Strong Wind in Wisconsin, May 9, 2002

Name: Strong Wind in Wisconsin, May 9, 2002
Start: 2002-05-09T12:00
End: 2002-05-09T18:00
Location: Wisconsin

May 9, 2002 · NWS GRB · 22 events in 22 counties and zones

A cold front passed through Wisconsin as low pressure over the northern part of the state strengthened and moved toward southern Ontario. Strong west winds developed as the low intensified.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 22 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: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 22

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.

A cold front passed through Wisconsin as low pressure over the northern part of the state strengthened and moved toward southern Ontario. Strong west winds developed as the low intensified. Gusts of 45 mph or higher were reported at several locations. The strongest gusts were 56 mph at Appleton (Outagamie co.), 50 mph at Rhinelander (Oneida co.), 48 mph at Wausau (Marathon co.), 47 mph at Antigo (Langlade co.), 46 mph at Green Bay (Brown co.) and 45 mph at Eagle River (Vilas co.). The strong winds downed trees that blocked roads and knocked down utility lines. The winds also knocked down a post that supports a street light in Antigo, breaking it off at the base.

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 Green Bay, WI wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 9, 3:15 AM CST, 8 hours 45 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 9, 3:15 AM CST, 8 hours 45 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREEN BAY WI
415 AM CDT THU MAY 9 2002

MAIN CONCERNS WITH THIS FORECAST PACKAGE ARE TIMING THE END OF THE
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE CWA...WINDS AND POTENTIAL FOR
AFTERNOON SHOWERS.

SURFACE ANALYSIS AT 09Z INDICATED A LARGE AREA OF LOW PRESSURE FROM
NORTHERN MINNESOTA INTO UPPER MICHIGAN AND CENTRAL WISCONSIN. MODELS
HAVE THIS LOW MOVING NORTHEAST INTO ONTARIO BY AFTERNOON AND WINDS
BECOMING WEST. AT 18Z ETA/NGM/AVN 850 MB WINDS ARE WEST AT 35 TO 40
KNOTS SO IT SHOULD BE QUITE WINDY ACROSS THE AREA TODAY. HAVE OPTED NOT
TO GO WITH AN ADVISORY FOR NOW WITH FWC/MAV GUIDANCE SHOWING MAINLY 20
TO 25 KNOTS TODAY.

COLD ADVECTION AND WRAP AROUND MOISTURE TODAY SHOULD ALLOW FOR SOME
SHOWERS THIS AFTERNOON OVER CENTRAL AND NORTH-CENTRAL WI. AS THE DRY
SLOT PUNCHES ITS WAY INTO WISCONSIN TODAY LAPSE RATES SHOULD BE STEEP
ENOUGH TO RESULT IN ENOUGH CU FORMATION TO KEEP MOSTLY CLOUDY THROUGH
THE AFTERNOON.

.GRB...NONE.

MG
WWW.CRH.NOAA.GOV/GRB

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

22 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Strong Wind, Oneida

When: May 9, 12:00 PM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where: Oneida forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 45.706, -89.522 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong Wind, Vilas

When: May 9, 12:00 PM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where: Vilas forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 46.053, -89.515 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong Wind, Lincoln

When: May 9, 12:00 PM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where: Lincoln forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 45.338, -89.735 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong Wind, Langlade

When: May 9, 12:00 PM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where: Langlade forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 45.262, -89.072 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong Wind, Marathon

When: May 9, 12:00 PM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where: Marathon forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 44.898, -89.759 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong Wind, Wood

When: May 9, 12:00 PM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where: Wood forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 44.455, -90.042 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong Wind, Portage

When: May 9, 12:00 PM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where: Portage forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 44.476, -89.501 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong Wind, Waupaca

When: May 9, 12:00 PM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where: Waupaca forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 44.470, -88.965 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong Wind, Outagamie

When: May 9, 12:00 PM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where: Outagamie forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 44.416, -88.465 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong Wind, Brown

When: May 9, 12:00 PM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where: Brown forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 44.474, -87.993 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong Wind, Door

When: May 9, 12:00 PM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where: Door forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 44.838, -87.358 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong Wind, Forest

When: May 9, 12:00 PM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where: Forest forecast zone
Reported by: UNKNOWN
Coordinates: 45.667, -88.770 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong Wind, Florence

When: May 9, 12:00 PM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where: Florence forecast zone
Reported by: UNKNOWN
Coordinates: 45.848, -88.398 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong Wind, Marinette

When: May 9, 12:00 PM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where: Marinette forecast zone
Reported by: UNKNOWN
Coordinates: 45.351, -88.002 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong Wind, Oconto

When: May 9, 12:00 PM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where: Oconto forecast zone
Reported by: UNKNOWN
Coordinates: 44.999, -88.221 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong Wind, Menominee

When: May 9, 12:00 PM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where: Menominee forecast zone
Reported by: UNKNOWN
Coordinates: 45.004, -88.710 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong Wind, Shawano

When: May 9, 12:00 PM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where: Shawano forecast zone
Reported by: UNKNOWN
Coordinates: 44.789, -88.765 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong Wind, Kewaunee

When: May 9, 12:00 PM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where: Kewaunee forecast zone
Reported by: UNKNOWN
Coordinates: 44.483, -87.514 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong Wind, Waushara

When: May 9, 12:00 PM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where: Waushara forecast zone
Reported by: UNKNOWN
Coordinates: 44.113, -89.243 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong Wind, Winnebago

When: May 9, 12:00 PM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where: Winnebago forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 44.069, -88.645 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong Wind, Calumet

When: May 9, 12:00 PM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where: Calumet forecast zone
Reported by: UNKNOWN
Coordinates: 44.082, -88.218 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong Wind, Manitowoc

When: May 9, 12:00 PM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where: Manitowoc forecast zone
Reported by: UNKNOWN
Coordinates: 44.091, -87.700 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Strong Wind: Non-thunderstorm winds below high wind criteria that nonetheless caused damage or casualties.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Wisconsin in 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings in Wisconsin, May 2002

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: 5295878, 5295879, 5295880, 5295881, 5295882, 5295883, 5295960, 5295961, 5295962, 5295963, 5295964, 5295965, 5295966, 5295967, 5295968, 5295969, 5295970, 5295971, 5295972, 5295973, 5295974, 5295975.