Wisconsin, 1997

Tornado and Hail in Wisconsin, July 5, 1997

July 5, 1997 · NWS MPX · 5 events in 2 counties and zones

3 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado, 1 hail, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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
None recorded
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.

The radar

The Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 130 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:25 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Tornado, Dunn

When
July 5, 5:27 PM CST to 5:35 PM CST
Where
Dunn County, Wheeler to 1 mi SE of Wheeler
Rating
F1
Path length
5 mi
Path width
440 yd
Coordinates
45.030, -91.930

Sheds destroyed. Trees blown down blocking roads. Power lines blown down at Tainter Lake.

Thunderstorm Wind, Dunn

When
July 5, 5:45 PM CST
Where
Dunn County, Colfax
Measured
55 kt (63 mph)
Coordinates
45.000, -91.720

Shingles torn off roof. Few trees down. Estimated windspeed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Dunn

When
July 5, 5:55 PM CST
Where
Dunn County, Elk Mound
Measured
60 kt (69 mph)
Coordinates
44.870, -91.680

Large branches down.

Hail, Eau Claire

When
July 5, 6:20 PM CST
Where
Eau Claire County, Eau Claire
Measured
0.88 in hail
Coordinates
44.820, -91.480

Thunderstorm Wind, Eau Claire

When
July 5, 6:25 PM CST
Where
Eau Claire County, Eau Claire
Measured
55 kt (63 mph)
Coordinates
44.820, -91.480

Large branches down at intersection of Interstate 94 and highway 93. Estimated windspeed. Funnel clouds also sighted.

What these are

Tornado
A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.
Thunderstorm Wind
Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.

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 historyThe tornado archive for Wisconsin, 1997Warnings in Wisconsin, July 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: 5614915, 5614916, 5614917, 5614918, 5614919.