Wisconsin, 1999

Hail and Damaging Winds in Wisconsin, July 23, 1999

July 23, 1999 · NWS MKX · 23 events in 13 counties and zones

Scattered pre-dawn thunderstorms and a daytime mixture of temperatures in the lower 90s and dewpoints in the lower to mid 70s primed the atmosphere for a round of severe weather across southcentral and southeast Wisconsin. During the afternoon hours of the 23rd several short lines of severe thunderstorms moved east/southeast at 35 mph dumping large hail and torrential rains, and producing…

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

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  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
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  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
2
Property damage
$83,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
23

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.

Scattered pre-dawn thunderstorms and a daytime mixture of temperatures in the lower 90s and dewpoints in the lower to mid 70s primed the atmosphere for a round of severe weather across southcentral and southeast Wisconsin. During the afternoon hours of the 23rd several short lines of severe thunderstorms moved east/southeast at 35 mph dumping large hail and torrential rains, and producing damaging wet microburst winds. Numerous large trees were blown over and many power lines were knocked over. A measured peak wind gust of 57 knots (66 mph) was recorded in Lake Geneva (Walworth Co.). Large hail (7/8 inch) was reported along with damaging winds that raked the Beaver Dam to Lowell area of Dodge County. In Madison (Dane Co.), lightning injured a women, and also struck and injured a boy on a bike in Cottage Grove. A farm garage building in northeast Green County was blown down by the powerful thunderstorm winds. In the city of Milwaukee (Milwaukee Co.) 1 home and 3 cars sustained wind damage.

The radar

The Milwaukee radar (KMKX), 91 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:42 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

17 thunderstorm wind, 3 hail, 2 lightning, 1 funnel cloud. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Green Lake

When
July 23, 12:45 PM CST
Where
Green Lake County, Markesan
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates
43.720, -88.980

Funnel Cloud, Washington

When
July 23, 1:00 PM CST
Where
Washington County, 2 mi NW of Slinger
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
43.369, -88.231 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lightning, Dane

When
July 23, 1:20 PM CST
Where
Dane County, Madison
Injuries
1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
43.067, -89.418 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Dodge

When
July 23, 1:34 PM CST to 1:52 PM CST
Where
Dodge County, Beaver Dam to Lowell
Property damage
$2,000
Reported by
AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates
43.470, -88.830

Lightning, Dane

When
July 23, 1:40 PM CST
Where
Dane County, Cottage Grove
Injuries
1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
43.067, -89.418 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Thunderstorm Wind, Columbia

When
July 23, 1:45 PM CST
Where
Columbia County, Rio
Property damage
$2,000
Reported by
AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates
43.450, -89.230

Thunderstorm Wind, Jefferson

When
July 23, 2:08 PM CST
Where
Jefferson County, 1 mi S of Watertown
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by
AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates
43.180, -88.720

Thunderstorm Wind, Columbia

When
July 23, 2:30 PM CST
Where
Columbia County, 5 mi W of Columbus
Property damage
$1,000
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
43.330, -89.120

Hail, Dane

When
July 23, 2:39 PM CST
Where
Dane County, Madison Truax Arpt
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
43.130, -89.330

Thunderstorm Wind, Dane

When
July 23, 2:40 PM CST
Where
Dane County, Belleville
Property damage
$1,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
42.850, -89.530

Hail, Dodge

When
July 23, 2:40 PM CST
Where
Dodge County, Richwood
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates
43.230, -88.770

Thunderstorm Wind, Green

When
July 23, 2:45 PM CST to 3:00 PM CST
Where
Green County, Dayton to 5 mi of Brodhead
Property damage
$25,000
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
42.820, -89.400

Thunderstorm Wind, Jefferson

When
July 23, 2:49 PM CST
Where
Jefferson County, Ft Atkinson
Property damage
$2,000
Reported by
AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates
42.930, -88.850

Thunderstorm Wind, Rock

When
July 23, 2:55 PM CST
Where
Rock County, 3 mi W of Union
Property damage
$1,000
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
42.820, -89.370

Thunderstorm Wind, Ozaukee

When
July 23, 2:55 PM CST
Where
Ozaukee County, Grafton
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
43.320, -87.950

Thunderstorm Wind, Rock

When
July 23, 3:10 PM CST
Where
Rock County, Janesville
Property damage
$2,000
Reported by
AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates
42.680, -89.020

Thunderstorm Wind, Dane

When
July 23, 3:21 PM CST
Where
Dane County, 3 mi NW of Stoughton
Property damage
$1,000
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
42.950, -89.270

Thunderstorm Wind, Milwaukee

When
July 23, 3:30 PM CST
Where
Milwaukee County, Milwaukee
Property damage
$30,000
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
43.030, -87.970

Thunderstorm Wind, Racine

When
July 23, 3:33 PM CST
Where
Racine County, Waterford
Property damage
$2,000
Reported by
AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates
42.770, -88.220

Thunderstorm Wind, Walworth

When
July 23, 3:36 PM CST to 3:50 PM CST
Where
Walworth County, Walworth to Lake Geneva
Measured
57 kt (66 mph)
Property damage
$2,000
Reported by
AMATEUR RADIO
Coordinates
42.530, -88.600

Thunderstorm Wind, Kenosha

When
July 23, 3:55 PM CST
Where
Kenosha County, 1 mi SW of Twin Lakes
Property damage
$3,000
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
42.520, -88.270

Thunderstorm Wind, Rock

When
July 23, 3:55 PM CST
Where
Rock County, Newville
Property damage
$1,000
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
42.830, -89.020

Thunderstorm Wind, Racine

When
July 23, 4:15 PM CST
Where
Racine County, North Bay
Property damage
$3,000
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
42.770, -87.780

What these are

Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Funnel Cloud
A rotating column of cloud extending from a thunderstorm that did not reach the ground.
Lightning
A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.
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.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Wisconsin in 1999Every state in 1999This day in weather historyWarnings in Wisconsin, July 1999

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5711370, 5711378, 5711374, 5711372, 5711375, 5711371, 5711376, 5711455, 5711373, 5711377, 5711456, 5711457, 5711460, 5711458, 5711462, 5711465, 5711459, 5711461, 5711467, 5711464, 5711463, 5711466, 5711468.