Funnel Cloud, Sheboygan
- When
- August 3, 12:23 PM CST
- Where
- Sheboygan County, 2 mi NW of Plymouth
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 43.756, -87.800 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Hail and Damaging Winds in Wisconsin, August 3, 2003
Remnants of the upper level low-pressure system that passed through the first of the month brought a secondary surface wave into the southeast part of the state, sparking the development of thunderstorms, some of which produced severe weather. 00" in diameter in Merton (Waukesha Co).
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 5 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
- $35,000
- Events
- 18
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.
Remnants of the upper level low-pressure system that passed through the first of the month brought a secondary surface wave into the southeast part of the state, sparking the development of thunderstorms, some of which produced severe weather. Hail struck several cities throughout the southeast part of the state, and reached up to 1.00" in diameter in Merton (Waukesha Co). East of Milton (Rock Co.) the hail covered the ground while damaging some crops. Heavy rains of 2" to 4" fell across parts of Dodge, Washington, Jefferson, Racine, Kenosha, and Milwaukee counties leading to problems with ponding water or urban-type flooding. Water depths on roads in West Bend reached 3 feet, resulting in stalled cars. Some large trees were downed by strong thunderstorm winds that reached up to an estimated 52 knots (60 mph) in scattered locations. Lightning struck a garage and started a fire in Greenfield (Waukesha Co.), leaving aproximately $5K in damage, primarily to the SUV parked inside.
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 Aug 3, 2:02 AM CST, 10 hours 21 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Aug 3, 2:02 AM CST, 10 hours 21 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI 302 AM CDT SUN AUG 3 2003 FCST FOCUS ON UPR SYS TDY AND MON. CLSD OFF UPR LOW WL CONT TO ROTATE OVR RGN THRU MON. CD POOL WITH UPR SYS AND SERIES OF S/WV ROTATING ARND UPR LOW...WL COMBINE WITH INSTBLTY IN LWR LYRS TO PROD SCT TSTMS ACRS CWA TDY AND OVRNGT. ALTHO UPR SYS XPCTD TO BE E OF CWA MON...INSTBLTY ALOFT CONTS AND ALSO TSTM CHCS. LI/S TDY XPCTD TO BE ARND -4 WITH ETA CAPES NR 800. MODELS INDCT SOME H2 DIV AND H8 MSTR CONV AS WELL. WBZERO ARND 9K TDY SO HAIL SHOULD BE MAIN THREAT. MOS POPS LOOK RSNBL...WL BUMP MAV/NGM TEMPS A BIT. ALTHO UPR SYS DRIFTS EWD OF CWA TUE. CWA RMNS IN STEEP NW FLOW THRU MID WEEK. MODELS INDCT SERIES S/WV CONTG IN NW FLOW. H5 TEMPS WM SLOLY...BUT STILL COLD. WL KEEP CHC SHOWERS IN FCST THRU WED. .MKX...NONE. MK
Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 3, 10:57 AM CST, 1 hour 26 minutes before
WIZ046-047-051-052-056>060-062>072-041000- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI 1157 AM CDT SUN AUG 3 2003 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THERE IS LITTLE OR NO RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL INCREASE IN NUMBER THIS AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE INTO THE EVENING HOURS. SOME OF THE STRONGER STORMS MAY PRODUCE SMALL HAIL. LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN WILL ALSO ACCOMPANY THE STRONGER STORMS DUE TO A MOIST AIRMASS AND SLOW MOVEMENT OF THE STORMS. URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOODING WILL BE POSSIBLE INTO THE EVENING HOURS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY A SIMILAR SCENARIO IS EXPECTED AGAIN ON MONDAY. STORM CHANCES SHOULD THEN GRADUALLY DECREASE AS THE UPPER LOW FINALLY MOVES OFF TO THE EAST. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... STORM SPOTTER GROUPS WILL PROBABLY NOT BE NEEDED. TZ
The radar
The Green Bay radar (KGRB), 86 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:01 UTC.
Event by event
11 hail, 3 heavy rain, 2 thunderstorm wind, 1 funnel cloud, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Lightning, Milwaukee
- When
- August 3, 12:45 PM CST
- Where
- Milwaukee County, Greenfield
- Property damage
- $10,000
- Reported by
- NEWSPAPER
- Coordinates
- 43.022, -87.929 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Hail, Racine
- When
- August 3, 1:00 PM CST
- Where
- Racine County, Union Grove
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 42.683, -88.050
Heavy Rain, Washington
- When
- August 3, 1:00 PM CST to 2:30 PM CST
- Where
- Washington County, West Bend
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 43.369, -88.231 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Thunderstorm Wind, Washington
- When
- August 3, 1:14 PM CST
- Where
- Washington County, West Bend
- Measured
- 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 43.417, -88.183
Heavy Rain, Racine
- When
- August 3, 1:15 PM CST
- Where
- Racine County, Union Grove
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 42.730, -87.812 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Hail, Washington
- When
- August 3, 1:30 PM CST
- Where
- Washington County, West Bend
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 43.417, -88.183
Hail, Washington
- When
- August 3, 1:46 PM CST
- Where
- Washington County, 1 mi NW of Wayne
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 43.533, -88.333
Heavy Rain, Jefferson
- When
- August 3, 2:00 PM CST to 3:30 PM CST
- Where
- Jefferson County, Waterloo
- Reported by
- NWS STORM SURVEY
- Coordinates
- 43.021, -88.776 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Hail, Dane
- When
- August 3, 2:25 PM CST to 2:27 PM CST
- Where
- Dane County, East Bristol
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 43.267, -89.150
Hail, Washington
- When
- August 3, 2:26 PM CST
- Where
- Washington County, 8 mi S of Hartford
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Reported by
- GENERAL PUBLIC
- Coordinates
- 43.200, -88.383
Hail, Columbia
- When
- August 3, 2:28 PM CST to 2:35 PM CST
- Where
- Columbia County, 10 mi WSW of Columbus
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 43.283, -89.200
Hail, Dane
- When
- August 3, 2:30 PM CST to 2:45 PM CST
- Where
- Dane County, East Bristol
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Crop damage
- $10,000
- Reported by
- GENERAL PUBLIC
- Coordinates
- 43.267, -89.150
Thunderstorm Wind, Dodge
- When
- August 3, 2:30 PM CST
- Where
- Dodge County, 2 mi S of Waupun
- Measured
- 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
- Property damage
- $5,000
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 43.600, -88.733
Hail, Jefferson
- When
- August 3, 2:52 PM CST
- Where
- Jefferson County, 3 mi SE of Ft Atkinson
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Reported by
- GENERAL PUBLIC
- Coordinates
- 42.900, -88.800
Hail, Dodge
- When
- August 3, 2:58 PM CST
- Where
- Dodge County, Burnett
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 43.500, -88.700
Hail, Rock
- When
- August 3, 4:00 PM CST
- Where
- Rock County, 4 mi E of Milton
- Measured
- 1 in hail
- Crop damage
- $25,000
- Reported by
- NWS EMPLOYEE(OFF DUTY)
- Coordinates
- 42.767, -88.867
Hail, Green
- When
- August 3, 5:47 PM CST
- Where
- Green County, Monticello
- Measured
- 0.75 in hail
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 42.733, -89.583
What these are
- 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.
- Hail
- Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
- Heavy Rain
- Rainfall totals unusual for the place and season that did not produce a flood.
- 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
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Illinois, August 3, 2003
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Oklahoma, August 3, 2003
- Damaging Winds and Lightning Strike in New York, August 3, 2003
- Flash Flooding in Vermont, August 3, 2003
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Michigan, August 3, 2003
- Lightning Strike in Massachusetts, August 3, 2003
- Lightning Strike in Pennsylvania, August 3, 2003
- Flash Flooding in New York, August 3, 2003
- Damaging Wind in Utah, August 3, 2003
- Tornadoes and Hail in Ohio, August 3, 2003
- Flash Flood in Tennessee, August 3, 2003
- Flash Flood in Colorado, August 3, 2003
More
Every storm in Wisconsin in 2003Every state in 2003This day in weather historyWarnings in Wisconsin, August 2003
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: 5376981, 5376987, 5376980, 5376986, 5376971, 5376983, 5376972, 5376970, 5376985, 5376973, 5376975, 5376974, 5376976, 5376982, 5376984, 5376979, 5376977, 5376978.