Alert archive / Wisconsin / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2026
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 75, NWS La Crosse, WI
NWS La Crosse, WI issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 17, 2026, 11:29 PM CDT for Clark County, Jackson County, Wisconsin. It was in force for 18 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.
The area
The outline as issued.
The facts
- Issued
- May 17, 2026, 11:29 PM CDT (04:29 UTC)
- Expired
- May 17, 2026, 11:47 PM CDT
- In force
- 18 min
- Issued by
- NWS La Crosse, WI
- Area
- Storm-based polygon
- Hail
- 1.0 in
- Wind
- 50.0 mph
Counties Clark County, WI, Jackson County, WI
The radar
The La Crosse radar (KARX), 88 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 04:34 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.
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 nearest sounding before it
Minneapolis, MN (KMPX), launched 00:00Z, 4.5 hours before the alert went out and 220 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- No buoyant parcel
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1101 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 42 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 154 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 237 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted.
519
WUUS53 KARX 180429
SVRARX
WIC019-053-180515-
/O.NEW.KARX.SV.W.0075.260518T0429Z-260518T0515Z/
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
Severe Thunderstorm Warning
National Weather Service La Crosse WI
1129 PM CDT Sun May 17 2026
The National Weather Service in La Crosse has issued a
* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...
Southwestern Clark County in central Wisconsin...
Northwestern Jackson County in west central Wisconsin...
* Until 1215 AM CDT.
* At 1129 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Alma Center,
or near Black River Falls, moving north at 45 mph.
HAZARD...Quarter size hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Damage to vehicles is expected.
* This severe thunderstorm will be near...
Merrillan and Alma Center around 1135 PM CDT.
Humbird around 1140 PM CDT.
Other locations impacted by this severe thunderstorm include Hog
Corners, Wildcat Mound, Highway 10 And 12, Tioga, Christie, Highway
10 And Bald Peak Road, and Hixton Alma Center K O A.
This includes Interstate 94 between mile markers 108 and 113.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a
building.
&&
LAT...LON 4465 9058 4430 9089 4434 9098 4460 9094
4460 9092 4467 9092 4475 9091
TIME...MOT...LOC 0429Z 201DEG 39KT 4436 9092
HAIL THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...1.00 IN
WIND THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX WIND GUST...<50 MPH
$$
Baumgardt3 follow-up statements
712
WWUS53 KARX 180435
SVSARX
Severe Weather Statement
National Weather Service La Crosse WI
1135 PM CDT Sun May 17 2026
WIC019-053-180515-
/O.CON.KARX.SV.W.0075.000000T0000Z-260518T0515Z/
Clark WI-Jackson WI-
1135 PM CDT Sun May 17 2026
...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1215 AM CDT
FOR SOUTHWESTERN CLARK AND NORTH CENTRAL JACKSON COUNTIES...
At 1135 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Alma Center,
or 8 miles north of Black River Falls, moving north at 45 mph.
HAZARD...Quarter size hail.
SOURCE...Radar indicated.
IMPACT...Damage to vehicles is expected.
This severe storm will be near...
Merrillan and Humbird around 1140 PM CDT.
Other locations impacted by this severe thunderstorm include Hog
Corners, Wildcat Mound, Highway 10 And 12, Tioga, Christie, Highway
10 And Bald Peak Road, and Globe.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a
building.
&&
LAT...LON 4465 9058 4436 9084 4440 9094 4460 9092
4467 9092 4475 9091
TIME...MOT...LOC 0435Z 201DEG 39KT 4442 9089
HAIL THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX HAIL SIZE...1.00 IN
WIND THREAT...RADAR INDICATED
MAX WIND GUST...<50 MPH
$$
Baumgardt286 WWUS53 KARX 180445 SVSARX Severe Weather Statement National Weather Service La Crosse WI 1145 PM CDT Sun May 17 2026 WIC053-180454- /O.CAN.KARX.SV.W.0075.000000T0000Z-260518T0515Z/ Jackson WI- 1145 PM CDT Sun May 17 2026 ...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR NORTH CENTRAL JACKSON COUNTY IS CANCELLED... The severe thunderstorm which prompted the warning has moved out of the warned area. Therefore, the warning has been cancelled. && LAT...LON 4465 9058 4451 9076 4451 9087 4473 9083 TIME...MOT...LOC 0444Z 203DEG 46KT 4457 9081 $$ WIC019-180515- /O.CON.KARX.SV.W.0075.000000T0000Z-260518T0515Z/ Clark WI- 1145 PM CDT Sun May 17 2026 ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1215 AM CDT FOR SOUTHWESTERN CLARK COUNTY... At 1144 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Humbird, or 10 miles west of Neillsville, moving northeast at 55 mph. HAZARD...Quarter size hail. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Damage to vehicles is expected. This severe thunderstorm will remain over mainly rural areas of southwestern Clark County, including the following locations... Hog Corners, Wildcat Mound, Tioga, Christie, Highway 10 And Bald Peak Road, Globe, and Snyder Lake. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. && LAT...LON 4465 9058 4451 9076 4451 9087 4473 9083 TIME...MOT...LOC 0444Z 203DEG 46KT 4457 9081 HAIL THREAT...RADAR INDICATED MAX HAIL SIZE...1.00 IN WIND THREAT...RADAR INDICATED MAX WIND GUST...<50 MPH $$ Baumgardt
095 WWUS53 KARX 180447 SVSARX Severe Weather Statement National Weather Service La Crosse WI 1147 PM CDT Sun May 17 2026 WIC019-180457- /O.CAN.KARX.SV.W.0075.000000T0000Z-260518T0515Z/ Clark WI- 1147 PM CDT Sun May 17 2026 ...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR SOUTHWESTERN CLARK COUNTY IS CANCELLED... The storm which prompted the warning has weakened below severe limits, and no longer poses an immediate threat to life or property. Therefore, the warning has been cancelled. && LAT...LON 4465 9058 4451 9076 4451 9087 4473 9083 TIME...MOT...LOC 0447Z 201DEG 39KT 4461 9079 $$ Baumgardt
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 17, 8:19 PM CDT, 3 hours 10 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
- Severe weather possible between 7 PM and 1 AM tonight. All hazards are possible mainly west of the Mississippi River.
- Another round of severe weather possible on Monday night between 9 PM and 4 AM. The main threat will be damaging winds. With isolated threats of hail and maybe a few QLCS tornadoes.
Area forecast discussion, May 17, 8:19 PM CDT, 3 hours 10 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service La Crosse WI 819 PM CDT Sun May 17 2026 .KEY MESSAGES... - Severe weather possible between 7 PM and 1 AM tonight. All hazards are possible mainly west of the Mississippi River. - Another round of severe weather possible on Monday night between 9 PM and 4 AM. The main threat will be damaging winds. With isolated threats of hail and maybe a few QLCS tornadoes. && .UPDATE... Issued at 805 PM CDT Sun May 17 2026 Ongoing non-severe scattered storms across the local area are inhibiting northward progression of warm front seen through north-central Iowa on surface observations this evening, keeping local severe threat conditional, i.e., lower overall confidence. Intensification of the low level jet, 45 kt south wind on DMX VWP, suggests a northern shift in warm front surging instability farther north in the next 1-2 hours. Therefore, initial threat of surface based, semi-discrete storm mode remains a low confidence scenario to remain cognizant of until the eventual MCS on radar imagery quickly shifting east through central Minnesota arrives in 3+ hours. While main threat with this line will be damaging winds, should the warm front reach farther north, a QLCS tornado threat would exist primarily along the frontal boundary. Therefore, the ongoing Tornado Watch may require a switch to Severe Thunderstorm Watch. && .DISCUSSION... Issued at 1257 PM CDT Sun May 17 2026 This Afternoon The remnant MCV which brought rain mainly south of Interstate 94 will continue to move northeast away from the area this afternoon. As it does, the showers and isolated storms currently along Interstates 90 and 94 will move east northeast away from the area. Additional rainfall amounts will be up to a half inch. As a warm front gradually lifts northward, temperatures along and south of Interstate 94 will warm into the 60s and lower 70s, and into 60s north of this Interstate. This will result in surface-based CAPES climbing into the 1000 to 2500 J/kg along and south of Interstate 90 by 7 pm. Tonight Late this afternoon and evening, 2-3K J/kg CAPES will develop ahead of a squall line moving east across eastern South Dakota, eastern Nebraska, northern Iowa, and southern Minnesota. with 0-6 km shear approaching 40 knots, there could potentially be some supercells located along the line (these would likely stay west of the Upper Mississippi River Vally) and along the warm front near the Minnesota and Iowa boarder. In addition to the deep shear, there is 200-300 EHI along the Minnesota and Iowa boarder and downdraft CAPEs up to 1K J/kg. The discrete supercells ahead of the squall line would be capable of producing wet microbursts, large hail, and isolated tornadoes between 7 PM and 10 PM in southeast Minnesota and northeast Iowa. The threat will then shift to more damaging winds and maybe a few QLCS tornadoes as the squall line moves into southeast Minnesota and northeast Iowa between 10 PM and 11 PM. This line will then gradually weaken as the instability wanes. The severe weather threat will likely wane by 1 AM Monday. Monday night A cold front will move east through the area. There will be 1-2K J/kg CAPES ahead of this front. With much of the deep (0-6 km) shear located post frontal, not anticipating any supercells. As a result, if there is severe weather, it would be located along the cold front as a squall line. The primary threat would be damaging winds with secondary threats as hail and QLCS tornadoes. Timing looks to be rather similar tonight with the squall line moving into northeast Iowa and southeast Minnesota between 9 PM and 10 PM. It will exit the area between 2 AM and 4 AM. By this time, the winds will likely be sub-severe. Friday into Saturday A shortwave trough will move east through the area. This will result in another round of showers and isolated storms. With CAPES less than 250 J/kg and 0-3 km and 0-6 km shear less than 25 knots, not anticipating any organized severe weather at this time. && .AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z TUESDAY/... Issued at 636 PM CDT Sun May 17 2026 MVFR to IFR conditions currently present across the region with some isolated instances of LIFR along and south of the I-90 corridor. Low clouds are expected to linger for most areas through later tonight with some low precip chances. The main chance for storms looks to push east into the region late this evening - likely between 04-08Z for the terminals. The main threat with this line of storms will be strong winds and heavy rainfall so have continued with the TEMPO groups that bring stronger winds in for a short time period. Lower rain chances will continue into tomorrow morning behind the line of storms with most locations lifting back to VFR CIGs through the morning. Some lower MVFR/IFR CIGs may linger across portions of SE Minnesota and WC Wisconsin so have kept them at the KRST terminal through the end of the period. && .HYDROLOGY... Issued at 106 AM CDT Sun May 17 2026 One to two inch totals are still forecast across the area, with areas further west more favored for the 2 inch totals. This will likely not cause river flooding, only within bank rises. && .ARX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WI...None. MN...None. IA...None. && UPDATE...JAR DISCUSSION...Boyne AVIATION...Barendse HYDROLOGY...Baumgardt
Hazardous weather outlook, May 17, 1:29 PM CDT, 10 hours before
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service La Crosse WI 129 PM CDT Sun May 17 2026 IAZ008>011-018-019-029-030-MNZ079-086>088-094>096-WIZ032>034-041- 181100- Mitchell-Howard-Winneshiek-Allamakee-Floyd-Chickasaw-Fayette- Clayton-Wabasha-Dodge-Olmsted-Winona-Mower-Fillmore-Houston- Buffalo-Trempealeau-Jackson-La Crosse- 129 PM CDT Sun May 17 2026 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of north central Iowa...northeast Iowa...southeast Minnesota and west central Wisconsin. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight Scattered severe storms are possible later this evening and early overnight with damaging wind as the main threat as a line of storms progresses from west to east. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday Scattered severe storms possible Monday evening and overnight with damaging wind the main threat. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Severe storm reports would be greatly appreciated. .EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATION... No webinar is scheduled. WIZ017-029-042>044-053>055-061-181100- Taylor-Clark-Monroe-Juneau-Adams-Vernon-Crawford-Richland-Grant- 129 PM CDT Sun May 17 2026 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central Wisconsin...north central Wisconsin...southwest Wisconsin and west central Wisconsin. .DAY ONE...This Afternoon and Tonight Scattered strong storms are possible overnight with wind gusts as high as 45 mph as a line of storms progresses from west to east. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday Scattered severe storms possible late Monday evening and overnight with damaging wind as the main threat. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Severe storm reports would be greatly appreciated. .EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATION... No webinar is scheduled. Boyne
In the hours before
Local storm report, May 17, 10:39 PM CDT, 50 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service La Crosse WI
1039 PM CDT Sun May 17 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1034 PM Tstm Wnd Gst Nora Springs 43.14N 93.01W
05/17/2026 M70 MPH Floyd IA Fire Dept/Rescue
&&Local storm report, May 17, 11:00 PM CDT, 29 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service La Crosse WI
1100 PM CDT Sun May 17 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1057 PM Tstm Wnd Gst Austin Airport 43.66N 92.93W
05/17/2026 M61 MPH Mower MN AWOS
&&Local storm report, May 17, 11:20 PM CDT, 9 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service La Crosse WI
1120 PM CDT Sun May 17 2026
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1042 PM Tstm Wnd Gst 2 WSW Austin 43.66N 93.01W
05/17/2026 E63 MPH Mower MN Public
&&Nearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Wisconsin, 2026Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2026
Sources
The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.