Alert archive / Wisconsin / Tornado Warnings in 2025

Tornado Warning 27, NWS Twin Cities, MN

May 15, 2025Polk County, Wisconsin

NWS Twin Cities, MN issued this tornado warning at May 15, 2025, 3:49 PM CDT for Polk County, Wisconsin. It was in force for 26 min. 3 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, 3:49 PM CDT (20:49 UTC)
Expired: May 15, 2025, 4:15 PM CDT
In force: 26 min
Issued by: NWS Twin Cities, MN
Area: Storm-based polygon
Tornado: Radar indicated
Hail: 0.0 in

County Polk County, WI

The radar

The Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 118 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:53 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, 3:50 PM CDT	TSTM WND DMG	2 Ssw Amery, WI	Delayed report, time estimated from radar. Tree down.
May 15, 4:05 PM CDT	TSTM WND DMG	3 Ene Luck, WI	Delayed report, time estimated from radar. Tree down.
May 15, 4:09 PM CDT	TSTM WND DMG	3 Ese Luck, WI	Delayed report, time estimated from radar. Tree down.

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.

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

The nearest sounding before it

Minneapolis, MN (KMPX), launched 12:00Z, 8.8 hours before the alert went out and 120 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: 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.

020 
WFUS53 KMPX 152049
TORMPX
WIC095-152115-
/O.NEW.KMPX.TO.W.0027.250515T2049Z-250515T2115Z/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Tornado Warning
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
349 PM CDT Thu May 15 2025

The National Weather Service in the Twin Cities has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...
  Eastern Polk County in northwestern Wisconsin...

* Until 415 PM CDT.

* At 349 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a 
  tornado was located near Amery, or 34 miles north of River Falls, 
  moving northeast at 50 mph.

  HAZARD...Tornado.

  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.

* Locations impacted include...
  Amery, Frederic, Luck, Clear Lake, Balsam Lake, Milltown, 
  Mckinley, Range, Joel, Straight Lake Wilderness State Park, 
  Deronda and Wanderoos.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a well-built 
building away from 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.

This storm has a history of producing tornadoes.

&&

LAT...LON 4525 9224 4531 9253 4569 9246 4562 9216
      4539 9216
TIME...MOT...LOC 2049Z 209DEG 45KT 4533 9243

TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN

$$

Dye

1 follow-up statement

432 
WWUS53 KMPX 152110
SVSMPX

Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
410 PM CDT Thu May 15 2025

WIC095-152120-
/O.EXP.KMPX.TO.W.0027.000000T0000Z-250515T2115Z/
Polk WI-
410 PM CDT Thu May 15 2025

...TORNADO WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 415 PM CDT FOR EASTERN POLK 
COUNTY...

The storm which prompted the warning has weakened below severe 
limits, and no longer appears capable of producing a tornado. 
Therefore, the warning will be allowed to expire. However, small 
hail and gusty winds are still possible with this thunderstorm.

A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 800 PM CDT for a portion of 
northwest Wisconsin.

&&

LAT...LON 4525 9224 4531 9253 4569 9246 4562 9216
      4539 9216
TIME...MOT...LOC 2049Z 209DEG 45KT 4533 9243

$$

Dye

The office that day

Everything else NWS Twin Cities, MN issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 15, 1:55 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MPX	Pierce	35 min
May 15, 2:31 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MPX	Pepin, Pierce, Saint Croix	44 min
May 15, 2:53 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	MPX	Pierce	22 min
May 15, 3:01 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	MPX	Dunn, Pepin, Pierce	14 min
May 15, 3:07 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	MPX	Saint Croix	23 min
May 15, 3:15 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	MPX	Dunn, Pepin, Pierce	30 min
May 15, 3:25 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	MPX	Polk, Saint Croix	35 min
May 15, 3:30 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	MPX	Chippewa, Dunn, Eau Claire, Pepin	30 min
May 15, 3:41 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	MPX	Dunn	20 min
May 15, 3:58 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MPX	Barron, Chippewa, Dunn, Eau Claire, Pepin, Rusk	47 min
May 15, 4:05 PM CDT	Tornado Warning	MPX	Chippewa, Eau Claire	25 min
May 15, 4:16 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MPX	Barron, Polk	29 min
May 15, 4:43 PM CDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	MPX	Barron, Chippewa, Eau Claire, Rusk	47 min

Nearby

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