Wisconsin, 1997

High Wind in Wisconsin, April 6, 1997

April 6, 1997 · NWS ARX · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

Winds gusting to as much as 70 mph blew down trees, damaged several farm buildings and caused power outages.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 5 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
$45,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
5

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 ARX wrote it up.

Winds gusting to as much as 70 mph blew down trees, damaged several farm buildings and caused power outages.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, La Crosse

When
April 6, 3:30 PM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
La Crosse forecast zone
Measured
59 kt (68 mph)
Coordinates
43.907, -91.115 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Grant

When
April 6, 3:30 PM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
Grant forecast zone
Measured
61 kt (70 mph)
Coordinates
42.868, -90.706 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Crawford

When
April 6, 3:30 PM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
Crawford forecast zone
Measured
56 kt (64 mph)
Property damage
$45,000
Coordinates
43.240, -90.931 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Vernon

When
April 6, 3:30 PM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
Vernon forecast zone
Measured
56 kt (64 mph)
Coordinates
43.594, -90.834 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Richland

When
April 6, 3:30 PM CST to 7:00 PM CST
Where
Richland forecast zone
Measured
56 kt (64 mph)
Coordinates
43.376, -90.429 (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

More

Every storm in Wisconsin in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings 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: 5592386, 5592387, 5592388, 5592389, 5592390.