Wisconsin, 1999

Hail and Damaging Winds in Wisconsin, May 16, 1999

May 16, 1999 · NWS ARX · 12 events in 3 counties and zones

Spotters and law enforcement officials reprted hail as large as golfballs and wind gusts between 60 and 65 mph. Several trees and power lines were downed as a result.

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
$160,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
12

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.

Spotters and law enforcement officials reprted hail as large as golfballs and wind gusts between 60 and 65 mph. Several trees and power lines were downed as a result.

The radar

The La Crosse radar (KARX), 86 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:57 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

8 hail, 4 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Crawford

When
May 16, 1:58 PM CST
Where
Crawford County, Prairie du Chien
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
43.050, -91.150

Hail, Crawford

When
May 16, 2:01 PM CST
Where
Crawford County, 6 mi S of Prairie du Chien
Measured
1.75 in hail
Property damage
$20,000
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
42.970, -91.150

Hail, Grant

When
May 16, 2:01 PM CST
Where
Grant County, Wyalusing
Measured
1.75 in hail
Property damage
$20,000
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
42.930, -91.130

Hail, Grant

When
May 16, 2:01 PM CST
Where
Grant County, Bagley
Measured
1 in hail
Property damage
$15,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
42.900, -91.120

Thunderstorm Wind, Grant

When
May 16, 2:15 PM CST
Where
Grant County, Bagley
Measured
52 kt (60 mph)
Property damage
$15,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
42.900, -91.120

Hail, Grant

When
May 16, 2:15 PM CST
Where
Grant County, Patch Grove
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
42.930, -90.970

Thunderstorm Wind, Crawford

When
May 16, 2:15 PM CST
Where
Crawford County, 13 mi E of Prairie du Chien
Measured
54 kt (62 mph)
Property damage
$35,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
43.050, -90.900

Thunderstorm Wind, Grant

When
May 16, 2:37 PM CST
Where
Grant County, Blue River
Measured
54 kt (62 mph)
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates
43.180, -90.570

Thunderstorm Wind, Richland

When
May 16, 2:40 PM CST
Where
Richland County, Richland Center
Measured
55 kt (63 mph)
Property damage
$20,000
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
43.330, -90.380

Hail, Grant

When
May 16, 3:35 PM CST
Where
Grant County, Bloomington
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
42.880, -90.920

Hail, Grant

When
May 16, 8:10 PM CST
Where
Grant County, Kieler
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
FIRE DEPT/RESCUE SQUAD
Coordinates
42.580, -90.600

Hail, Grant

When
May 16, 8:14 PM CST
Where
Grant County, Kieler
Measured
1 in hail
Property damage
$25,000
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
42.580, -90.600

What these are

Hail
Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
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, May 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: 5696090, 5696091, 5696098, 5696099, 5696092, 5696093, 5696094, 5696203, 5696095, 5696100, 5696096, 5696097.