, streets signs, and construction barrels were damaged or knocked down. A truck topper was removed from a truck and a small wood shed was damaged. Several trees and branches were down, including a tree on a house.

Numerous trees and power lines down from the near west side of Madison to the near east side of Madison. A brick wall was destroyed from a fallen tree on the near west side.

Numerous trees and power lines down from the near west side of Madison to the near east side of Madison. A brick wall was destroyed from a fallen tree on the near west side.

Scattered downed trees and limbs across the county with some falling on power lines. Around 2,200 customers were without power in Madison around 4 pm CDT according to Madison Gas and Electric.

Many trees knocked down with one landing on a house and another on a powerline.

A swath of downburst wind damage occurred. Many 20 to 30 inch diameter trees down. Trees down on houses and power lines. Shingle and siding damage at one residence.

A tornado snapped and uprooted numerous large trees with some trees landing on homes and cars. Power poles and power lines knocked down. A roof removed from one home and a roof removed from a business. Shingle damage to other homes. Boats and small sailboats sunk or missing. An 80 pound canoe and two kayaks thrown.

A newspaper article reported 23 trees and numerous power-lines blown down by thunderstorm wind gusts estimated at 65 mph (56 knots) about 1 mile west-northwest of Dane County Regional Airport. Some cars and homes were also damaged by the downed trees.

A trained spotter reported several large tree branches in excess of 6 inches in diameter downed by thunderstorm wind gusts estimated at 60 mph (52 knots) 7 miles southwest of the State Capitol in Madison. A couple power-lines were snapped by the tree debris.

Firefighters reported numerous trees, power lines and some power poles downed by thunderstorm wind gusts, estimated at 75 mph (65 knots), along a 5-mile wide path from 2 miles northwest of Roxbury to 2.5 miles east of Marshall. An old barn was completely blown down; a shed was moved 4 feet off of it's foundation; and roof shingles, siding and downspouts were torn off of a couple of homes in the village of Dane.

Strong gradient winds downed tree branches and power lines, causing scattered power outages across Dane County.

A trained spotter reported numerous trees and power lines downed along a path from Oregon to northeast of Albion from damaging severe thunderstorm wind gusts estimated at 65 knots (75 mph). The winds tore some siding off a home in Oregon. Heavy rain caused ponding of water on area roadways, with water over the curb on some streets in Oregon.

The Dane County Emergency Manager reported trees and power lines down in a 10-mile wide swath from near Daleyville to north of Albion due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts estimated at 56 knots (64 mph). Corn crops, valued at $300,000, were also flattened. A home in Belleville suffered roof damage when a tree fell on it.

The Dane County Emergency Manager reported trees and power lines down in a 10-mile wide swath from near Daleyville to north of Albion due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts estimated at 56 knots (64 mph). Corn crops, valued at $300,000, were also flattened. A home in Belleville suffered roof damage when a tree fell on it.

Powerful thunderstorm winds pushed over several large trees, and broken tree branches snapped a few power-lines in a 2 to 3 mile wide swath. A business's tower was toppled into its parking lot.

This tornado spun up southwest of Verona about 1/2 mile southwest of the intersection of CTH G and Sugar River Road, and traveled east-northeast to about 3 miles northeast of McFarland about 1.5 miles east-northeast of the intersection of Interstate 39/90 and STH 12/18. The damage path was sporadic. On the south side of Verona, numerous trees were uprooted, a garage was crushed by a fallen tree, and 3 vehicles were damaged by fallen trees. Several power lines were pulled down by broken tree branches. Scattered uprooted trees and/or broken tree branches were seen along the remainder of the tornado path. However, most of the damage occurred in the Verona area. Maximum winds in this EF1 tornado were about 95 mph based on DI 27 (TH), DOD 3. The actual starting location was 42.98002/-89.58399 and the ending location was 43.05538/-89.26050. The average path width was about 70 yards.

Sheriff deputies reported large trees and power lines blown down from damaging thunderstorm wind gusts estimated at 65 knots (75 mph).

Emergency Management reported large trees and power lines down in extreme southwestern Dane County, south of Daleyville, along Drammen Valey Rd. This damage was an extension of a damage swath that extended west into Iowa County and south-southwest into northwestern Green County and northeastern Lafayette County.

Powerful thunderstorm wind gusts toppled several large trees and broke branches that brought down some power-lines. One home had its living room and bedroom windows and wall damaged by a toppled large tree.

Powerful thunderstorm wind gusts broke large branches out of trees.

Powerful thunderstorms winds knocked large branches out of several trees.

Powerful thunderstorm straight-line winds toppled trees which then pulled down power lines.

Strong southeast wake-low winds gusting to 39 knots (45 mph) resulted in scattered reports of broken tree branches damaging power-lines. Additiionally, on the top of the 15-story AOS Building on the UW-Madison campus, a gust to 50 knots (58 mph) was measured at 1047CST.

Lightning struck a power-pole, causing the attached power-line to fall onto a water-covered ground around a bus stop. As a result, three people were electrocuted - two of them while standing in the water waiting for a bus, and another person who got off of the bus. All three fatalities were indirectly-related to lightning since the people weren't struck by the lightning bolt. Two other people were injured and treated for shock at a hospital.

Powerful thunderstorm wind gusts to around 52 knots (60 mph) toppled saeveral large trees and branches. Several power-lines were damaged.

Powerful thunderstorm wind gusts to around 56 knots (65 mph) toppled saeveral large trees and branches. A power-line was damaged.

Powerful thunderstorm wind gusts to around 56 knots (65 mph) toppled saeveral large trees and branches. A power-line was damaged.

Trees and power-lines down near the south Beltline.

Bricks were taken off a building in downtown Madison due to severe, hurricane-force wind gusts to an estimated 65 knots (75 mph). Dozens of power-lines were damaged. At least 3 vehicles were either damaged or destroyed by fallen trees. Many roads were blocked by the tree debris. A large tree was toppled onto a home on the near east side of Madison, resulting in minor roof damage.

Hurricane force wind gusts to 71 knots (82 mph) produced tree and power line damage 4.0 miles northeast of Monona.

A strong and destructive tornado spun up at 1715CST about 2.8 miles southeast of the geographic center of Fitchburg (or 2.0 miles north of center of Oregon), about 400 yards southwest of the intersection of CTH MM and Schnieder Rd. It continued east-southeast to the southern edge of Lake Kegonsa and tore through residential neighborhoods about 1/3 to 1/2 mile north of CTH B (Civil Towns of Dunn and Pleasant Springs, and far-northern Stoughton). It moved over the crossing of CTH A with Interstate 90/39, and stayed close to CTH A to its exit point at 1905CST where CTH A crosses into Jefferson County, about 2.8 miles south-southwest of Rockdale. One person was crushed to death in their basement from fireplace and chimney bricks that crashed through the floor. Twenty-three (23) other people were directly injured. In addition, Emergency Management officials received reports of 2 other indirectly-related deaths associated with this strong tornado. In these two cases, the people were already very ill or suffering from a life-ending disease. Injuries they received during the tornado contributed (secondary) to their death, but were not the primary cause of death, based on medical examiner reports. Consequently, these additional two deaths do not appear in the official death tally in the header strip of this event. Numerous homes, businesses, farm buildings, vehicles, power-lines, trees, and other personal effects were either damaged or destroyed along its path that grew to a maximum width of about 600 yards north of Stoughton. As for residential structures, 220 sustained minor damage, 84 had major damage, and 69 were destroyed. As for business structures, 6 sustained minor damage, 1 had major damage, and 1 was destroyed. As for agricultural structures, 5 sustained minor damage, 5 had major damage, and 40 were destroyed. Total estimated damage amounts (directly-related) for private and public sectors combined was $35.06 M, broken down to $34.31 M in property damage and $750 K in crop losses, for the tornado segment in Dane County. This tornado was probably the 3rd most costly tornado in Wisconsin's recorded history (1996 Oakfield tornado and 1984 Barneveld tornadoes were more costly). The $34.31 M in property damage was broken down to private losses (total of 32.29 M) and public losses (total of $2.02 M), per Emergency Manager reports and NWS estimates. The private losses included a total of $25.45 M for residential structures, $1.29 M for businesses, $4.25 M for agricultural structures, $1.00 M for damage to vehicles, boats, and other personal effects, $200 K to agricultural machinery and tools, and $96 K in public road system damage. The public losses making up part of the $34.31 M consisted of $2.02 M in damage to public utility systems. The $750 K in damage attributed to crop losses occurred on an estimated 1,550 acres of land. Additional monetary costs incurred in the public sector (totaling $1.84 M) which are considered indirectly-related damage expenses, and not included in the "direct" totals listed in the header-strip of this event, include: $1.38 M in debris clearance, $308 K in protective measures, and miscellaneous damage/expenses of $144 K. Therefore, the grand total of direct and indirect damage amounts and expenses attributed to this tornado segment in Dane county totaled about $36.89 M.Just south of the tornado, extending out another mile or so, tree and power-line damage resulted from rear-flank downdraft damage - in some cases south to STH 51. This damage is separate from tornado damage, and isn't included in the numbers in previous sentences. Debris from this tornado was lofted by the parent's updraft and carried downstream to scattered locations in the counties of Jefferson, Waukesha, Milwaukee, Walworth, Racine, and Kenosha. This tornado was extensively photographed and video-taped by storm spotters (amateur radio operators, etc.), storm chasers, and private citizens. On occasions, this tornado displayed multiple-vortex characteristics. Due to partial back-building (to the west-southwest) of the supercell's updraft tower, this tornado moved slowly, and was described by some eyewitnesses and spotters as being nearly stationary at times north of Stoughton. The overall slow movement (supercell moved at 12-17 knots, or 10-15 mph), coupled with structures that were not thoroughly reinforced (based on NWS damage survey), allowed the tornado's cyclonic winds to more severely damage buildings in its path. Consequently, although some of the worst damage resembled what would be left by a F4 tornado for well-built homes, this tornado was rated at the top of the F3 category with estimated winds near 174 knots (200 mph). The F3 category has estimated wind speeds of 137-179 knots (158-206 mph). A sampling of newspaper headlines and personal quotes included: "The Sky Just Exploded," "Hard to Believe There Weren't More Deaths," "New Technology Lowers Tornado Deaths," "Counting Losses, Blessings," "It Was Probably The Most Intense Storm In The Country This Year," "It's a Mess Out Here," and "I've Never Experienced Anything Like This." The tornado cut electrical power for 1700 customers in the Stoughton area. The estimated average path length was about 175 yards.

This tornado developed just north of the F3 Stoughton tornado path, at 1810CST about 1.6 miles south-southwest of Rockdale, or 0.2 mile southwest of the intersection of Hoopen Rd. and East Church Rd. The tornado tracked east along or near Hooopen Rd., until it dissipated at a location 1.3 south-southeast of Rockdale at 1815CST, or about 0.2 miles northeast of the intersection of Hoopen Rd. and Pleasant Rd. Many large trees were uprooted or twisted, and minor damage was inflicted on 3 homes and one pole shed. In addition, power-lines were knocked down. This tornado was rated F1 with estimated winds of 64-97 knots (73-112 mph). Average path width was about 50 yards.

A wave of low pressure brought a swath of moderate snow across south central and east central WI from late evening on October 28th into the early morning hours of October 29th. Snow accumulation of 3 to 4 inches occurred with some slick roads reported. The weight of the snow on trees, that still had their leaves, did cause tree limbs to break and land on power lines. Some power outages occurred.

A powerful line of thunderstorms moved across southern Wisconsin during the evening of June 28, 2017. These storms brought damaging winds and 3 tornadoes to the area.

A line of strong to severe thunderstorms producing damaging winds accompanied the passage of a cold front from the late evening on March 6th into the early morning hours on March 7th. Trees and power lines were downed over portions of southern WI along with some structural damage.

Persistent warm and moist advection over an outflow boundary triggered thunderstorms over west central WI that organized into a large and slow moving squall line. The slow moving line of storms produced numerous areas of straight line wind damage and some areas of flash flooding over southern WI during the late afternoon and evening hours. Power outages across southern WI affected approximately 25,000 customers.

A cluster of severe thunderstorms brought damaging winds across much of South Central Wisconsin during the afternoon of May 19th. The wind gusts, between 60 mph and 75 mph (52 knots to 65 knots), blew down numerous trees and power lines. The severe thunderstorms developed on the nose of a strengthening low-level jet ahead of the first of a series of short-wave troughs/impulses lifting through the western Great Lakes region on the eastern side of a deep upper-level trough over the Dakotas. The low-level winds brought in an unstable air mass, with surface-based CAPE of 1000 to 1300 J/kg, with 0-6km shear of 35 to 40 knots supporting sustained updrafts and rotating storms.

Ice accumulations of 1/10 to 2/10 of an inch brought down tree limbs and power lines causing scattered power outages. Some trees were felled by the weight of the accumulated ice combined with strong northeast winds gusting to around 35 mph. The freezing rain and sleet were on the northern edge of a large precipitation shield associated with persistent warm air advection aloft, with the rain falling into a sub-freezing layer near the ground.

A wake low developed behind an area of rain showers as a dry slot around surface low pressure moved through the region in the early morning hours of April 11th. There were reports of downed tree branches and scattered power outages due to downed power lines, as well as entire trees being downed by the powerful wind gusts that reached as high as 63 mph (55 knots) at a mesonet site at Madison's Capital Square and 60 mph (52 knots) at Lone Rock Airport.

A blizzard brought record double-digit snowfall to much of South-Central and a portion of Southeast Wisconsin. Winds gusted to between 40 and 48 mph during the peak of the storm...bringing near-zero visibilities and severe drifting across the region. Major highways as well as a majority of side roads became nearly impassible as plowing operations were greatly limited, or completely suspended as plows became stuck in the heavy, wet, drifting snow. Area airports suspended all flight operations. A maximum wind gust of 48 mph (42 knots) was measured at the Monroe Airport in Green County. A new daily snowfall record was set at Madison Truax Field with 13.3 on calendar day December 20th (old record was 4.6 in 2000). This is the 2nd highest total for any single calendar day. The greatest calendar day snowfall in Madison was 17.3 inches on December 3, 1990. The UW-Arlington Experimental Farm in Columbia County measured 14.0 inches for the 24-hour period ending 700 AM CST December 21st, which tied the 1-Day snowfall record for that county. The 2-day (19) and 3-Day (21) at this location were new records. The 2-day (21.5) and 3-Day (21.8) snowfall totals in Mt. Horeb established new records for Dane County. The 2-day (20.5) and 3-Day (21.2) snowfall totals in Dodgeville established new records for Iowa County. The 2-day (20.1) and 3-Day (24.1) snowfall totals in the Town of Westford established new records for Dodge County. The 2-day (16.6) and 3-Day (18.2) snowfall totals in New Glarus established new records for Green County. Elsewhere in south-central and parts of Southeast Wisconsin several other sites were within 10% of their county's 1-Day, 2-Day and 3-day records. In addition to the heavy snow and near-zero visibilities, the strong gusty winds downed tree limbs and power lines, with utility companies reporting 34,500 customers without power at the height of the storm. This blizzard was triggered by a strong low pressure which tracked from southeast Kansas to near Chicago the evening of December 20th...reaching the southern tip of Lake Huron by the morning of December 21st. Warm air wrapping into the system initially brought rain into parts of south-central and southeast Wisconsin before changing over to all snow. A new daily precipitation record was set in Madison...1.16 inches of liquid equivalent precipitation on Thursday, December 20th, which broke the previous record of 0.80 inches, set in 1882.

The month ended with several lines of strong and severe thunderstorms crossing Southeast Wisconsin during the late evening hours of July 30th into the early morning hours of July 31st. Hail up to 1.50 inch in diameter and damaging wind gusts up to 65 mph affected Fond Du Lac County with the first line, with a second line hitting locations along and south of the Interstate 94 corridor from Dane County east to Lake Michigan. WE Energies reported 15,000 customers were without power.

A frontal boundary draped across central and southern Wisconsin was the focus for the development of thunderstorms during the day on July 18th. An upper-level wave moving out of the Plains towards the western Great Lakes provided extra dynamic lift and shear to produce severe thunderstorms with large hail up to 2 inches in diameter and damaging wind gusts up to 71 mph during the late afternoon and evening hours. There were many reports of uprooted trees and broken large tree branches and scattered reports of power outages once tree debris fell on power-lines.

The Memorial Day holiday became turbulent during the late afternoon and evening hours as a line of severe thunderstorms ahead of a cold front crossed southern Wisconsin, producing damaging winds gusts and large hail up to 1.25 inches in diameter. An unstable air mass was in place, with high temperatures in the upper 80s to around 90, and dew points in the lower 60s, that produced mixed-layer CAPE values of 1000-1800 J/kg, with forcing along the front enhanced by weak upper level divergence and weak differential vorticity advection. While directional shear was minimal, with above-surface winds unidirectional from the west, there was sufficient speed shear to support organized updrafts, and for the individual cells to merge into bowing line segments. Numerous reports of downed trees and power lines were received, as well as some minor structural damage. There were also many large hail reports, mainly along and south of a line from northern Sauk County, near Reedsburg and the Wisconsin Dells, to northern Ozaukee County near Port Washington. Fire officials in Edgerton, in northeast Rock County, and in the city of Jackson in Washington County reported structural fires caused by lightning strikes.

Surface low pressure, tracking from northern Missouri across extreme northeast Illinois to northern Lower Michigan, was accompanied by a strong upper-level disturbance moving across the western Great Lakes region. These features combined with a favorable thermal profile to produce 3 to 6 inches of heavy, wet snow across northwest portions of South Central Wisconsin during the morning and early afternoon hours of November 9th. Power lines and tree limbs snapped under the weight of the heavy snow that had collected on them. Snowfall totals for the event included La Valle with 7.2 inches; Reedsburg with 6.4 inches; Baraboo with 6 inches; and Mineral Point with 5.5 inches of snow. The 7-inch amount was isolated and therefore prevented this event from being entered as a winter storm. In addition to the snow, the tight pressure gradient around the low produced sustained northeast to north winds of 15 to 25 mph, with gusts of 35 to 45 mph, reducing visibilities and adding to travel difficulties.

Strong and gusty northwest winds developed over South-Central and Southeast Wisconsin behind a cold front trailing from rapidly strengthening low pressure that tracked across northern Wisconsin into northern Lower Michigan on Thursday, September 29th. The resulting tight pressure gradient over the state produced 850 mb winds of 45 knots (52 mph) and 925 mb winds of 35 to 40 knots (45 and 55 mph). Surface winds gusted between 45 mph and 55 mph (39 to 48 knots), driven by 3-hourly pressure rises on the order of 4 millibars. The strong winds toppled trees and downed power lines at scattered locations across South-Central and Southeast Wisconsin.

A pair of mesoscale convective complexes crossed southern Wisconsin during the early morning hours of July 11th. The first complex weakened as it moved eastward through northern sections of South Central and Southeast Wisconsin, though it produced severe wind gusts that caused damage across eastern Green Lake County into Fond Du Lac and Dodge counties. The second, stronger, complex moved along and south of the I-94 corridor. Embedded bow echo structures on radar indicated portions of the complex that caused widespread damaging wind gusts that downed power lines, blew over trees, damaged buildings, and flattened barns and corn fields. At the height of the event, WE Energies reported 28,000 customers were without power in Southeast Wisconsin.

A powerful low pressure center, passing south of Wisconsin, produced blizzard conditions across much of southern Wisconsin from the evening hours of Tuesday, February 1st into the early morning of Wednesday, February 2nd. Snow associated with the system began in the mid-afternoon hours of February 1st in far southern Wisconsin and became heavy as it pushed northward into the state through the evening. Very strong winds were associated with this storm for an extended period of time. Sustained winds of 30 to 40 mph were common through the event, with peak wind gusts between 45 and 50 mph. The combination of high winds and heavy snow created widespread sustained visibilities of less than 1/4 mile, with frequent whiteout conditions and near zero visibilities. Twenty-four hour snowfall totals were between 12 and 14 inches, with 14.5 inches of snow measured in Middleton, 12.7 inches recorded at Dane County Regional Airport, 12.2 inches in Portage and 12 inches in Mineral Point. In addition to the snow that fell during the blizzard, several inches of snow fell on Jan 31. It's possible that some locations did not see a break in snowfall between the evening of January 31st and the morning of February 2nd. Many cooperative observer stations set records for multi-day snowfall totals. Stoughton tied a record with a one-day (2/1) snowfall of 14 inches, and set new two-day (1/31-2/1) and three-day (1/31-2/2) record snowfalls with 19.1 inches for each period. Snow drifts of 3 to 6 feet were common, with reports of some drifts reaching 12 to 15 feet in open rural areas. Drifting snow closed county roads, with many stranded motorists having to be rescued from vehicles buried in the drifting snow. About 100 National Guardsman were mobilized statewide in response to Gov. Scott Walker's emergency declaration for 29 counties to help rescue motorists and run emergency shelters at armories. The blizzard led to early dismissals on February 1st at many area schools, and kept them closed through February 3rd. Snow drifted up to the roof of the Yahara Elementary School in De Forest (Dane County). The strong, gusty winds sheared off the sign at a Super 8 motel in Columbus in Columbia County.

An upper-level trough deepened over the central Plains, developing a deep area of surface low pressure that tracked from Iowa across Illinois. The system produced heavy snow across all of Wisconsin, with portions of the south initially seeing rain, limiting snow amounts there. Gusty winds of 40 to 60 mph accompanied the heavy snow, producing blizzard conditions over most of southern Wisconsin from the afternoon of December 11th into the afternoon of December 12th. Snowfall totals ranged from 6 inches to 12 inches along and north of a Mineral Point to Port Washington line. A state of emergency was declared for all 72 counties by Governor James Doyle. The driving conditions were dire enough for the state Department of Transportation and the State patrol to issue a travel advisory recommending no travel on any Wisconsin highways from the evening of the 11th through the day on the 12th. Interestate-43 was reduced to one lane in each direction at times, with Interstate-94 closed for 3 1/2 hours due to a multi-car accident. The blinding wind-driven snow caused many authorities to pull their snowplows from the roads until conditions improved. The near-whiteout conditions on Sunday caused many churches to cancel services. Many tree limbs and power lines were brought down by the combination of strong winds and heavy snow. WE Energies reported as many as 20,000 customers were without power during the time period from Saturday night the 11th through Sunday evening the 12th, including 6,000 in Dodge,Washington and Ozaukee counties with more than 100 crews out in the field. Alliant Energy reported 5,800 customers without power in Fond Du Lac and Sheboygan counties early Sunday the 12th.

An out-of-season round of strong to severe, surface-based, thunderstorms developed in Southeast Wisconsin during the mid-afternoon of November 22nd, which resulted in two tornadoes. This severe weather was related to low pressure lifting northeast from southwestern to central Wisconsin which brought a warm front up into southern Wisconsin. Afternoon temperatures peaked in the lower to mid 60s In the counties of Walworth, Racine, and Kenosha, with dewpoints reaching the mid to upper 50s. Instability with the unseasonable warmth just south of the warm front, with surface based CAPE values between 500 J/kg to 1000 J/kg, allowed for the thunderstorm development. Strong lift associated with the right entrance region of a 50 to 60 knot mid-level jet, strong deep layer shear and steep mid level lapse rates allowed super-cell thunderstorms with rotating updrafts to fire up along and ahead of a cold front trailing south of the low. Strong low-level shear developed just south of the warm front which led to one tornado in Walworth County and the other from far northern Kenosha County into southern Racine County around Union Grove. About 3,000 customers lost electric power due to the tornadoes and accompanying thunderstorms.

A short wave moving up the leading flank of an elongated large-scale trough that extended from the Upper Mississippi River Valley to the Central Plains provided large-scale lift for thunderstorm development over southern Wisconsin. A warm front extended across central Wisconsin back to surface low pressure over west-central Minnesota. This placed southern Wisconsin in a warm humid air mass, with temperatures in the 80's and dew points in the lower 70's producing CAPE values reaching 2000 J/kg. Deep-layer shear profiles were favorable for supercells as well as multicell line segments that produced damaging wind gusts. The thunderstorm winds caused widespread tree and power line damage. WE energies reported 23,000 customers were without power.

A line of severe thunderstorms developed over southwest Wisconsin in the warm sector ahead of an approaching low pressure system. These storms produced damaging winds, large hail up to 1.5 inches in diameter, and a weak EFO tornado that spun up near Mukwonago in Waukesha County. A total of 5800 customers lost electrical power due to tree debris impacting power-lines across southeast Wisconsin. At least 3800 of these customers were in the city of Whitwater (Walworth Co.). Warm, moist air and MLCAPE values of 1000-1500 J/kg continued to fuel the storms as they moved across southern Wisconsin. Surface air temperatures were in the upper 70s with dewpoints in the middle to upper 60s.

A deepening surface low pressure system tracked across northern Illinois into southern lower Michigan. The low produced a band of heavy snow and gusty winds across portions of South-central and East-central Wisconsin. A period of freezing rain deposited 0.10 to 0.20 of an inch of ice before changing over to all snow. Maximum snowfall totals of 6 to 7 inches fell across northwest Fond Du Lac, Green Lake, and Marquette counties. Snow totals in the counties of Sauk, Columbia, northern Dane, Dodge, and Sheboygan were only in the 2 to 5 inch range due to a mixture of rain, sleet, and freezing rain changing to snow. There were several media reports of broken tree branches, felled trees, and some scattered power outages due to the weight of the wet snow and freezing rain along with gusty winds to 30 to 35 knots (40 mph). An isolated gust to 55 knots (64 mph) was measured at the Sheboygan County Airport (KSBM) at 1513CST. In Sheboygan County the Sheriff Department reported at least a dozen vehicle accidents due to slippery streets and driving too fast for road conditions, and there were 19 reports of trees or branches down on power-lines in this county. Near Theresa in northeast Dodge County, a roll-over resulted in one injury (indirectly related).

The first winter storm of the 2008-09 winter season over south-central and southeast Wisconsin started during the afternoon hours of November 30th, but continued to 0400 CST in the pre-dawn hours of December 1st. Snow accumulations of 3 to 10 inches were accompanied by northeast winds gusting to 25 to 30 mph, which led to some blowing and drifting of the snow in open and exposed areas. Visibilities at the height of the storm were reduced to 3/8 to 5/8 mile. The greatest accumulations of 6 to 10 inches occurred in a 20-mile wide band extending from Clinton in southeast Rock County northeast to Delafield (Waukesha Co.) to West Bend (Washington Co.) to extreme north-central Sheboygan County. The northern extent of this band actually ended in central Manitowoc County. Maximum accumulations included 10 at Ada (5NW Howards Grove) and Random Lake in Sheboygan County; an estimated 9 to 10 in extreme northwest Ozaukee County; 9.4 at the NWS Forecast Office southeast of Sullivan (Jefferson Co.); 9.3 at Germantown (Washington Co.), 9.1 at West Bend (Washington Co.); 8 at 3SE Palmyra (Jefferson Co.), 7 at Delavan (Walworth Co.) and Eagle (Waukesha Co.); an estimated 6 to 7 in extreme northwest Milwaukee County and southeast Rock County; almost 6 in the extreme southeast corners of Fond du Lac County and Dodge County; 5 to 6 in extreme northwest Racine County; 4 in extreme northwest Kenosha County; 3.7 at Brodhead (Green Co.); and 3 in south-central Dane County. Numerous vehicle accidents were reported in all counties due to icy, slippery, and snow covered roads. Several delayed or cancelled airline flights at Milwaukee Mitchell Field were reported, where 3.3 were measured. The morning commute was slowed down based on Department of Transportation reports. Between 0600 CST and 0900 CST on December 1st, about 19,000 utility customers lost electrical power in parts of Milwaukee, Washington, Ozaukee, and Racine Counties due to tree branches impacting ice-covered power-lines. An indirect fatality was reported in Milwaukee County on December 1st when a 64-year-old man died while snow-blowing (he may have had a heart attack). In Sheboygan County on December 1st, vehicle accidents resulted in 5 people being indirectly injured, and in Green County 2 indirect injuries were reported. The indirect fatality and injuries were entered into the December, 2008, StormData issuance since they occurred in December. Synoptically, low pressure moved northeast through Missouri to Illinois to southern Michigan. Based on WSR-88D Doppler radar, some lake-enhancement (Lake Michigan) aided in snow accumulations thanks to northeast winds.

The first winter storm of the 2008-09 winter season over south-central and southeast Wisconsin started during the afternoon hours of November 30th, but continued to 0400 CST in the pre-dawn hours of December 1st. Snow accumulations of 3 to 10 inches were accompanied by northeast winds gusting to 25 to 30 mph, which led to some blowing and drifting of the snow in open and exposed areas. Visibilities at the height of the storm were reduced to 3/8 to 5/8 mile. The greatest accumulations of 6 to 10 inches occurred in a 20-mile wide band extending from Clinton in southeast Rock County northeast to Delafield (Waukesha Co.) to West Bend (Washington Co.) to extreme north-central Sheboygan County. The northern extent of this band actually ended in central Manitowoc County. Maximum accumulations included 10 at Ada (5NW Howards Grove) and Random Lake in Sheboygan County; an estimated 9 to 10 in extreme northwest Ozaukee County; 9.4 at the NWS Forecast Office southeast of Sullivan (Jefferson Co.); 9.3 at Germantown (Washington Co.), 9.1 at West Bend (Washington Co.); 8 at 3SE Palmyra (Jefferson Co.), 7 at Delavan (Walworth Co.) and Eagle (Waukesha Co.); an estimated 6 to 7 in extreme northwest Milwaukee County and southeast Rock County; almost 6 in the extreme southeast corners of Fond du Lac County and Dodge County; 5 to 6 in extreme northwest Racine County; 4 in extreme northwest Kenosha County; 3.7 at Brodhead (Green Co.); and 3 in south-central Dane County. Numerous vehicle accidents were reported in all counties due to icy, slippery, and snow covered roads. Several delayed or cancelled airline flights at Milwaukee Mitchell Field were reported, where 3.3 were measured. The morning commute was slowed down based on Department of Transportation reports. Between 0600 CST and 0900 CST on December 1st, about 19,000 utility customers lost electrical power due to the gusty winds pushing power-lines together. An indirect fatality was reported in Milwaukee County on December 1st when a 64-year-old man died while snow-blowing (he may have had a heart attack). In Sheboygan County on December 1st, vehicle accidents resulted in 5 people being indirectly injured, and in Green County 2 injuries were reported. The indirect fatality and injuries will be entered into the December, 2008, StormData issuance since they occurred in December. They are included in this episode narrative as information only. Synoptically, low pressure moved northeast through Missouri to Illinois to southern Michigan. Based on WSR-88D Doppler radar, some lake-enhancement (Lake Michigan) aided in snow accumulations thanks to northeast winds.

Post, cold-frontal, strong west winds raked parts of South-central and Southeast Wisconsin with peak gusts to 47 knots (54 mph). Media reports indicated that some wind-broken tree branches fell on power-lines, resulting in scattered power outages from the Mineral Point (Iowa Co.) area east to the Waukesha area (Waukesha Co.). Interestingly, in the built-up area of Madison, about 5 miles southwest of the Capital, a severe weather spotter measured only 30 knots (35 mph) for their peak gust. This can be expected in most windy situations due to the shadow effect of buildings and trees. The strong winds were associated with a tight, surface, pressure gradient generated by a deep low pressure that moved east across southern Canada. At Rapid City, SD, northwest winds at about the 18,000 feet and 39,000 feet level were measured at 120 knots (135 mph), and 150 knots (175 mph), respectively. Part of this wind energy eventually reached the western Great Lakes region.

Two rounds of severe weather affected south-central and southeast Wisconsin on July 10th. An initial cluster of storms north of the Milwaukee area in Ozaukee County pulsed to severe limits and generated large hail up to 3/4 inch in diameter during the early afternoon hours. A second round of severe weather was associated with several clusters or short bowing segments of lines of storms that moved west to east across southern Wisconsin during the late afternoon and evening hours. Surface temperatures in the 80s and surface dewpoints in the 60s resulted in CAPE values of 1500 to 2000 while a vorticiy maxima at 500 MB moved across Wisconsin. Veering winds allowed for the development of rotating updrafts in a couple cells that generated two weak tornadoes. Otherwise, the severe weather type was powerful downburst winds.

This episode was the 2nd round of severe storms over southern Wisconsin on July 7th. A line of storms moved west to east across southern Wisconsin during the evening hours. Powerful thunderstorm downburst winds were generated which knocked down trees and power-lines that left about 23,000 customers without electrical power. Additionally, one isolated tornado spun up on the leading edge of the line of storms in southern Green Lake County, where a microburst pushed ahead and enhanced local vorticiy/rotation in a storm cell. The storms were associated with a short-wave trough at 500 MB moving east through Wisconsin, with a 30 knot low-level jet at 850 MB. Surface temperatures were in the 80s and surface dewpoints werer around 70.

Scattered severe storms affected south-central Wisconsin wiht large hail and powerful downburst winds gusting to around 56 knots (65 mph). Synoptically, the storms resulted from a warm front pushing north through the area while low pressure moved norhteast through central Minnesota. Maximum daytime temperatures reached the lower 80s - the 1st time southern Wisconsin had experienced temperatures over 80 for the season. Surface dewpoints peaked in the upper 50s to lower 60s while jet stream winds of 70 to 75 knots aided in thunderstorm development.

Yet another winter storm pounded parts of south-central and east-central Wisconsin with freezing rain that changed to snow accumulations of 6 to 12 inches. Blowing and drifting of the snow was reported, and ice accumulations at the start were 1/10 to 1/8 of an inch. The freezing rain melted some of the existing snow cover that resulted in some ponding of water in low spots before things changed to all snow. Specific snow accumulations include 12 in Portage, 10.5 in Montello, 10.3 in Baraboo, 10 in both Berlin and La Valle, around 8 in northwestern Iowa County, 6 to 7 inches in western Dane County and the northern part of Lafayette County, 6 in far northwestern Green County and far northwestern Dodge County, 6 to 8 in far western Fond du Lac County, and 1 to 2 in western Sheboygan County. Hundreds of vehicle accidents were reported by the media. Scattered power outages affected about 30000 customers as tree branches fell onto power lines. A section of a roof of a Baraboo business partially collapsed due to the weight of accumulated snow and ice. A small part of the roof of a Wisconsin Dells business collapsed as well. Numerous civic functions were cancelled ahead of time. Synoptically, low pressure moved from eastern Texas to central Illinois to southeastern Wisconsin to northern lower Michigan.

A powerful winter storm raked south-central and southeast Wisconsin during the afternoon hours of January 29th into the pre-dawn hours of January 30th. The precipitation started off as rain and thunderstorms then changed to sleet and freezing rain which then changed to snow and blowing snow with plunging temperatures. Peak sustained northwest winds were on the order of 22 to 28 knots (25 to 32 mph) with peak gusts of 34 to 43 knots (39 to 49 mph). Visibilities were occasionally reduced to 1/4 to 1/2 mile in open areas. Dozens of vehicle accidents and slide-offs were noted by the media due to very slippery roads. Afternoon temperatures in the mid 30s to lower 40s quickly dropped through the 20s into the teens and then into the single digits by the evening hours, and eventually down to the -4F to -11F by the pre-dawn hours of the 30th. Although new snow amounts were only 1 to 3 inches, County Emergency Management Directors noted that this event was perceived as a winter storm due to the combination of thunderstorms, freezing rain, sleet, snow, blowing snow, strong winds, poor visibilities, and fast-falling temperatures. Synoptically, a strong low pressure moved northeast through Minnesota while a strong cold front swept southeast through Wisconsin. Another low pressure developed along the cold front while it was over northern Illinois, which led to a tightening pressure gradient and stronger winds over southern Wisconsin.

Short lines of severe thunderstorms moved east-northeast through south-central and southeast Wisconsin during the overnight hours. Some cell movement exceeded 43 kts (50 mph) to the east. Powerful downburst winds reached hurricane-force at 64 knots or higher (74 mph+), resulting in considerable tree and power-line damage. Synoptically, a stationary front stretched from northern Iowa to northern Illinois. Warm, moist, unstable air flowed north over the front in association with an upper-level short-wave trough, resulting in thunderstorm generation.

Pre-frontal clusters of thunderstorms became severe with powerful straight-line winds as they moved east-southeast at anywhere from 35 to 45 knots (40 to 52 mph) to the east-southeast.

A similar scenario to that of July 9, 2006 occurred again on the afternoon of July 27th. Very slow moving scattered thunderstorms developed across portions of south-central and southeast Wisconsin. A lake breeze fired additional storms across Waukesha County. With propagation speeds often less than 15 mph, torrential rains resulted underneath these storms. Nearly stationary storms over the Madison and Waukesha areas produced 4 to 5 inches of rain within about 90 minutes. Flash flooding resulted in these locales with many buildings and vehicles sustaining varying degrees of damage. The UW-Madison campus was especially hit hard. See the specific write-ups as flash flood entries above. Other smaller cities in Dane and Waukesha counties also experienced some minor urban flooding, but these reports did not warrant a separate line-item entry above. Other storms across the area pulsed to severe limits to produce damaging winds to about 61 knots (70 mph) and one funnel cloud report at 1228CST at a location 2 miles northwest of Stoughton (Dane Co.). The major electrical companies estimated that about 10,000 customers were without electrical power at one time or another on July 27th, due to tree debris or lightning striking power-lines.

A broken like of thunderstorms developed ahead of a cold front headed into western Wisconsin during the late afternoon hours. With a moderately unstable airmass and decent directional shear, some storms took on supercellular characteristics. One such storm produced a tornado in Sauk County, 4.5 miles south-southwest of Devils Lake, just west of STH 12 on the west side of the Badger Army Amo Plant, in the Bluffview area. The tornado was brief and weak. No significant damage was noted. The line progressed east across most of southern Wisconsin during the early evening, producing areas of large hail and damaging straight-line winds which uprooted large trees or broke large tree branches out of trees. In Rock County, scattered large trees were uprooted, which in turn blocked several roads. About a half-dozen homes were lightly damaged due to trees or tree branches crashing down on them. Heavy rainfall in the Madison area led to urban-type flooding. Lightning strikes and/or tree limbs hitting power lines resulted in about 2900 customers losing electrical power, mostly in the Fort Atkinson (Jefferson Co.) and Delafield (Waukesha Co.) areas.

Strong, gusty west-southwest winds ranging up to 39 to 49 kts (45 to 57 mph) affected parts of south-central and southeast Wisconsin during the daytime hours of March 13th. These strong winds were associated with a deep low pressure over Upper Michigan. The usual reports of scattered power outages due to broken tree branches were received.

A mesoscale convective system/derecho developed in western Minnesota during the early morning, then tracked into central Wisconsin before riding the warm front southeast into southeast Wisconsin and portions of south-central Wisconsin during the afternoon. The powerful winds generated by the storms were generally in the 52 to 56 knot range (60 to 65 mph), but peaked at hurricane-force in a couple locations . Most of the damage was characterized as toppled large trees and downed power lines as the storms raced southeast. The hardest hit areas were in Marquette, Dodge, and Jefferson counties. Widespread tree damage was reported by law enforcement in Green Lake and southern Jefferson counties. Otherwise damaging thunderstorm winds were more scattered. A barn was completely destroyed 3 miles southwest of Waupun at 1405CST where winds were estimated to have gusted around 65 knots (75 mph). Roof damage was noted on a house in Fox Lake (Dodge Co.), where winds were estimated to have gusted to around 65 knots (75 mph). As the northeastern end of the line progressed toward the Lake Michigan shoreline, it weakened substantially. However, the southwestern portion of the line progressed into Walworth, Racine, and Kenosha counties, continuing to produce areas of wind damage, before it died at the Illinois border shortly after 1530CST. Lightning during the afternoon and overnight hours damaged two buildings in Watertown (Jefferson Co.). Synoptically, the quasi-stationary front, noted in the July 21st episode, sagged south into Iowa and Illinois on the 22nd, then began to head back into Wisconsin as a warm front on the 23rd.

Three different rounds of severe weather occurred between the afternoon of June 4th and the evening of June 5th. The first round occurred just after noon on June 4th. Scattered severe thunderstorms produced areas of mainly damaging winds between 52 to 61 knots (60 and 70 mph). At 1225CST, a 20x20 foot section of Jefferson High School's roof was blown off in Jefferson County. Power lines were also reported down around 1230CST near Jefferson. Other scattered reports of tree damage with some power line damage were noted across Rock, Dane, Fond du Lac, and Kenosha counties. Synoptically, an area of low pressure tracked across eastern South Dakota on June 4th and into northern Minnesota by late evening on June 5th. A warm front surged north across South-Central and Southeast Wisconsin during the evening on June 4th, causing thunderstorms to develop. The warm front stalled for a bit during the early morning hours on June 5th, allowing another round to develop and head east across the area. Finally, the warm front pushed into northern Wisconsin, allowing warm and humid air to flood into the region, fueling the final round along the cold front by late afternoon or early evening on June 5th.

Scattered thunderstorms pulsed to severe limits across south-central and southeast Wisconsin along and ahead of a cold front. Large hail [3/4 inch to 1.75 inch in diameter(golfball size)], damaging downburst winds, and some funnel clouds were produced. Hail up to 1.25 inch in diameter fell in Brodhead (Green Co.), resulting in 500 dollars of damage to a vehicle's windshield. Power-lines were brought down by tree debris near Busseyville. A frontal boundary stretched from central Minnesota through southern Wisconsin to northern Indiana during the afternoon of May 19. Temperatures were in the mid 40s across northeast Wisconsin, while places across central Illinois recorded temperatures in the low to mid 80s. As a low pressure system traveled along this front, scattered thunderstorms developed over southern Wisconsin., as a result of the strong temperature contrast during the early to mid afternoon. , and a few funnel clouds.

Scattered, severe thunderstorms affected parts of south-central and southeast Wisconsin with large hail on the order of 3/4 to 1-inch diameter hail, powerful downburst winds, and locally heavy rains. In addition, a weak tornado was observed northwest of Pipe over Lake Winnebago in Fond du Lac County. Hail caused one thousand dollars in damage to a vehicle in the central part of Dodge County, and fell long enough to cover the ground white at a location 1 mile northeast of Watertown in Dodge county. The storms also produced locally heavy rains as they moved southeast. Urban flooding was reported in Waunakee (Dane Co.) at 549 PM CDT due to heavy rainfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour resulting in "water over the curb." High pressure in the Ohio Valley helped to push maximum temperatures into the lower 70s and dew points into the lower 50s on southwesterly winds on May 6. A cold front approaching south-central and southeast Wisconsin from the north-northwest interacted with the marginally warm and humid airmass to produce the thunderstorms.

A line of thunderstorms bowed out as it moved through south-central and southeast Wisconsin, resulting in locally, powerful, downburst, straight-line wind gusts that leveled large trees and power lines. Pardeeville (Columbia Co.) had the worst downburst (estimated wind gusts to 70 knots, or 80 mph) with about 4 dozen homes damaged (siding and gutters). Many vehicles in Pardeeville were damaged by tree limbs or debris. Two barns and 2 homes were damaged in the Eldorado to Fond du Lac area (Fond du Lac Co.) thanks to powerful wind gusts to about 65 knots (75 mph). In Madison (Dane Co.), a wind-toppled tree fell onto a home, trapping a man in his bed. Crop damage was photographed southwest of Pell Lake (Walworth Co.) by an ultralight pilot. In the Twin Lakes area (Kenosha Co.), large tree branches damaged a home and a vehicle. Utility companies noted that about 8000 customers lost power during the storms, wtih 1500 alone in Columbia County.

Clusters of severe thunderstorms moved southeast through south-central and southeast Wisconsin, resulting in damaging straight line winds that toppled large trees, very large damaging hail, and heavy rains that led to flash flooding. Columbia County suffered the most damage thanks to hurricane-force thunderstorm winds coupled with large hail stones of 1 to 3 inches in diameter. The wind-driven hail damaged at least 100 homes and several businesses and churches in Fall River (Columbia Co.). The wind-driven hail also mowed down some corn and soybean fields between Rio and Columbus. Some of the hail stones were still unmelted the next morning. Flash flooding resulted in gravel shoulder washouts and flooded buildings and basements in the Wisconsin Dells to Wyocena area of Columbia County. Rainfall amounts of 2.50 inches were measured in about 1 to 2 hours in the Portage area (Columbia Co.). Flash flooding also occurred in the Jefferson to Ft Atkinson area of Jefferson County, with gravel shoulder washouts and flooded buildings and basements reported. Rainfall totals up to 2 inches in only 30 minutes were noted on the south side of Ft Atkinson where many cars stalled on flooded roads. Over in Waukesha County, similar flash flooding was noted from Oconomowoc to the city of Waukesha thanks to rains of 2 to 3.39 inches in only 2 hours. The Oconomowoc WWTP reported the 3.39 inches. A downburst wind event south of Afton (Rock Co.) resulted in 1 shed being destroyed, 1 shed and 1 garage damaged, and 2 vehicles dented by debris. Lightning hit a substation transformer in the city of Beloit, knocking power out to 3500 homes. Other lightning strikes damaged a condo unit in in the city of Waukesha, damaged a home's electrical system (West Bend, Washington Co.), and damaged a home's roof in La Valle (Sauk Co.). Utility companies estimated that a grand total of about 7500 custormers lost power during the storms thanks to trees or tree branches falling on power lines, or electrical strikes.

A weakening complex of thunderstorms moving across southern Wisconsin during the morning hours on the 21st produced damaging winds which downed some trees and power lines in parts of Iowa, Dane, Columbia, and Racine counties.

A large complex of thunderstorms, mainly consisting of very heavy rain and damaging winds, raked through most of southern Wisconsin during the early morning hours. This was round number one for the day. Flash flooding was the main threat due to recent heavy rain and saturated ground. This flash flooding mainly affected south-central Wisconsin consisting of Dane, Sauk, Iowa, Lafayette, and Green counties. Lafayette and Green counties were hit especially hard. Flash flooding in Benton (Lafayette County) caused people to be evacuated from their homes. 100,000 dollars in costs resulted from flood damage. Flash flooding in Darlington (Lafayette County) caused mudslides to occur in farmers fields (destroying recently planted crops) and caused basements to flood, causing another 75,000 dollars in damage. Flash flooding in Marquette, Sauk, western Dane, and Iron counties consisted of gravel washouts, mudslides, and basement damage. In addition, flash flood rains forced a roof of a building to collapse, and basement/foundation damage was inflicted on an apartment complex. Damaging winds of 50 to 56 knots (58 to 65 mph) was the result from a small line of severe thunderstorms which produced scattered areas of tree damage form Lafayette County through Walworth County. Northeast of Lake Geneva, powerful thunderstorm winds blew a pole shed down and snapped power lines. Trees and power lines were reported down in Blanchardville, New Glarus, and Lake Geneva. Refer to the Green Lake County May 25th flood event for additional information.

A line of thunderstorms, some severe, rolled through south-central and southeast Wisconsin. Large hail and damaging straight-line winds gusting to 56 kts (65 mph) were generated. Large trees and some power poles were damaged, especially in the Beloit to Clinton area of Rock County. As usual, the accompanying heavy rains resulted in urban flooding (water over the curb) in Madison (Dane Co.), and in Jefferson (Jefferson Co.) where rainfall of 1/2 inch within 15 minutes was reported. Refer to the Green Lake County May 25th flood event for additional information.

Breaks in the cloud cover allowed daytime heating to generate early-season, severe thunderstorms across south-central and southeast Wisconsin. Although large hail up to 1.50 inches in diameter was the primary type of severe weather, there were scattered reports of powerful straight-line thunderstorm winds to around 52 kts (60 mph) which toppled trees and/or power lines. The ground was "covered white" with hail southeast of Reedsburg (Sauk Co.) and in Sullivan (Jefferson Co.). Synoptically, a low pressure and associated warm front moved northeast through southern Wisconsin, setting the stage for thunderstorm activity. Maximum daytime temperatures were in the mid 50s to lower 60s.

Clusters of thunderstorms over central Wisconsin merged and strengthened into a broad line as they moved southeast through south-central and southeast Wisconsin during the pre-dawn hours of July 15, 2003. Powerful downburst, straight-line winds gusting to an estimated 65 knots (75 mph) resulted in tree, power-line, and structural damage primarily from souhteastern Columbia through parts of Dodge, Jeffeson, Waukesha, Rock, Walworth, Racine, and Kenosha Counties. Associated, brief, intense rains lowered visibilities to less than 50 yards, leading to minor ponding of water in low spots as well. In southwestern Dodge County, a church and 6 homes sustained tree debris damage. In Jefferson County, where the storms were the most intense, there were many reports of toppled trees and powerlines, especially in the cities of Watertown and Fort Atkinson. Several homes and vehicles in both cities sustained tree debris damage. In Fort Atkinson, 24 power-linen poles were toppled by tree debris, resulting in the loss of electricity to 5800 customers in the area. In the village of Sullivan, the hurricane-force winds managed to enter the attic of a church through a vent, resulting in part of the roof exploding outward. Northwest of Palmyra, a pivot irrigation system on a large vegetable farm was flipped over and damaged. Nearby lightning struck a power-line leading to a current surge into a home which resulted in electrical damage. A Watertown women was injured after being struck be lightning. As the storms moved through Waukesha their powerful winds flipped over a semi-tractor on Interstate 94 just south of Delafield. In addtion, the winds pushed a tree onto a van in Beloit, resulting in minor damage. West of the city of Kenosha (Kenosha Co.), three, parked, semi-tractors were severly damaged due to a lightning fire. The storms weakened as they moved southeast over the Lake Michigan waters. All together, 11,500 customers lost electricity for several hours due to the storms, primarily in the counties of Jefferson, Waukesha, and Rock.

Two rounds of scattered severe convection affected south-central and southeast Wisconsin on Sunday, July 6, 2003. The first round occurred during the morning hours and the second during the late afternoon hours. Powerful, downburst, damaging, straight-line winds toppled large trees and/or power-lines, 4 weak tornadoes spun up, a separate funnel cloud was reported, and there were a couple occurrences of large hail. Detailed descriptions of the four tornadoes can be found in separate reports.Probably the hardest-hit area extended from Middleton (Dane Co.) to Maple Bluff. In the Maple Bluff area, 8 homes sustained minor wind damage, and a car and two boats were damaged by toppled trees or large branches during the morning round. Wind gusts in the Maple Bluff area were estimated to briefly reach 65 knots (75 mph). Lightning struck a home in Middleton, resulting in a roof/attic fire. Near Clinton (Rock Co.) the powerful winds pushed a large tree on a home, resulting in minor damage. At the Alpine Ski Resort south-southeast of East Troy (Walworth Co.), lightning struck a man holding a tent metal pole, resulting in serious injuries. The bolt injured 7 other, adjacent individuals who were standing in ankle deep water. Six of the eight people were hospitalized. Near Sturtevant (Racine Co.) an apartment complex sustained major damage due to a lightning fire. Heavy rains of 1.5 inches resulted in minor urban-type flooding in the Okauchee (Waukesha Co.) area. All together, at least 3000 customers lost electrical power due to tree limbs falling on power-lines or lightning strikes. Synoptically, an upper level low pressure system and vorticity maximum moved east-southeast through the Dodge County area, resulting in bands of thunderstorms. The tornadoes occurred near the low pressure center where large-scale atmospheric circulation allowed for rotating updrafts in a few thunderstorms.This was the 3rd of five consecutive days with some kind of severe convection across south-central and/or southeast Wisconsin. Synoptically, a series of short wave troughs in the upper atmosphere moved east across Wisconsin while a surface frontal boundary oscillated north and south across southern Wisconsin.

Clusters or short lines of thunderstorms, some severe, moved east-southeast through parts of south-central and southeast Wisconsin. The primary effect was powerful, downburst, straight-line winds that toppled large trees and some power-lines. Estimated gusts were mostly in the 52 to 56 knot range (60 to 65 mph). Two gustnadoes were observed southeast of Highland (Iowa Co.) on the west shore of Blackhawk Lake. Other than tearing up some trees, the gustnadoes blew around camping gear, tables, etc. A boat on Blackhawk Lake was spun around by one of the gustnadoes. A gustnado was also observed by a storm spotter northwest of Brandon (Fond du Lac Co.). Its path length was about 1/4 to 1/2 mile and it managed to shred or push down some corn crop and small tree limbs. Gustnadoes are ground-based vortices that spin up on a gust front preceding a downburst, and are not recognized as true tornadoes. Rather, they are documented as thunderstorm wind events. Last, but not least, the powerful thunderstorm winds blew over a silo located on a farm south of Evansville (Rock Co.). A 43-year old female in the city of Milwaukee (Milwaukee Co.) died on June 26th due a injuries, with heat being listed as a contributing cause of death (indirectly-related to heat). Maximum temperatures around 93 were observed in the Milwaukee area on June 24th and 25th, about 15 degrees above normal. Heat index values were around 100, suggesting an urban heat-island effect took place.

Several clusters of thunderstorms moved east-southeast through south-central and southeast Wisconsin on May 30, 2003, resulting in scattered reports of tornadoes and damaging, straight-line downburst winds that toppled large trees and power-lines. One thunderstorm cell attained supercell status, and after moving east out of Iowa County, turned right and moved east-southeast through the area south of Madison. A very weak tornado was noted southwest of Verona, but thereafter, only rotating wall cloud reports were received. Another tornado spun up in the rural area southwest of Brodhead (Green Co.), and proceeded to move east-southeast into extreme southwest Rock County. The parent thunderstorm for this tornado eventually moved east across the city of Beloit and dumped 1.50 inches of heavy rain, resulting in urban flooding (water up to the floor board at one location) that led to a couple vehicle accidents. Detailed information about the Dane County and Green-Rock County tornado can be found in the individual tornado reports.

Severe weather in the form of tornadoes, damaging straight-line winds up to about 56 knots (65 mph) which toppled large trees and power-lines, and large hail, affected parts of south-central and southeast Wisconsin on May 10, 2003. This was the first, organized severe weather episode in 2003 for this part of the state - a late start. The same supercell spawned a tornado in Lafayette County, and then a short time later, another tornado in Iowa County. Refer to the individual tornado events for details. This supercell maintained its mesocyclone circulation as it moved northeast through western Dane County to southeast Columbia County, and then across northern Dodge County. A funnel cloud was spotted near Cross Plains (Dane Co.), but there were no additional tornado sightings other than the events in the counties of Lafayette and Iowa. Synoptically, a line of thunderstorms moved northeast through southern Wisconsin, with a supercell forming on the left edge of the line over southeastern Grant County. This supercell then moved northeast. Lightning struck a home near Dane (Dane Co.) resulting in minor fire damage.

Scattered severe thunderstorms popped up over parts of south-central Wisconsin during the early morning hours. Powerful downburst winds estimated in the 52 to 56 kts (60 to 65 mph) range toppled large trees. Tree debris hit several power lines in the Madison area, resulting in some power outages.

A cluster of severe thunderstorms dumped large hail in parts of southern Sauk County, and then dissipated. Another cluster of severe thunderstorms blossomed over western Dane County, resulting in wind, hail, and flash flood damage in the Pine Bluff area, west of the Madison metro-area. In the Pine Bluff area, hurricane-force downburst winds reached estimated speeds of 70 kts (80 mph), resulting in toppled trees and power lines. The fringe effects of this powerful macro-burst resulted in some tree damage north to the Cross Plains to Middleton area. The thunderstorm cluster also produced hail up to 2 inches in diameter in the Pine Bluff area, resulting in major damage to at least 100 vehicles, and to roofs and siding of homes. A one-mile swath of corn was leveled on the north side of Pine Bluff. Up to 4.50 inches of rain fell in the Pine Bluff area in a short period of time, resulting in flash flooding that washed out gravel shoulders of several roads in the Pine Bluff to Middleton area. At least a dozen homes sustained water damage to basement contents due to accumulating water up to 5 feet in depth. Powerful thunderstorm winds also damaged trees and power lines in the Waunakee area north of Madison. The concentration of damage in the Pine Bluff was the result of a series of thunderstorm cells developing in a stationary initiation location in western Dane County. As each cell developed and moved east-northeast, a new cell would would replace it on the backside, aprocess referred to as "back-building." Thunderstorm development was focused by strong warm-air advection between the surface and 10,000 feet above ground coupled with strong surface moisture convergence from eastern Iowa into south-central Wisconsin. Surface dewpoints were in the 60s.

A line of thunderstorms, some severe, developed along a cold front moving east across Wisconsin. Isolated severe weather resulted in the form of large hail and damaging winds. The powerful winds toppled trees and felled tree branches snapped several power lines. Maximum temperatures were in the lower 90s with surface dewpoints around 70.

Several large trees were toppled by powerful straight-line winds as an isolated severe thunderstorm moved through Dane County.

Widespread, strong, west to southwest, post-cold-frontal winds gusting to 35 to 49 knots (40 to 57 mph) raked south-central and southeast Wisconsin for almost 24 hours on October 24-25, 2001. Most locations had gusts of 43 to 48 knots (50 to 55 mph). There were numerous reports of small tree branches breaking off and hitting power lines, resulting in scattered power outages. Additionally, there were reports of wind damage to traffic lights in Madison (Dane Co.) and several other cities. Monetary damage amounts were not available. In Madison (Dane Co.) an old maple tree broke in two and fell onto an automobile. About 5000 customers, mostly in Waukesha, Milwaukee, Walworth, Racine, and Kenosha counties, were without electrical power at one time or another. The persistent strong winds generated sizable waves on the larger inland lakes. On the Lake Geneva (Walworth Co.), wave action damaged a boat docking station belonging to a youth camp. Synoptically, the strong winds were the result of deep low pressure which moved through northwest Wisconsin to over Lake Superior.

The second of two rounds of severe thunderstorms to affect southern Wisconsin on September 7th struck parts of the south-central and southeast counties in the early evening hours. A north-south line of storms moving east through southern Wisconsin generated powerful straight-line downburst winds that toppled many large trees in parts of Iowa, Lafayette, Sauk, Coumbia, Marquette, Green Lake, Dane, Green, Rock, Jefferson, Waukesha, and Walworth Counties. Scattered power outages were also noted, resulting in the loss of electrical power to about 1000 customers in southeast Wisconsin. Law enforcement officials and trained spotters estimated wind gusts to be in the 50 to 56 knot range (58 to 65 mph). However, thunderstorm winds probably topped out around 65 knots (75 mph) in the area about 4 miles southeast of Lake Delton where newspaper accounts indicated that a silo and pole shed were blown down, and other buildings were damaged. One of the large trees that were toppled in Beloit damaged two vehicles, and trapped passengers in one of them for about one hour. In addition, heavy rains of 1 to 2 inches accompanied some of the storms, resulting in flooded roads in and around Madison (Dane Co.) and Beloit (Rock Co.). Water depths on some of Madison's and Beloit's roads were 1 to 2 feet deep in low spots, and several vehicles in Madison stalled. In Beloit, up to 1.64 inches of rain was measured, while 1.85 inches fell at Madison's Truax Field. Synoptically, low pressure moved northeast through northwest Wisconsin. Surface dewpoints were in the lower 70s with maximum air temperatures in the mid 80s. The individual thunderstorm cells moved northeast at 35 to 43 knots (40 to 50 mph).

The first of two rounds of severe thunderstorms to affect southern Wisconsin on September 7th struck parts of the south-central and southeast counties in the early afternoon hours. Powerful straight-line downburst winds toppled many large trees east of Montello (Marquette Co.), in the northwest part of Green Lake County north of Princeton, in the Windsor area (Dane Co.), and in the Beaver Dam area (Dodge Co.). Law enforcement officials and trained spotters estimated wind gusts to be in the 50 to 52 knot range (58 to 60 mph). The storms weakened as they moved east into Fond du Lac and Jefferson Counties where winds gusts were only in the 30 to 40 knot range (35 to 46 mph). Synoptically, the severe storms developed ahead of a cold front pushing east across Wisconsin, while the parent low pressure moved northeast through northwest Wisconsin. Surface dewpoints were in the lower 70s with maximum air temperatures in the mid 80s.

Scattered short lines or clusters of severe thunderstorms, with large hail and powerful, damaging, straight-line, down-burst winds affected parts of south-central and southeast Wisconsin. There were many reports of toppled large trees. Lightning struck a home east of Poynette, resulting in some fire damage to the roof and attic. Torrential rains accompanied the severe storms. Minor urban and small stream flooding was reported in and near Madison (Dane Co.). Spotters in the Madison area noted that rain totals were in the 1 to 2 inch range in one hour.Synoptically, a low pressure moved northeast along a cold front that stretched from Iowa through Minnesota. A plume of low-level moisture pushed into southern Wisconsin. Maximum daytime temperatures on the 14th were in the upper 80s to lower 90s, with surface dewpoints in the upper 60s to lower 70s. Training of thunderstorm cells enhanced the rainfall totals over Dane County.

A severe thunderstorm generated powerful winds that knocked many large tree branches down in and around Waunakee (Dane Co.) A thunderstorm pulsed to severe limits and produced a wet microburst that toppled trees and power poles from around Reesville to Hustisford in Dodge County. Another severe thunderstorm produced powerful winds that leveled trees and power lines in Hartford (Washington Co.).

Scattered severe thunderstorms affected a small part of south-central and southeast Wisconsin with damaging straightline winds and large hail. In northeast Green County, the powerful thunderstorm winds blew a barn down. In northwest Rock County near Evansville, large trees were toppled by the thunderstorm winds.

Scattered severe thunderstorms with intense wet microbursts visited parts of south-central Wisconsin. Between Hanover and Footville in Rock County, the powerful winds toppled trees and power poles, damaged about a dozen barns and sheds, took a roof off a storage building, and tore some siding off a residential home. Between Evansville and Edgerton (Rock Co.), other storms toppled more trees and power lines, and near Stoughton (Dane Co.), the winds toppled several trees. About 1200 customers were without electricity at one time or another.

A long line of severe thunderstorms moved east at 50 mph across south-central and southeast Wisconsin during the pre-dawn and early morning hours. Besides powerful winds, flash-flood producing rains accompanied the storms. Numerous large trees and power lines were toppled where the severe storms produced straightline downburst winds. In Gratiot (Lafayette Co.), one of the toppled trees landed squarely on a home. Janesville (Rock Co.) experienced a variety of weather hazards. Numerous trees were blown down across the city, with one damaging a home. Lightening struck a power transformer on the west side of the city, cutting off electricity to about 600 customers. In addition, 1.67 inches of rain fell in the pre-dawn hours, resulting in urban flooding. A few manhole covers reportedly popped into the air due to the pressure from the fast-moving runoff. Water depth was reported to be 6 to 12 inches. Elsewhere across south-central and southeast Wisconsin, debris removal and new power poles and lines were the order of the day.Yet another round of serious flash flooding occurred across the central part of Sauk County from the Lime Ridge area east to the Devil's Lake and Baraboo area. After the intial line of storms moved through the county, several additional thunderstorms developed over the western part of the county and repeatedly trained across the same locations. An unofficial 6 to 8 inches of rain fell during the pre-dawn hours, but 3.5 inches were registered at the Baraboo Wastewater Treatment Plant. Nearly every creek and stream in this swath exceeded flood stage experienced rapid increases in water levels which . Highway 113 leading southeast out of Baraboo had several sections washed out. Highway 159 up to Devil's Lake was closed due to the flooding. Highway 12 from West Baraboo down to near the old Badger Ammo Plant was flooded and closed. Several of the hiking and biking trails, and camping spots around Devil's lake had washouts. Several roads on the south side of Baraboo experienced washouts or undercuts as creeks and streams draining north out of the Baraboo Bluffs became raging currents. Mud covered many of the roads in the southern part of Baraboo, and water/mud marks were left at the 8 foot mark in some businesses! Crop damage and soil erosion was substantial in surrounding farm lands.Flash flooding hit the southeast part of Walworth County after 2 inches of rain fell in 1 hour on saturated ground. Nippersink Creek quickly exceeded its banks in the Pell Lake and Genoa City area. Ten homes experienced structural or contents damage, and one home was destroyed. Eight people were left homeless and 6 families were evacuated. Several roads had washout sections and many others had gravel shoulder washouts. Surrounding agricultural lands sustained crop washouts or soil erosion.

Flash flooding and scattered severe thunderstorms struck parts of south-central and southeast Wisconsin during the afternoon and evening hours. Several clusters of showers and thunderstorms moved east/northeast at 35 to 40 mph across the area. Synoptically, a warm front stalled over northern Illinois with an axis of instability extending north into southern Wisconsin. A short-wave trough aloft moved east through the region. South of the surface front the dewpoints were in the 70s. Here is a break down by county:Walworth Co: this county was hit hard with two periods of heavy rains which resulted in flash flooding. Lake Petite, just south of Fontana, overflowed into a retention basin near a residential subdivision. Residents were evacuated in the late afternoon as the retention basin filled up. Nearby in the village of Walworth, hundreds of residents were evacuated after water rose to a depth of 4 feet on local roads. Washouts of gravel road shoulders were noted around the villages of Walworth and Fontana, as well as agricultural land erosion and crop damage. During the evening hours the heavy rains created flash flood conditions over the southeast part of the county from around Lake Geneva to Genoa City. Some residents were evacuated and additional washouts of gravel shoulders were reported. The Nippersink Creek which flows through Genoa City reach a depth of 10 feet, when normally it is only 1 foot deep! All together in Walworth County, 4 people were injured by flood debris, 10 people were left homeless, 57 homes and 4 businesses sustained flood damage, and 5000 acres of agricultural land were severely damaged to the tune of $800,000. Roughly half of the property damage was attributed to loses in the public sector and the other half in the private/business sector. Otherwise, powerful thunderstorm winds uprooted trees from La Grange to Elkhorn, and blew over a semi-tractor trailer unit on Interstate 43 near Elkhorn. Dane Co: heavy rains hit the Madison and Middleton areas once again, resulting in rivers and streams quickly exceeding flood stage. Between 1500 and 1600CST, the city of Middleton picked up 1.90 inches of rain. As a result, mudslides occurred on High Point Road, where the mud was 4 inches deep. Flood damage to landscaping of nearby homes was also noted, as well as gravel shoulder washouts on nearby roads. The Yahara River running through the Madison area was reported to be rising quickly, and was 10 feet beyond its normal bank on both sides. Nearby homes once again suffered another round of landscape erosion and basement flooding, and sandbagging continued. As was the case earlier in June, agricultural land surrounding the Madison metro area suffered another round of moderate to severe soil erosion and associated crop damage.Kenosha Co: 2 rounds of powerful thunderstorm winds uprooted large trees in the southwest part of the county.The heavy rain event listed above for Dane County represents the 15.27 inches of rain that fell at Madison Truax Field (Dane Co.) the past 30 days ending at 0600CST on June 14th. This was the greatest any 30-day total in the past 50 years. On the following day, June 15th, Lake Mendota and Lake Monona rose to their 2nd highest levels ever, 30 and 27 inches above normal summer levels, respectively. The heavy rain event listed above for Sauk County represents a 15 inch rainfall total for the period of June 1-14 somewhere in the county. The exact location wasn't specified in a newspaper article. It may be a Wisconsin state record for a 2-week period.

Several rounds of thunderstorms moved west to east across the same locations and dumped enough rain to cause flash flooding in the city of Kenosha (Kenosha County). Newspaper accounts indicated that 3 to 6 inches of rain fell across Kenosha County, with a measured 3.84 inches at the Kenosha Airport. Roughly 100 roads were closed due to water depths of 2 to 5 feet in low spots, especially in the cities of Kenosha, Somers, and Bristol. The flooding in the city of Kenosha was described as the worst in 15 years, and numerous homes and businesses reported varying degrees of damage to contents, and landscaping. Overall, hundreds of basements and numerous municipal pools were flooded. Many roads sustained gravel shoulder washouts, and many vehicles were floating the swirling flood waters. Motorists were rescued from at least 130 vehicles. About a dozen homes were evacuated in the cities of Pleasant Prairie and Somers. Near Powers Lakes an earthen berm gave way, allowing water to flood several roads. Needless to say, extensive crop damage in the millions of dollars was noted as flood waters flooded low spots, eroded slopes, or simply washed crops away. Elsewhere, urban/small stream flooding occurred n and near the city of Sturtevant (Racine Co.), and at scattered locations across Dane County. Two to 4 inches of rain fell over parts of Dane County, resulting in the evacuation of at least 2 dozen homes, and the closure of about 100 intersections in Madison and surrounding cities. Minor flood damage was noted in some basements, and officials had to clean up flood debris from low spots and intersections. In and around Sturtevant, water was reported to be 6 inches deep on roads, and roadside ditches were full.

Scattered severe thunderstorms with large hail and damaging straight-line winds exploded across south-central and southeast Wisconsin after sunrise. The powerful winds leveled trees and power lines just west of Cobb (Iowa Co.), around Black Earth ( Dane Co.), from Fulton to Edgerton (Rock Co.), and from around Monroe east to Albany (Green Co.). In addition, east of Monroe(Green Co.) a pole shed was pushed over, a barn's roof was peeled off, and two swing sets were damaged by the winds. A semi tractor-trailer was blown over east of Dayton ( Green Co.). The severe weather was the result of several days of above normal daytime temperatures in the 80s and dewpoints rising into the 60s resulting in an unstable airmass. A cold front dropping southeast across southern Wisconsin with jet stream support aloft combined to focus the storms.