INTERESTING WISCONSIN WEATHER EVENTS
Sep 02, 2011 - Thunderstorm Downburst Slams Fox Valley
A small cluster of intense thunderstorms produced wind gusts over 70 mph and widespread damage across central and east-central Wisconsin during the morning of September 2, 2011. Thousands of trees and power lines were blown down by the thunderstorm cluster. Numerous buildings were also damaged by fallen trees and the high winds. Power was knocked out to over 60,000 people at the height of the storm. Many thousands were still without power 12 hours after the event.Highest measured thunderstorm wind gusts:
| Location | Peak Wind (mph) |
| Sherwood (40 ft elevation) |
81 |
| Wrightstown | 78 |
| Oshkosh (EAA) | 74 |
| Appleton | 72 |
| Point Beach State Park | 65 |
One of the hardest hit areas during the storm was Appleton. Widespread 70 to 75 mph wind gusts were experienced in the city, with isolated winds estimated at around 95 mph. Damage in the Appleton area alone was $5.3 million.
Below is a radar image at 9:36 AM near the time of strongest winds in the Appleton area. Doppler radar measured winds over 80 mph several hundred feet above the ground near Appleton (circled area on "Velocity" image).
courtesy NWS GRB
Jan 31- Feb 03, 2011 Blizzard
Inclement Weather through Wednesday - Blizzard & Lakeshore Flooding! Blizzard on the Way (Updated 1:30 pm) A very strong area of low pressure will track northeast into the mid-Mississippi Valley region by this evening, and into the eastern Great Lakes by Wednesday afternoon. This track places much of southern Wisconsin in a swath of heavy snow that would fall this afternoon into Wednesday morning. Additional accumulations of 2 to 6 inches are possible north of a Fond du Lac to Lone Rock line...with 6 to 16 inches south of there. The heaviest snow will be in the far southeast and near Lake Michigan where lake enhancement is likely. Light lake effect snow will be falling through the day in the east. The heavier snow associated with the next low pressure center will start in the late afternoon and early evening. The graphic below shows approximate times for the onset of heavy snow.
Dec 11-12, 2010 Winter Storm
Snow Amounts from Dec 11-12, 2010 Winter Storm
A powerful winter storm moved across the region Saturday and Sunday leading to blizzard and winter storm warnings. The heaviest snow across Southern Wisconsin fell northwest of a Madison to Sheboygan line. Snow amounts of 10 to 13 inches were common across Sauk, Columbia, Marquette, Green Lake, Dodge, and Fond Du Lac counties. Farther south and east, snow amounts were less due to warmer temperatures keeping the precipitation mainly rain. The Milwaukee metropolitan area didn't change over to all snow until early Sunday morning, resulting in generally 1 to 3 inches southeast of a Milwaukee to Lake Geneva line.
There were two contributions to the milder temperatures: (1) The mild waters of Lake Michigan which were in the lower 40s, and (2) the more northward track of the surface low which actually went over Milwaukee instead of following a Northern Illinois to Southern Lake Michigan track.
Strong northerly winds of 20-35 mph with gusts up to 50 mph affected the region beginning Saturday night, and especially Sunday morning and afternoon. These strong winds created whiteout or near whiteout conditions due to blowing snow in open areas across much of southern Wisconsin. Very cold temperatures settled into the region on Sunday and Sunday night with low temperatures Monday morning in the single digits, but slightly below zero west and north of Madison.
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High Winds October 26th, 2010
The October 26-27, 2010 Record Extratropical Cyclone Last updated 10/28/10 4 pm One of the strongest storms in the history of the central U.S. affected the region on October 26-27, 2010, producing wind gusts over 50 mph across much of the Midwest, severe thunderstorms and tornadoes from southeast Wisconsin and northeast Illinois to northern Alabama, and a blizzard over northern Minnesota and North Dakota. As the storm reached peak intensity late during the afternoon on October 26 over Minnesota, the lowest barometric pressure readings ever recorded in the central United States occurred. A reading of 28.21" (955.2 mb) was recorded at Bigfork, MN, a pressure that is found in Category 3 hurricanes! As the storm moved near Wisconsin, a new state record was set for lowest air pressure. Superior, WI, recorded a pressure of 28.39" (961.3 mb) on October 26. The previous state record was set in Green Bay in April 1982.
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Rainfall September 22nd & 23rd, 2010
Significant Flooding in Central Wisconsin on September 23, 2010 Very heavy rainfall late on September 23, 2010, exceeding four inches in parts of Wood, Portage, Marathon and Waupaca counties, produced significant flooding across central Wisconsin. Hundreds of homes were impacted in central Wisconsin alone and crops were lost due to the flooding rains. Several area rivers exceeded flood stage during the event. The Yellow River at Babcock crested at the highest level ever recorded at the site, reaching 6.4 feet above flood stage. The Wisconsin River at Rothschild (Marathon Co.) reached the second highest level ever recorded there, but almost three feet below the historic 1941 flood. Two-day rainfall amounts across the NWS Green Bay service area ranged from just under a half inch in southern Manitowoc County to nearly 6 inches in western Wood County.
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Tornado Path June 7th, 2007
Shawano-Menominee-Langlade-Oconto Counties Long-Track Tornado A long-track tornado touched down at 4:31 pm east of Mattoon in Shawano County and continued northeast to the Oconto-Marinette County line. The tornado was on the ground for at least 40 miles, and was over 1/2 mile wide at times. Over 14000 acres of trees were snapped or flattened and many dozens of buildings were damaged or destroyed. The twister was rated an EF3 on the Enhanced Fujita scale, with estimated winds of 140 to 160 mph. Damage by this tornado alone exceeded $15 million (property and timber).
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Tornadoes Across Fox Valley Area June 23rd, 2004
Tornadoes Over Central Wisconsin and the Fox Valley - June 23, 2004 A deepening low pressure system entered the state in the early evening hours of June 23, 2004 dragging a cold front with it. Thunderstorms formed into a bow echo west of the area, then intensified and became tornadic as they moved farther east along a warm front. Five tornadoes formed over Central Wisconsin and the Fox Valley during the evening hours. Three of the tornadoes skipped along the ground for miles. Two touched down only briefly.
Map of Storm Reports |
Hay wagon and semi-trailer overturned by the tornado on Radley Road in Waupaca county |
 Collapsed barn on Radley Road. |
Asphalt on Radley Rd scoured out by the tornado near STH 22. |