Lightning Strike in Wisconsin, February 9, 2001

Name: Lightning Strike in Wisconsin, February 9, 2001
Start: 2001-02-09T04:28
End: 2001-02-09T04:28
Location: Wisconsin

February 9, 2001 · NWS MKX · 1 event in 1 county or zone

), resulting in power outages from Burlington east to Racine, as well as across the western one-third of Kenosha County. Synoptically, a strong low pressure moved from the southern Rockies through the southern plains and then through Minnesota on Feb 9th.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $30,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 1

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.

Lightning struck a power substation in Burlington (Racine Co.), and Racine (Racine Co.), resulting in power outages from Burlington east to Racine, as well as across the western one-third of Kenosha County. About 2350 customers lost power for about 5.5 hours.Synoptically, a strong low pressure moved from the southern Rockies through the southern plains and then through Minnesota on Feb 9th. Ahead of the low, southerly winds pulled warm, moist air into southern Wisconsin, as temperatures maxed out in the 35 to 48 degree range. Thunderstorms and cloud-to-ground lightning were reported across southeastern Wisconsin.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Milwaukee, WI wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 9, 3:00 AM CST, 1 hour 28 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 9, 3:00 AM CST, 1 hour 28 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
300 AM CST FRI FEB 9 2001

EXTREMELY COMPLICATED FORECAST SITUATION THIS MORNING. THE CHALLENGES
ARE HUGE.  THERE IS PERIODIC CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY JUST TO OUR SW...
TEMPERATURES HOVERING PRECARIOUSLY CLOSE TO FREEZING...A SECONDARY
LOW RIDING QUICKLY UP THE SFC BNDRY...DEEPENING FROM THE INFLUENCE
OF A COUPLED UPR JET STRUCTURE.  ADDITIONALLY...TEMPS IN THE MID 40S
ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST AND STEADY MODERATE RAINFALL EARLY THIS
MORNING WILL LIKELY CAUSE SOME PROBLEMS WITH FLOODING.  THE FOX
RIVER AT NEW MUNSTER IS ALREADY IN FLOOD. THE MAIN PROBLEM IS WHERE
TO PLACE THE HEADLINES AND WHAT TYPE TO MAKE THEM.  CURRENTLY THERE
IS A WINTER STORM WARNING IN THE NW CWA WITH AN ADVISORY OVER THE
REMAINDER OF THE AREA ACCEPT THE MKE METRO AREA.  THIS NEEDS TO BE
ADJUSTED.

SOUNDINGS SHOW THE IMPRESSIVE WARM LAYER ALOFT BEING UNDERCUT BY
THE ARCTIC INTRUSION...ESPECIALLY OVER THE CNTRL INTO THE ERN CWA
THIS MORNING.  THIS COULD BRING A ROUND OF SIGNIFICANT ICING THAT
COULD EXCEED 1/4 INCH ACCUMULATION.  FARTHER TO THE WEST THE WARM
LAYER IS POUNDED BELOW FREEZING AT THE SAME TIME THE ARCTIC BNDRY
LAYER ARRIVES KEEPING THINGS TRANSITIONING FROM RAIN RIGHT TO SNOW.
WITH WINDS TO 20 TO 30 MPH THIS WILL JUSTIFY A WINTER STORM WARNING
WITH LOWER SNOW ACCUMS...DUE TO BLOWING AND DRIFTING. A TIER OF
COUNTIES TO THE EAST WILL HAVE A WINTER STORM WARNING PRIMARILY FOR
ICE ACCUMULATION...BUT SNOW WILL BE AN ISSUE AS WELL. ADVISORY WILL
EXIST IN THE MKE METRO FOR A GENERAL MIX.  THE BIG FLY IN ALL THIS
IS IF WE GO CONVECTIVE.  CONVECTION WILL EASILY COOL THE ENTIRE
COLUMN AND CHANGE ANY MIX RIGHT OVER TO A HEAVY SNOW.  INDEED A
COMPLEX EVENT.

ALL MODELS AGREE THAT THE UPR SYSTEM AND ATTENDANT SFC FEATURE WILL
ROCKET OUT OF HERE BY 00Z WITH CLEARING SKIES IN ITS WAKE.  THE
ARCTIC AIRMASS PLOWING IN IS COLD.  TEMPS BY SAT MORNING WILL BE
AROUND ZERO IN THE WRN CWA AND LWR TEENS IN MKE.  LITTLE MODERATION
IS EXPECTED SAT AFTN.  AS USUAL...THE COLDEST NIGHT IS THE
SECOND NIGHT AFTER THE FROPA...SAT NGT. WNDS LIGHT AND SKIES M.CLR
WILL DROP TEMPS AT OR BELOW ZERO IN MOST AREAS.

EXACT HEADLINES WILL BE ADJUSTED JUST PRIOR TO ZONE ISSUANCE...HERE
IS THE FIRST TRY.

COORDINATION WITH ARX...DVN...LOT AND CHI.

.MKX...FLOOD WATCH TODAY
       WIZ060-064>066-068>072

       WINTER STORM WARNING TODAY
       WIZ046-047-051-052-056>059-062>064-067>069

       WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY TODAY
       WIZ060-065-066-070>072

DAVIS

The radar

The Milwaukee radar (KMKX), 66 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 10:30 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.

Lightning, Racine

When: February 9, 4:28 AM CST
Where: Racine County, Burlington
Property damage: $30,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 42.730, -87.812 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Lightning: A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Wisconsin in 2001 Every state in 2001 This day in weather history Warnings in Wisconsin, February 2001

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: 5232336.