Wisconsin, 1998

Hail and Damaging Winds in Wisconsin, August 9, 1998

August 9, 1998 · NWS ARX · 9 events in 3 counties and zones

Spotter groups clocked wind gusts as high as 71 mph, which knocked down several trees, power lines and damaged some crops.

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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$118,000
Crop damage
$75,000
Events
9

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.

Spotter groups clocked wind gusts as high as 71 mph, which knocked down several trees, power lines and damaged some crops.

The radar

The La Crosse radar (KARX), 54 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:59 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

8 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Buffalo

When
August 9, 4:00 PM CST
Where
Buffalo County, Fountain City
Measured
61 kt (70 mph)
Property damage
$2,000
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
44.130, -91.720

Thunderstorm Wind, La Crosse

When
August 9, 4:52 PM CST
Where
La Crosse County, 2 mi S of Holmen
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by
NWS EMPLOYEE(OFF DUTY)
Coordinates
43.930, -91.250

Thunderstorm Wind, Trempealeau

When
August 9, 4:52 PM CST
Where
Trempealeau County, 3 mi E of Trempealeau
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage
$15,000
Crop damage
$25,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
44.000, -91.370

Thunderstorm Wind, La Crosse

When
August 9, 4:55 PM CST
Where
La Crosse County, New Amsterdam
Measured
61 kt (70 mph)
Property damage
$35,000
Crop damage
$20,000
Reported by
AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates
43.980, -91.320

Thunderstorm Wind, La Crosse

When
August 9, 4:57 PM CST
Where
La Crosse County, 2 mi S of Holmen
Measured
55 kt (63 mph)
Property damage
$1,000
Reported by
NWS EMPLOYEE(OFF DUTY)
Coordinates
43.930, -91.250

Thunderstorm Wind, La Crosse

When
August 9, 4:58 PM CST
Where
La Crosse County, Onalaska
Measured
62 kt (71 mph)
Property damage
$45,000
Reported by
AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates
43.880, -91.230

Thunderstorm Wind, La Crosse

When
August 9, 5:00 PM CST
Where
La Crosse County, La Crosse Muni Arpt
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
43.880, -91.250

Thunderstorm Wind, La Crosse

When
August 9, 5:25 PM CST
Where
La Crosse County, St Joseph
Measured
61 kt (70 mph)
Property damage
$20,000
Reported by
AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates
43.780, -91.030

Hail, La Crosse

When
August 9, 5:25 PM CST
Where
La Crosse County, St Joseph
Measured
0.75 in hail
Crop damage
$30,000
Reported by
AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates
43.780, -91.030

What these are

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 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in Wisconsin, August 1998

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: 5666388, 5666380, 5666385, 5666381, 5666382, 5666384, 5666383, 5666386, 5666387.