Wisconsin, 1999

Hail and Waterspout in Wisconsin, June 16, 1999

June 16, 1999 · NWS GRB · 3 events in 2 counties and zones

Southerly flow ahead of an approaching cold front brought plenty of moist and unstable air into Wisconsin. The cold front became the focus for the development of severe thunderstorms that moved across central and east-central Wisconsin.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 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
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
3

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 GRB wrote it up.

Southerly flow ahead of an approaching cold front brought plenty of moist and unstable air into Wisconsin. The cold front became the focus for the development of severe thunderstorms that moved across central and east-central Wisconsin. Wind gusts of 60 to 70 mph toppled trees and snapped power lines, knocking out power to approximately 15,000 customers. Two barns were destroyed by high winds west of Algoma (Kewaunee county) and Appleton (Outagamie county) lost 82 city-owned trees. Across the street from Green Bay's Austin-Straubel Airport (Brown county), part of a tent used for concerts and other events was blown down by winds in excess of 60 mph. Lightning caused a fire that destroyed a house in Green Bay.

The radar

The Green Bay radar (KGRB), 55 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:04 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 hail, 1 funnel cloud, 1 waterspout. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Winnebago

When
June 16, 1:05 PM CST to 1:20 PM CST
Where
Winnebago County, Winchester
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
44.200, -88.670

Funnel Cloud, Winnebago

When
June 16, 1:25 PM CST
Where
Winnebago County, Neenah
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
44.069, -88.645 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Waterspout, Calumet

When
June 16, 1:32 PM CST to 1:45 PM CST
Where
Calumet County, 2 mi W of Brothertown
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
44.082, -88.218 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

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.
Waterspout
A tornado over water. One that moves ashore is filed as a tornado from the coastline on.

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, June 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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5703547, 5703548, 5703546.