Alert archive / Wisconsin / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2025

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 39, NWS La Crosse, WI

May 15, 2025Clark County, Wisconsin

NWS La Crosse, WI issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 15, 2025, 4:44 PM CDT for Clark County, Wisconsin. It was in force for 46 min. 4 reports came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued: May 15, 2025, 4:44 PM CDT (21:44 UTC)
Expired: May 15, 2025, 5:30 PM CDT
In force: 46 min
Issued by: NWS La Crosse, WI
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Possible
Hail: 1.0 in
Wind: 60.0 mph

County Clark County, WI

The radar

The La Crosse radar (KARX), 106 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:47 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

What was reported inside it

Time	Report	Where	Remark
May 15, 4:47 PM CDT	TORNADO	2 S Christie, WI	This short-lived tornado snapped the trunks of a few large trees southwest of Christie, WI. The diameter of the largest tree that was snapped was large enough to support a preliminary EF1 rating.
May 15, 4:55 PM CDT	TORNADO	2 Ne Christie, WI	This tornado developed in rural areas of Clark County, WI between Christie and Loyal. As the tornado moved northeast, it damaged multiple trees and removed a portion of the roof of a farm building.
May 15, 5:04 PM CDT	TORNADO	4 Ssw Loyal, WI	Law enforcement reported a tornado on the ground near Loyal, WI.
May 15, 5:21 PM CDT	TORNADO	2 Wnw Unity, WI	This tornado developed in fields west of Unity before tracking northeast toward Colby. As it moved through rural areas of northeastern Clark County, it damaged multiple farm outbuildings, trees, power poles, and a home. This home had the majority of its roof r

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

Did it verify

Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this severe thunderstorm warning while it was in force. That is not proof nothing happened: reports are thin where few people live.

Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.

The watch it was issued in

The SPC watch in force over the same counties when this warning went out.

Issued	Product	Office	Lasted
May 15, 12:46 PM CDT	Tornado Watch	SPC	7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Green Bay/Straub, WI (KGRB), launched 12:00Z, 9.7 hours before the alert went out and 191 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.

Mixed-layer CAPE: 0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL: 1019 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 22 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: -10 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 22 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

887 
WUUS53 KARX 152144
SVRARX
WIC019-152230-
/O.NEW.KARX.SV.W.0039.250515T2144Z-250515T2230Z/

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
Severe Thunderstorm Warning
National Weather Service La Crosse WI
444 PM CDT Thu May 15 2025

The National Weather Service in La Crosse has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...
  Eastern Clark County in central Wisconsin...

* Until 530 PM CDT.

* At 444 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Shortville,
  or near Neillsville, moving northeast at 45 mph.

  HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.

  SOURCE...Radar indicated.

  IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage 
           to roofs, siding, and trees.

* This severe thunderstorm will be near...
  Neillsville and Shortville around 450 PM CDT.
  Loyal around 505 PM CDT.
  Abbotsford around 525 PM CDT.

Other locations impacted by this severe thunderstorm include Ballard
Road And Pray Avenue, Highway 73 And 98, Atwood, Christie, Lynn,
Curtiss, and Globe.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Remain alert for a possible tornado! Tornadoes can develop quickly
from severe thunderstorms. If you spot a tornado go at once into the
basement or small central room in a sturdy structure.

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a
building.

A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 800 PM CDT for central and
west central Wisconsin.

&&

LAT...LON 4442 9032 4442 9079 4448 9079 4503 9047
      4503 9032
TIME...MOT...LOC 2144Z 208DEG 41KT 4449 9062 

TORNADO...POSSIBLE
HAIL THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...1.00 IN
WIND THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX WIND GUST...60 MPH

$$

Cecava

1 follow-up statement

219 
WWUS53 KARX 152216
SVSARX

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service La Crosse WI
516 PM CDT Thu May 15 2025

WIC019-152230-
/O.CON.KARX.SV.W.0039.000000T0000Z-250515T2230Z/
Clark WI-
516 PM CDT Thu May 15 2025

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 530 PM CDT
FOR EASTERN CLARK COUNTY...

At 516 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Spencer, or 20
miles northeast of Neillsville, moving northeast at 45 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage to 
         roofs, siding, and trees.

This severe storm will be near...
  Abbotsford around 525 PM CDT.
  Dorchester around 530 PM CDT.

Other locations impacted by this severe thunderstorm include County K
And Capital Road, Chili, Highway 73 And 98, Chili Corners, Atwood,
Christie, and Veefkind.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 800 PM CDT for central
Wisconsin.

Remain alert for a possible tornado! Tornadoes can develop quickly
from severe thunderstorms. If you spot a tornado go at once into the
basement or small central room in a sturdy structure.

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a
building.

&&

LAT...LON 4442 9032 4449 9050 4466 9068 4503 9047
      4503 9032
TIME...MOT...LOC 2216Z 208DEG 41KT 4481 9038 

TORNADO...POSSIBLE
HAIL THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...1.00 IN
WIND THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX WIND GUST...60 MPH

$$

Cecava

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS La Crosse, WI wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at May 15, 2:27 PM CDT, 2 hours 17 minutes earlier. Its key messages:

Severe weather possible through 8 PM tonight. Large hail (possibly in the excess of 2.5" in diameter), tornadoes, and damaging winds (60-70 mph wind gusts) are all possible.
35 to 50 mph wind gusts (60-90% probability of wind gusts of 45 mph or greater west of the Mississippi River) on Friday. A Wind Advisory will be likely needed west of the Mississippi River.

Area forecast discussion, May 15, 2:27 PM CDT, 2 hours 17 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service La Crosse WI
227 PM CDT Thu May 15 2025

.KEY MESSAGES...

- Severe weather possible through 8 PM tonight. Large hail
  (possibly in the excess of 2.5" in diameter), tornadoes, and
  damaging winds (60-70 mph wind gusts) are all possible.

- 35 to 50 mph wind gusts (60-90% probability of wind gusts of
  45 mph or greater west of the Mississippi River) on Friday. A
  Wind Advisory will be likely needed west of the Mississippi
  River.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
Issued at 227 PM CDT Thu May 15 2025

This afternoon and early evening

At 2 PM, a cold front was located near Interstate 35 and warm
front was located near Interstate 94. There was an occluded
front that extends northwest back to a low pressure area near
the Intersection of North Dakota/South Dakota/west-central
Minnesota. In the warm sector of this system the MVFR deck of
clouds is starting to break-up. Temperatures have warmed into
the lower and mid-80s and dew points are in the lower to
mid-60s. This is resulting in surface-based CAPES of 2500-3500
J/kg. 900-600 mb lapse rates are near 9 C/km. Effective shear
remain in the 40 to 45 knot shear, so we have ample shear for
supercell development. The SPC Mesoscale Analysis shows that CIN
has eroded across southeast Minnesota and northeast Iowa, and
it will dissipate across the remainder of the area by 3 PM.

Still see a variety of run to run solutions on when the storms
will start to form. For example the HRRR was showing the initial
development over west-central Wisconsin earlier this morning.
It has now trended west over east-central and southeast
Minnesota. We are starting to see some thunderstorm development
west of the Twin Cities and south-central Minnesota just west of
Interstate 35.

Soundings west of the Mississippi River are a bit less
favorable for very large hail than those over west-central and
central Wisconsin where the NCAPEs are much greater. Hail will
likely occur between a half hour to hour after supercell
development. There could potentially be some isolated reports of
hail greater than 2.5" in diameter in Wisconsin.

The better 0-1 km helicity look to be from east-central
Minnesota southeast through west-central, central, and southeast
Wisconsin. These areas have a higher tornado potential. As a
result, a Tornado Watch has been issued until 8 PM for part of
this area. Particularly concerned about central Wisconsin where
the supercells will have time to mature and where there
discrete, southern supercells will have the better potential to
ingest unimpeded instability and low-level helicity. This area
would have the potential of stronger tornadoes.

With DCAPEs of 1000-1500 J/kg, dry air aloft, and 40-50 knot
winds between 800 and 600 mb, there will be the potential for
damaging winds. Currently thinking that these winds will be in
the 60 to 70 mph range.

Friday into Saturday

A closed low will be move slowly east from Minnesota into the
Great Lakes. As shortwaves rotate around this low, there will be
periodic showers. There may be even some thunderstorms on
Friday afternoon as the mean surface CAPES climb up to 1000
J/kg. Rainfall totals will range from a tenth to a half inch.
The highest rain totals will be mainly north of Interstate 90.

From late Friday morning into Friday evening, the soundings show
steep surface to 800 mb (lapse rates around 8 C/km). Soundings
suggest wind gusts will be in the 35 to 50 mph. The LREF has a
probability of 60-90% that the wind gusts will be 45 mph or
greater during the afternoon. A Wind Advisory will be likely
needed west of the Mississippi River.

Monday through Wednesday

A low pressure area will move slowly east from the Central
Plains into the Ohio River Valley. North of this low there is a
high pressure system. Still plenty of uncertainty on the
northern edge of this rainfall. This is especially the case on
Monday and Wednesday.

&&

.AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z FRIDAY/...
Issued at 1229 PM CDT Thu May 15 2025

A swath of high-end MVFR ceilings are moving out of the RST
terminal with VFR ceilings expected for much of the period.
Storms have started to form along the arcing cold front across
south central Minnesota. Mesoanalysis shows soundings across our
area becoming uncapped earlier than expected so have included
TEMPO groupings for these storms at both terminals. There is
lower confidence with the RST TEMPO but enough to include it
based on current observations. This line of storms will quickly
move through the area with winds out of the south veering more
to the west/southwest behind the front this evening. Some LLWS
will be possible at both sites overnight so have included with
this package but fine tuning may be needed with future updates.
Wrap-around precipitation from the low pressure system will
start to impact the RST terminal late in the period so have
added in a PROB30 for this timeframe but increased confidence
with the next update may warrant changing that to a prevailing
group with the next package.

&&

.ARX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WI...None.
MN...None.
IA...None.

&&

DISCUSSION...Boyne
AVIATION...Barendse

Hazardous weather outlook, May 15, 4:17 AM CDT, 12 hours 27 minutes before

Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service La Crosse WI
417 AM CDT Thu May 15 2025

IAZ008>011-018-019-029-030-MNZ079-086>088-094>096-WIZ017-029-
032>034-041>044-053>055-061-161100-
Mitchell-Howard-Winneshiek-Allamakee-Floyd-Chickasaw-Fayette-
Clayton-Wabasha-Dodge-Olmsted-Winona-Mower-Fillmore-Houston-
Taylor-Clark-Buffalo-Trempealeau-Jackson-La Crosse-Monroe-Juneau-
Adams-Vernon-Crawford-Richland-Grant-
417 AM CDT Thu May 15 2025

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of southeast
Minnesota...northeast Iowa and southwest into central Wisconsin.

.DAY ONE...Today and Tonight

Severe storms are likely for some this afternoon into early
evening. Locally, the higher risk lies east of the Mississippi
River, along and north of Interstate 90. Very large hail of 2
inches or greater, tornadoes and damaging winds are all possible.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday

No hazardous weather is expected at this time.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotters may be needed east of the Mississippi River between 2 and
7 PM today...especially in locations north of Interstate 90.

.EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATION...

No webinar is scheduled.

Rieck

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 15, 4:33 PM CDT, 11 minutes before

Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service La Crosse WI
433 PM CDT Thu May 15 2025

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0408 PM     Hail             3 W Alma Center         44.44N 90.97W
05/15/2025  E1.75 Inch       Jackson            WI   Public

            Picture via social media.

&&

KB

Local storm report, May 15, 4:34 PM CDT, 10 minutes before

Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service La Crosse WI
434 PM CDT Thu May 15 2025

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0426 PM     Hail             Elroy                   43.74N 90.27W
05/15/2025  M1.00 Inch       Juneau             WI   Law Enforcement

&&

NRF

Local storm report, May 15, 4:35 PM CDT, 9 minutes before

Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service La Crosse WI
435 PM CDT Thu May 15 2025

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0433 PM     Hail             Mauston                 43.80N 90.09W
05/15/2025  M0.70 Inch       Juneau             WI   Law Enforcement

&&

NRF

Local storm report, May 15, 4:38 PM CDT, 6 minutes before

Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service La Crosse WI
438 PM CDT Thu May 15 2025

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0425 PM     Hail             1 WNW Arkdale           44.04N 89.90W
05/15/2025  M1.75 Inch       Adams              WI   Trained Spotter

&&

Local storm report, May 15, 4:40 PM CDT, 4 minutes before

Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service La Crosse WI
440 PM CDT Thu May 15 2025

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0439 PM     Hail             1 NNE Camp Douglas      43.94N 90.26W
05/15/2025  M1.00 Inch       Juneau             WI   Other Federal

&&

NRF

Local storm report, May 15, 4:44 PM CDT, 0 minutes before

Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service La Crosse WI
444 PM CDT Thu May 15 2025

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0430 PM     Hail             3 SSW Plainville        43.67N 89.83W
05/15/2025  M1.00 Inch       Juneau             WI   Trained Spotter

&&

NRF

The office that day

Everything else NWS La Crosse, WI issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 15, 2:44 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ARX	Buffalo	46 min
May 15, 2:56 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ARX	Buffalo, Trempealeau	34 min
May 15, 3:10 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ARX	Buffalo	20 min
May 15, 3:16 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ARX	Richland	44 min
May 15, 3:21 PM CDT	Wind Advisory	ARX	Adams, Buffalo, Clark, Crawford, Grant, Jackson and 6 more	6 hr
May 15, 3:28 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ARX	Buffalo, Trempealeau	47 min
May 15, 3:34 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ARX	La Crosse, Vernon	20 min
May 15, 3:51 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ARX	Jackson	24 min
May 15, 3:59 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ARX	Juneau, Monroe, Vernon	46 min
May 15, 4:07 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ARX	Jackson, Monroe	38 min
May 15, 4:07 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ARX	Adams, Juneau	68 min
May 15, 4:12 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ARX	Clark, Jackson	48 min
May 15, 4:24 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ARX	Jackson, Juneau, Monroe	51 min
May 15, 4:30 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ARX	Clark	45 min
May 15, 4:57 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ARX	Clark, Taylor	48 min
May 15, 5:06 PM CDT	Tornado Warning Tornado observed	ARX	Clark	39 min
May 15, 5:06 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ARX	Adams	24 min
May 15, 5:14 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ARX	Adams, Juneau	46 min
May 15, 5:42 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	ARX	Taylor	33 min
May 15, 5:45 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	ARX	Taylor	30 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Wisconsin, 2025 Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2025

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.