Wisconsin, 2003

Damaging Winds in Wisconsin, July 4, 2003

July 4, 2003 · NWS MPX · 3 events in 1 county or zone

3 thunderstorm wind, as filed by the National Weather Service.

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
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
3

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 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 Twin Cities, MN wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 4, 2:03 AM CST, 1 hour 2 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 4, 2:03 AM CST, 1 hour 2 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
303 AM CDT FRI JUL 4 2003

NOT MUCH TIME FOR A DISCUSSION WITH SEVERE WEATHER IN PROGRESS. WENT
A LITTLE WARMER WITH HIGHS TODAY AND SATURDAY AND ON THE LOWS
TONIGHT. REST OF FORECAST UNCHANGED. MORE SEVERE WEATHER ANTICIPATED
SUNDAY/SUNDAY NIGHT AS A LOW AND COLD FRONT MOVE IN FROM THE
DAKOTAS.

.MSP...NONE.

RAH
Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 3, 11:00 AM CST, 16 hours 5 minutes before
MNZ041>045-047>070-073>078-082>085-091>093-WIZ014>016-023>028-041000-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
1200 PM CDT THU JUL 3 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND
SOUTHERN MINNESOTA...AND WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

A STRONG COMPLEX OF THUNDERSTORMS OVERNIGHT ACROSS MUCH OF CENTRAL
MINNESOTA AND WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN HAS GREATLY STABILIZED THE
ATMOSPHERE ACROSS THE AREA...AND HAS ALLOWED A WEAK COLD FRONT TO
DRIFT THROUGH ALL BUT FAR SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA INTO WEST CENTRAL
WISCONSIN. DRIER AIR WILL SLOWLY FILTER INTO MINNESOTA AND WESTERN
WISCONSIN THIS AFTERNOON BEHIND THIS BOUNDARY. THEREFORE...FORECAST
INSTABILITY AND WINDS WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN CONDUCIVE TO SIGNIFICANT
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT...HAVE BEEN PUSHED SOUTH AND EAST OF
THE AREA. ALSO...DEEP WARM AIR ALOFT WILL INHIBIT THUNDERSTORM
GROWTH POTENTIAL THROUGH MUCH OF THE AFTERNOON. THE MODERATE RISK OF
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS HAS BEEN DOWNGRADED BY THE STORM PREDICTION
CENTER...TO A SLIGHT RISK WHICH STILL ENCOMPASSES ALL OF CENTRAL AND
SOUTHERN MINNESOTA AND WESTERN WISCONSIN.

DESPITE THE DECREASE IN EXPECTED COVERAGE OF SEVERE WEATHER...STRONG
TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MAY STILL DEVELOP IN TWO AREAS.
FIRST...ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MAY STILL DEVELOP ALONG AND
JUST BEHIND THE SLOWLY MOVING COLD FRONT THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING
FROM FAR SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA TOWARDS EAU CLAIRE. THESE STORMS
WOULD POSE A DAMAGING WIND AND LARGE HAIL THREAT...AND AN ISOLATED
BRIEF TORNADO COULD NOT BE RULED OUT. THE MORE LIKELY SCENARIO WOULD
OCCUR LATER TONIGHT...MAINLY AFTER MIDNIGHT...AS A DISTURBANCE
MOVING OUT OF THE INTERMOUNTAIN WEST MAY INITIATE A COMPLEX OF
THUNDERSTORMS IN EASTERN SOUTH DAKOTA...MOVING QUICKLY THROUGH
SOUTHERN MINNESOTA INTO WESTERN WISCONSIN BY SUNRISE FRIDAY. THESE
STORMS WOULD POSE A DAMAGING WIND THREAT...AS WELL AS LARGE HAIL AND
VERY HEAVY RAINFALL.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER IS INDICATED FOR FRIDAY OVER EAST
CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MINNESOTA AS WELL AS ALL OF WEST CENTRAL
WISCONSIN.

STORMS WILL POSSIBLY DEVELOP AGAIN FRIDAY AFTERNOON ALONG THE
STALLED FRONTAL BOUNDARY IN IOWA. THESE STORMS COULD AFFECT SOUTHERN
AND EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...AND WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN LATE IN THE
AFTERNOON OR EVENING.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND
OVERNIGHT.

BINAU

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 4, 12:31 AM CST, 2 hours 34 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
0131 AM CDT FRI JUL 04 2003

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0120 AM    GLENWOOD                  MN   58 MPH TSTORM WIND
07/04/03   POPE

LRS
Local storm report, Jul 4, 1:22 AM CST, 1 hour 43 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
0222 AM CDT FRI JUL 04 2003

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0220 AM    3 SE FREEBORN             MN   60 MPH TSTORM WIND
07/04/03   FREEBORN                       8 INCH TREE LIMBS DOWN

LRS
Local storm report, Jul 4, 1:26 AM CST, 1 hour 39 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
0226 AM CDT FRI JUL 04 2003

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0220 AM    LITCHFIELD                MN   58 MPH TSTORM WIND
07/04/03   MEEKER

LRS
Local storm report, Jul 4, 1:45 AM CST, 1 hour 20 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
0245 AM CDT FRI JUL 04 2003

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0140 AM    SACRED HEART              MN   0 MPH TSTORM WIND
07/04/03   RENVILLE                       POWER LINES DOWN

LRS
Local storm report, Jul 4, 1:46 AM CST, 1 hour 19 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
0246 AM CDT FRI JUL 04 2003

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0140 AM    RENVILLE                  MN   0 MPH TSTORM WIND
07/04/03   RENVILLE                       POWER LINES DOWN

LRS
Local storm report, Jul 4, 2:09 AM CST, 56 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
0309 AM CDT FRI JUL 04 2003

TIME(CDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0237 AM    MAPLE LAKE                MN   59 MPH TSTORM WIND
07/04/03   WRIGHT

LRS

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, St. Croix

When
July 4, 3:05 AM CST
Where
St. Croix County, Hudson
Measured
52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
44.967, -92.767

Several trees and power lines down.

Thunderstorm Wind, St. Croix

When
July 4, 3:20 AM CST
Where
St. Croix County, Roberts
Measured
55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates
44.983, -92.567

Numerous trees down.

Thunderstorm Wind, St. Croix

When
July 4, 3:20 AM CST
Where
St. Croix County, 2 mi S of New Richmond
Measured
60 kt (69 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
FIRE DEPT/RESCUE SQUAD
Coordinates
45.083, -92.533

Ten foot wide section of two storage buildings blown into adjacent field. Tree blown over.

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.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Wisconsin in 2003Every state in 2003This day in weather historyWarnings in Wisconsin, July 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: 5330318, 5330319, 5330320.