Alert archive / Wisconsin / Tornado Warnings in 2025

Tornado Warning 4, NWS La Crosse, WI

May 15, 2025Buffalo County, Wisconsin

NWS La Crosse, WI issued this tornado warning at May 15, 2025, 3:10 PM CDT for Buffalo County, Wisconsin. It was in force for 20 min. 1 report 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, 3:10 PM CDT (20:10 UTC)
Expired
May 15, 2025, 3:30 PM CDT
In force
20 min
Issued by
NWS La Crosse, WI
Area
Storm-based polygon
Tornado
Radar indicated
Hail
1.0 in

County Buffalo County, WI

The radar

The La Crosse radar (KARX), 102 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:12 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

TimeReportWhereRemark
May 15, 3:31 PM CDTHAIL 0.73 Ne Nelson, WI

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

The watch it was issued in

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

IssuedProductOfficeLasted
May 15, 12:46 PM CDTTornado WatchSPC7 hr

The nearest sounding before it

Minneapolis, MN (KMPX), launched 12:00Z, 8.2 hours before the alert went out and 131 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-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Minneapolis, MN at 12:00Z on 2025-05-15Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 515 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Minneapolis, MN at 12:00Z on 2025-05-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 148 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
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
515 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-91 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1098 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
18 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
148 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
141 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
1.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

703 
WFUS53 KARX 152010
TORARX
WIC011-152030-
/O.NEW.KARX.TO.W.0004.250515T2010Z-250515T2030Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service La Crosse WI
310 PM CDT Thu May 15 2025

The National Weather Service in La Crosse has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Northwestern Buffalo County in west central Wisconsin...

* Until 330 PM CDT.

* At 309 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
  was located 7 miles northeast of Wabasha, moving north at 25 mph.

  HAZARD...Tornado and quarter size hail.

  SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation.

  IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without 
           shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. 
           Damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur.  Tree 
           damage is likely.

* This tornadic thunderstorm will remain over mainly rural areas of
  northwestern Buffalo County, including the following locations...
  Misha Mokwa, Maxville, Urne, and Ella.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TAKE COVER NOW! Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest
floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a
mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter
and protect yourself from flying debris.

&&

LAT...LON 4451 9204 4454 9205 4454 9204 4456 9204
      4459 9203 4460 9200 4460 9186 4445 9188
      4444 9207
TIME...MOT...LOC 2009Z 177DEG 23KT 4447 9198 

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...1.00 IN

$$

Cecava

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 15, 2:44 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningARXBuffalo46 min
May 15, 2:56 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningARXBuffalo, Trempealeau34 min
May 15, 3:16 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningARXRichland44 min
May 15, 3:21 PM CDTWind AdvisoryARXAdams, Buffalo, Clark, Crawford, Grant, Jackson and 6 more6 hr
May 15, 3:28 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningARXBuffalo, Trempealeau47 min
May 15, 3:34 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningARXLa Crosse, Vernon20 min
May 15, 3:51 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningARXJackson24 min
May 15, 3:59 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningARXJuneau, Monroe, Vernon46 min
May 15, 4:07 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningARXJackson, Monroe38 min
May 15, 4:07 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningARXAdams, Juneau68 min
May 15, 4:12 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningARXClark, Jackson48 min
May 15, 4:24 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningARXJackson, Juneau, Monroe51 min
May 15, 4:30 PM CDTTornado WarningARXClark45 min
May 15, 4:44 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningARXClark46 min
May 15, 4:57 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningARXClark, Taylor48 min
May 15, 5:06 PM CDTTornado Warning Tornado observedARXClark39 min
May 15, 5:06 PM CDTTornado WarningARXAdams24 min
May 15, 5:14 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningARXAdams, Juneau46 min
May 15, 5:42 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningARXTaylor33 min
May 15, 5:45 PM CDTTornado WarningARXTaylor30 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Wisconsin, 2025Every tornado warning in 2025Tornadoes 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.