Thunderstorm Wind, Sauk
- When
- June 14, 1:35 PM CST to 1:40 PM CST
- Where
- Sauk County, Lake Delton
- Measured
- 52 kt (60 mph)
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 43.583, -89.783
Flood and Hail in Wisconsin, June 14, 2001
Scattered short lines or clusters of severe thunderstorms, with large hail and powerful, damaging, straight-line, down-burst winds affected parts of south-central and southeast Wisconsin. There were many reports of toppled large trees.
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.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $15,000
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 15
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 short lines or clusters of severe thunderstorms, with large hail and powerful, damaging, straight-line, down-burst winds affected parts of south-central and southeast Wisconsin. There were many reports of toppled large trees. Lightning struck a home east of Poynette, resulting in some fire damage to the roof and attic. Torrential rains accompanied the severe storms. Minor urban and small stream flooding was reported in and near Madison (Dane Co.). Spotters in the Madison area noted that rain totals were in the 1 to 2 inch range in one hour.Synoptically, a low pressure moved northeast along a cold front that stretched from Iowa through Minnesota. A plume of low-level moisture pushed into southern Wisconsin. Maximum daytime temperatures on the 14th were in the upper 80s to lower 90s, with surface dewpoints in the upper 60s to lower 70s. Training of thunderstorm cells enhanced the rainfall totals over Dane County.
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 Jun 14, 1:00 PM CST, 35 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jun 14, 1:00 PM CST, 35 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI 200 PM CDT THU JUN 14 2001 FCST FOCUS IS ON INTENSITY OF PCPN TONIGHT AND TIMING FOR FRIDAY. DIFFERENTIAL HEATING ZONE ON EASTERN SIDE OF PERSISTENT CLOUD SHIELD OVER SW WI HELPING TO FOCUS NEW VIGOR INTO THUNDERSTORMS OVER WRN CWA COUNTIES. OLD BOUNDARIES FROM PREVIOUS CONVECTION ALSO A LIKELY PLAYER. THE EAST IS QUITE UNSTABLE WITH DWPNTS IN THE LOWER 70S AND LI/S TO -7...BUT THERE IS NO KICKER. THE CONVECTIVE TEMP IS AROUND 92. THE UPPER DYNAMICS REMAIN WELL WEST OF THE STATE AND ORIENTED SW TO NE...IN NO REAL HURRY TO MOVE EAST. UPR JET AROUND H3 BEGINS TO PROVIDE SOME UPPER DIVERGENCE THIS EVENING AND MAY BE ENOUGH DEEP FORCING TO TRIGGER MORE WIDESPREAD STORMS. ETA/AVN IN DISAGREEMENT WITH FORCING...ESPECIALLY AT H7. AVN AT O6Z SHOWS AN IMPRESSIVE BULLSEYE MOVING INTO THE WRN HALF OF THE CWA WITH A NOT SO SURPRISING ASSOC SIGNIFICANT PCPN SHIELD. ETA/NGM MUCH MORE BENIGN WITH THIS DETAIL. ETA SOUNDINGS SHOW OUR BEST POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE THROUGH ABOUT 04Z... DIMINISHING THEREAFTER AS THE STABILITY INCREASES. WILL KEEP THE MENTION OF SEVERE FOR TONIGHT. CDFNT/DWPNT FRONT SWEEPS OUT OF ERN CWA BY AROUND 18Z. HERE AGAIN THE MODELS ARE NOT IN AGREEMENT. AVN ABOUT 6 HOURS FASTER THAN THE ETA...NGM THE COMPROMISE. WILL HANG ONTO PCPN FOR THE ERN HALF OF THE CWA FRI MORNING...THEN GRADUALLY CLEAR THINGS OUT. COOLER...THOUGH PLEASANT WEATHER MOVES IN...AND FOR NOW THE WEEKEND LOOKS DRY. .MKX...NONE. DAVIS
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Jun 14, 10:42 AM CST, 2 hours 53 minutes before
WIZ046-047-051-052-056>060-062>072-141952- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI 1142 AM CDT THU JUN 14 2001 ...HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK... ...FOR SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN... THREAT... THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FOR SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. DISCUSSION... A VERY UNSTABLE AIRMASS IN PLACE ACROSS SOUTHERN WISCONSIN...MAY LEAD TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WELL AHEAD OF A FRONTAL SYSTEM APPROACHING FROM THE WEST. THESE STORMS WILL MOVE SLOWLY TOWARD EAST TO SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN TONIGHT. A FEW STORMS MAY BE SEVERE WITH DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL THE PRIMARY THREAT. SPOTTER ACTIVATION... STORM SPOTTER GROUPS MAY BE NEEDED LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. OUTLOOK FOR FRIDAY... A COLD FRONT PASSING THROUGH SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN MAY PRODUCE SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS BEFORE NOON...HOWEVER THERE IS NO RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS.
The radar
The La Crosse radar (KARX), 116 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:34 UTC.
Event by event
11 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail, 1 funnel cloud, 1 lightning, 1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Hail, Columbia
- When
- June 14, 1:40 PM CST
- Where
- Columbia County, Wisconsin Dells
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 43.633, -89.767
Thunderstorm Wind, Marquette
- When
- June 14, 1:50 PM CST
- Where
- Marquette County, Montello
- Measured
- 52 kt (60 mph)
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 43.800, -89.317
Thunderstorm Wind, Columbia
- When
- June 14, 2:20 PM CST
- Where
- Columbia County, 4 mi N of Pardeeville
- Measured
- 52 kt (60 mph)
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 43.583, -89.283
Thunderstorm Wind, Columbia
- When
- June 14, 2:50 PM CST
- Where
- Columbia County, 3 mi W of Arlington
- Measured
- 52 kt (60 mph)
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 43.333, -89.433
Thunderstorm Wind, Green
- When
- June 14, 2:50 PM CST to 3:25 PM CST
- Where
- Green County, Countywide
- Measured
- 52 kt (60 mph)
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 42.683, -89.617
Funnel Cloud, Dane
- When
- June 14, 2:58 PM CST
- Where
- Dane County, Middleton
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 43.067, -89.418 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Thunderstorm Wind, Dane
- When
- June 14, 3:00 PM CST
- Where
- Dane County, Madison
- Measured
- 52 kt (60 mph)
- Reported by
- AMATEUR RADIO
- Coordinates
- 43.067, -89.417
Lightning, Columbia
- When
- June 14, 3:00 PM CST
- Where
- Columbia County, 1 mi E of Poynette
- Property damage
- $15,000
- Reported by
- NEWSPAPER
- Coordinates
- 43.467, -89.334 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flood, Dane
- When
- June 14, 3:10 PM CST to 5:00 PM CST
- Where
- Dane County, Madison
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 43.067, -89.418 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Thunderstorm Wind, Lafayette
- When
- June 14, 6:40 PM CST
- Where
- Lafayette County, Shullsburg
- Measured
- 52 kt (60 mph)
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 42.567, -90.233
Thunderstorm Wind, Green
- When
- June 14, 7:00 PM CST
- Where
- Green County, 4 mi SW of Monroe
- Measured
- 52 kt (60 mph)
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 42.567, -89.683
Thunderstorm Wind, Green
- When
- June 14, 7:15 PM CST
- Where
- Green County, New Glarus
- Measured
- 52 kt (60 mph)
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 42.817, -89.633
Thunderstorm Wind, Rock
- When
- June 14, 7:15 PM CST
- Where
- Rock County, 5 mi W of Janesville
- Measured
- 52 kt (60 mph)
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 42.683, -89.117
Thunderstorm Wind, Walworth
- When
- June 14, 7:35 PM CST
- Where
- Walworth County, 3 mi NW of Delavan
- Measured
- 54 kt (62 mph)
- Reported by
- AMATEUR RADIO
- Coordinates
- 42.667, -88.667
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.
- 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.
- Flood
- Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Heat in Texas, June 14, 2001
- Tornadoes in Iowa, June 14, 2001
- Tornado and Hail in Iowa, June 14, 2001
- Wildfire in California, June 14 to 20, 2001
- Tornado and Hail in Texas, June 14, 2001
- Damaging Winds and Lightning Strike in Kansas, June 14, 2001
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Missouri, June 14, 2001
- Extreme Cold in Colorado, June 14, 2001
- Flash Flood in Missouri, June 14, 2001
- Flash Flood in Arkansas, June 14 to 15, 2001
- Flash Flood and Lightning Strike in North Carolina, June 14, 2001
- Flash Flooding and Flood in Iowa, June 14, 2001
More
Every storm in Wisconsin in 2001Every state in 2001This day in weather historyWarnings in Wisconsin, June 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: 5255900, 5256130, 5255901, 5256131, 5256135, 5256137, 5256134, 5256132, 5256136, 5256133, 5256138, 5256139, 5256140, 5256141, 5256142.