High Wind in Wisconsin, April 6, 1997

Name: High Wind in Wisconsin, April 6, 1997
Start: 1997-04-06T09:00
End: 1997-04-06T20:00
Location: Wisconsin

April 6, 1997 · NWS MKX · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Strong gradient winds, enhanced by gusts generated in snow showers, resulted in periods of high winds across the county. Damage was scattered throughout the county.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $250,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 1

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS MKX wrote it up.

Strong gradient winds, enhanced by gusts generated in snow showers, resulted in periods of high winds across the county. Damage was scattered throughout the county. In Beloit, the powerful winds blew off part of a tennis center's roof (Loves Park), and flipped part of a home's roof onto a nearby pickup truck. On the east side of Janesville, the high winds peeled off a building's roof sheets around 1400 CST. Southwest of Janesville, the winds tore off a church's roof. In and around Janesville, there were scores of road signs damaged or twisted. In Clinton, the wind toppled trees, billboard signs, and mailboxes; besides tearing off pieces of a home's roof. Over in Edgerton, missles of metal broke some windows, and large trees were pushed over. Scattered over the remainder of the county there were reports of trees knocked over, roof shingles and siding ripped off homes, as well as some shed and barn damage. Wind gusts were estimated in the 60 to 75 mph range.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Rock

When: April 6, 9:00 AM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where: Rock forecast zone
Property damage: $250,000
Coordinates: 42.671, -89.072 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

High Wind: Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Wisconsin in 1997 Every state in 1997 This day in weather history Warnings in Wisconsin, April 1997

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5593884.