Hail and Damaging Winds in Wisconsin, May 9, 2004

Name: Hail and Damaging Winds in Wisconsin, May 9, 2004
Start: 2004-05-09T17:15
End: 2004-05-09T19:12
Location: Wisconsin

May 9, 2004 · NWS MPX · 19 events in 9 counties and zones

10 thunderstorm wind, 9 hail, 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: 19

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 May 9, 1:55 PM CST, 3 hours 20 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 9, 1:55 PM CST, 3 hours 20 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
255 PM CDT SUN MAY 9 2004

.DISCUSSION...
SVR TSTRM WATCH JUST ISSUED OVR PTNS OF CENTRAL/SRN MN.  SVR
CONVECTION HAS DVLPD VCNTY OF LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE AREA.  NOT
SURPRISED AS THIS IS THE INTERSECTION OF OUTFLOW FM EARLIER
CONVECTION AND SURGING NWD WMFNT.  GOLFBALL HAIL REPORTED VCNTY OF
KMOX.  LCLS FAIRLY HIGH ATTM...BUT WL NEED TO WATCH CLOSELY AS
CONVECTION CONTS TO DVLP.  VGP JUST SOUTH OF CONVECTION OVER 0.3.
SYNOPTIC SCALE FORCING ASSOCD WITH MID LEVEL WIND MAX SHOULD
CONTINUE TO PRODUCE SCT CONVECTION THROUGH THE EVE AS IT BUILDS
SOUTHEAST IN THICKNESS FIELD.  FAIRLY IMPRESSIVE THICKNESS DIFLUENCE
THROUGH THE EVENING AS SFC BOUNDARY SLIDES SOUTHEAST.  IN
ADDITION...INCREASING MOISTURE POOLING AS SFC DEWPTS IN THE 60S CONT
TO MOV NWD INTO SRN MN/WRN WI.

FRONTAL MOVEMENT SLIGHTLY SLOWER THAN EARLIER GUIDANCE.  EXPCD TO
FINALLY CLEAR SERN PTN OF FORECAST AREA BY LATE TNGT.  HWVR SOME
LINGERING ISENTROPIC UPGLIDE LINGERS INTO MON MRNG IN SRN AREAS.
WEAK FORCING AND FRONTAL BOUNDARY CONTS TO SLIDE FARTHER SWD ON
MONDAY ALLOWING MORE STABLE ATMOSPHERE TO OVERSPREAD AREA.  TEMPS
SIGNIFICANTLY COOLER...PERHAPS AS MUCH AS 20 DEGREES.  FRONTAL
BOUNDARY BEGINS TO SURGE NWD ONCE AGAIN LATER MON NGT INTO TUE AS
SIGNIFICANT S/W TROF AMPLIFIES OVER THE WRN U.S.  THETA-E ADVECTION
DVLPS RAPIDLY LTR MON NGT BUT MOISTURE LAGGING...SO WL HOLD OFF ATTM
OF INTRODUCING ANY POPS IN THE NORTH AND WEST.  GFS/ETA IN
DISAGREEMENT ON AMOUNT OF WARMUP ON WED...HENCE WENT WITH A BLEND OF
GUIDANCE.  WET PERIOD LKLY TUE AND WED AS BROAD SCALE SWLY FLOW
CONTINUES TO USHER DEEPER MOISTURE INTO VCNTY OF SLOW MOVING FRONTAL
BOUNDARY.

&&

.MPX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MN...NONE.
WI...NONE.

&&

MBK

Hazardous weather outlook, May 9, 10:24 AM CST, 6 hours 51 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED FOR GRAMMAR
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
1124 AM CDT SUN MAY 9 2004

MNZ041>045-047>070-073>078-082>085-091>093-WIZ014>016-023>028-101100-
ANOKA-BARRON-BENTON-BLUE EARTH-BROWN-CARVER-CHIPPEWA-CHISAGO-DAKOTA-
DOUGLAS-DUNN-EAU CLAIRE-FARIBAULT-FREEBORN-GOODHUE-HENNEPIN-ISANTI-
KANABEC-KANDIYOHI-LAC QUI PARLE-LE SUEUR-MARTIN-MCLEOD-MEEKER-
MILLE LACS-MORRISON-NICOLLET-PEPIN-PIERCE-POLK-POPE-RAMSEY-REDWOOD-
RENVILLE-RICE-RUSK-SCOTT-SHERBURNE-SIBLEY-ST CROIX-STEARNS-STEELE-
STEVENS-SWIFT-TODD-WASECA-WASHINGTON-WATONWAN-WRIGHT-YELLOW MEDICINE-
1124 AM CDT SUN MAY 9 2004

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS UPGRADED FROM SLIGHT TO MODERATE THE
RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT ACROSS
CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA INTO WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN.

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO RAPIDLY DEVELOP ACROSS CENTRAL
MINNESOTA THIS AFTERNOON...AND THEN TRACK ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL
MINNESOTA AND WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN TONIGHT.  THE SEVERE
WEATHER THREAT WILL BE LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND
TORNADOES.  THIS SEVERE WEATHER THREAT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO
PRODUCE SEVERAL STRONG TORNADOES.

SOME LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE...WHICH MAY CAUSE SOME
URBAN FLOODING AND PONDING OF WATER IN LOW-LYING AREAS.

ALL INTERESTS SHOULD MONITOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION THIS
AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...AND KEEP ONE EYE ON THE SKY FOR APPROACHING
THUNDERSTORMS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY

ANOTHER FRONTAL SYSTEM WILL TAKE SHAPE OVER THE EASTERN ROCKIES
TUESDAY. WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY TUESDAY
THROUGH THURSDAY. HEAVY RAINS...LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS ARE
POSSIBLE WITH THE STRONGER STORMS.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL MOST LIKELY BE NEEDED THIS
AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

MBK

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 9, 2:04 PM CST, 3 hours 11 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
304 PM CDT SUN MAY 09 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0208 PM     HAIL             1 E CHOKIO              45.57N 96.15W
05/09/2004  1.75 INCH        STEVENS            MN   LAW ENFORCEMENT

0208 PM     HAIL             CHOKIO                  45.57N 96.17W
05/09/2004  0.75 INCH        STEVENS            MN   LAW ENFORCEMENT

0229 PM     HAIL             MORRIS                  45.59N 95.91W
05/09/2004  0.88 INCH        STEVENS            MN   LAW ENFORCEMENT

0230 PM     HAIL             8 N HOLLOWAY            45.36N 95.91W
05/09/2004  1.00 INCH        SWIFT              MN   LAW ENFORCEMENT

0250 PM     HAIL             13 S CYRUS              45.43N 95.74W
05/09/2004  0.88 INCH        POPE               MN   PUBLIC

0255 PM     HAIL             12 S STARBUCK           45.44N 95.53W
05/09/2004  1.00 INCH        POPE               MN   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            ROAD SLIPPERY FROM HAIL. VERY HEAVY RAIN.

&&

TDK

Local storm report, May 9, 3:46 PM CST, 1 hour 29 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
446 PM CDT SUN MAY 09 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0317 PM     HAIL             MURDOCK                 45.22N 95.39W
05/09/2004  0.75 INCH        SWIFT              MN   TRAINED SPOTTER

0258 PM     FUNNEL CLOUD     8 N WILLMAR             45.24N 95.05W
05/09/2004                   KANDIYOHI          MN   AMATEUR RADIO

0321 PM     HAIL             20 E BENSON             45.32N 95.20W
05/09/2004  0.75 INCH        KANDIYOHI          MN   NWS EMPLOYEE

0320 PM     HAIL             MURDOCK                 45.22N 95.39W
05/09/2004  1.75 INCH        SWIFT              MN   TRAINED SPOTTER

0330 PM     HAIL             KERKHOVEN               45.19N 95.32W
05/09/2004  1.00 INCH        SWIFT              MN   EMERGENCY MNGR

0330 PM     HAIL             2 W SUNBURG             45.35N 95.28W
05/09/2004  1.00 INCH        SWIFT              MN   UNKNOWN

&&

MBK

Local storm report, May 9, 3:56 PM CST, 1 hour 19 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
456 PM CDT SUN MAY 09 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0323 PM     HAIL             2 W BROOTEN             45.50N 95.16W
05/09/2004  0.75 INCH        POPE               MN   LAW ENFORCEMENT

0327 PM     HAIL             6 S BROOTEN             45.41N 95.12W
05/09/2004  0.75 INCH        STEARNS            MN   TRAINED SPOTTER

0335 PM     HAIL             6 S BROOTEN             45.41N 95.12W
05/09/2004  0.88 INCH        STEARNS            MN   AIRPLANE PILOT

0403 PM     HAIL             PAYNESVILLE             45.38N 94.72W
05/09/2004  1.00 INCH        STEARNS            MN   EMERGENCY MNGR

0408 PM     HAIL             9 S PAYNESVILLE         45.25N 94.72W
05/09/2004  1.00 INCH        MEEKER             MN   TRAINED SPOTTER

0355 PM     TSTM WND GST     WILLMAR                 45.12N 95.05W
05/09/2004  60 MPH           KANDIYOHI          MN   AWOS

&&

MBK

The radar

The Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 92 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:16 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

10 thunderstorm wind, 9 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Polk

When: May 9, 5:15 PM CST
Where: Polk County, Dresser
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 45.350, -92.633

Thunderstorm Wind, St. Croix

When: May 9, 5:15 PM CST
Where: St. Croix County, 3 mi SE of Hudson
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 44.933, -92.717

A few trees were downed.

Thunderstorm Wind, St. Croix

When: May 9, 5:16 PM CST
Where: St. Croix County, New Richmond
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 45.117, -92.533

An automated weather sensor recorded a wind gust of 58 MPH.

Thunderstorm Wind, Pierce

When: May 9, 5:50 PM CST
Where: Pierce County, 6 mi S of River Falls
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 44.767, -92.633

Downed trees blocked 630th Avenue near County Road E.

Hail, Dunn

When: May 9, 5:54 PM CST
Where: Dunn County, 7 mi SE of Ridgeland
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 45.133, -91.800

Thunderstorm Wind, Dunn

When: May 9, 6:00 PM CST
Where: Dunn County, Menomonie
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 44.883, -91.917

Trees were downed in Menomonie and Otter Creek Township. The time was estimated.

Hail, Pierce

When: May 9, 6:00 PM CST
Where: Pierce County, 5 mi E of Ellsworth
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 44.733, -92.367

Hail, Barron

When: May 9, 6:00 PM CST
Where: Barron County, 4 mi SE of Dallas
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 45.217, -91.767

Hail, Pierce

When: May 9, 6:00 PM CST
Where: Pierce County, 10 mi S of Ellsworth
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 44.583, -92.467

Thunderstorm Wind, Barron

When: May 9, 6:07 PM CST
Where: Barron County, 4 mi SE of Dallas
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 45.217, -91.767

A few trees were downed.

Hail, Pierce

When: May 9, 6:15 PM CST
Where: Pierce County, 5 mi SW of Ellsworth
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 44.683, -92.533

Thunderstorm Wind, Chippewa

When: May 9, 6:18 PM CST
Where: Chippewa County, 2 mi SW of New Auburn
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 45.183, -91.583

Trees were downed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Chippewa

When: May 9, 6:25 PM CST
Where: Chippewa County, 6 mi ENE of New Auburn
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates: 45.233, -91.433

A few trees were downed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Pierce

When: May 9, 6:30 PM CST
Where: Pierce County, 2 mi W of River Falls
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 44.850, -92.667

Downed trees blocked a road.

Hail, Pepin

When: May 9, 6:55 PM CST to 7:07 PM CST
Where: Pepin County, Durand
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 44.633, -91.967

Penny to nickel sized hail was reported.

Thunderstorm Wind, Rusk

When: May 9, 6:58 PM CST
Where: Rusk County, 10 mi S of Bruce
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 45.300, -91.267

A large tree blocked a road.

Thunderstorm Wind, Pepin

When: May 9, 7:00 PM CST
Where: Pepin County, Durand
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 44.633, -91.967

A tree was downed onto County Road F southeast of Durand. The time was estimated.

Hail, Pepin

When: May 9, 7:07 PM CST
Where: Pepin County, Pepin
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 44.433, -92.150

Hail, Eau Claire

When: May 9, 7:12 PM CST
Where: Eau Claire County, Augusta
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 44.683, -91.117

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
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

Every storm in Wisconsin in 2004 Every state in 2004 This day in weather history Warnings in Wisconsin, May 2004

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: 5395786, 5395787, 5395788, 5395789, 5395864, 5395790, 5395791, 5395792, 5395793, 5395865, 5395794, 5395795, 5395866, 5395796, 5395798, 5395799, 5395797, 5395862, 5395863.