Drought in Wisconsin, August 1 to 31, 2005

Name: Drought in Wisconsin, August 1 to 31, 2005
Start: 2005-08-01T00:00
End: 2005-08-31T23:59
Location: Wisconsin

August 1 to 31, 2005 · NWS MKX · 20 events in 20 counties and zones

A warm and dry August helped strengthen the drought for south-central and southeast Wisconsin that started on July 1, 2005. 50 inches across the area.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 20 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: 20

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.

A warm and dry August helped strengthen the drought for south-central and southeast Wisconsin that started on July 1, 2005. Rainfall deficits for August ranged from between 2.50 to 3.50 inches across the area. Milwaukee Mitchell Field (Milwaukee Co.) reported an August deficit of 2.74 inches, which caused the March through August deficit to reach 9.43 inches. Similarly at at Madison's Truax Field (Dane Co.) , a 3.11 inch deficit was reported in August, setting the March through August deficit at 7.19 inches. Most of the precipitation observed occurred during the middle of the month, helping to relieve the drought status for the southeast corner of the state toward the end of August. Counties such as Rock, Walworth, Waukesha, Milwaukee, Racine, and Kenosha previously in an extreme drought (D3) status were downgraded to a severe drought (D2) on August 16. The remainder of south-central and southeast Wisconsin remained in severe drought status (D2). Widespread crop losses were still expected, but damage estimates will not be known until the end of the fall harvest.

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 Jul 31, 1:00 PM CST, 11 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 31, 1:00 PM CST, 11 hours before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
200 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 2005

.DISCUSSION...FORECAST FOCUS ON MODEL SOLUTION DISCONTINUITY FROM
RUN TO RUN AND MODEL TO MODEL THIS CYCLE.  FORECAST MORE OR LESS
LEFT UNCHANGED...BUT IT IS FRAGILE.

DRIER DEWPOINTS AND LLV RIDGING LOOK TO DOMINATE TONIGHT AND CHC OF
PCPN LOOKS SMALL ENOUGH TO HAVE REASONABLE CONFIDENCE TO PULL POPS
OVERNIGHT. WK H5 S/W OVR NRN MN PROGD TO MOVE TOWARD AREA IN NW
FLOW...BUT IS EXPECTED TO WEAKEN AS IT DOES SO. THE GFS IS HANDLING
THIS S/W BEST...WHILE THE NAM IS OVERDONE AND DEPICTING TOO SHARP OF
AN ASSOCIATED H5 TROF.  REGARDLESS...WITH THE LACK OF LLV FOCUS...
DON/T BELIEVE THIS S/W WILL BE ENOUGH TO HELP INITIATE CONVECTION.

THE CHANGE FOR THIS RUN IS THAT THE NAM IS NOW TAKING THE SFC TROF...
OVR NRN MN INTO LAKE SUPR ERLY THIS AFTN...ON SLOW SRN JOURNEY TO SRN
WI BY 06Z TUE.  THIS COINCIDES WITH THE H8 THERMAL RIDGE OVR THE RGN.
NAM SFC DWPNTS PROGD TO POOL ALONG THIS SFC TROF AND COUPLED WITH THE
WEAK ISENTROPIC LIFT/CAPE IS ENOUGH FOR THE NAM TO GENERATE QPF ACRS
THE CWA MON NGT AND CONTINUING INTO TUE NGT.  ADDITIONALLY...WITH THE
WEAKER POSITION OF THE H5 RIDGE...WE ARE MORE SUSEPTIBLE TO ENERGY
RIDING OVR THE TOP OF THE RIDGE.  BUT...SINCE THE NAM IS INITIALLY
TOO STRONG WITH THE H5 TROF UPSTREAM...BELIEVE THIS MAY BE HAVING AN
IMPACT ON THE MORE AGRESSIVE SRN PUSH OF THE LOWER LEVEL FEATURES.

THE GFS AS MENTIONED IS INITIALIZED BETTER AT H5 AND SEEMS MORE
RESPECTFUL OF THE DOMINANT SRLY FLOW AT H8 AND KEEPS THE SFC BNDRY TO
THE NORTH. THIS SEEMS FAR MORE REASONABLE GIVEN THE MDT FLOW AHEAD OF
THE BNDRY THIS AFTN. I DON/T SEE THAT SFC TROF COMING THIS FAR SOUTH.
THUS WILL FOLLOW THE GFS AND CONTINUE TO KEEP THE AREA DRY UNTIL
THREAT FROM FROPA ON THURSDAY.

THUS FORECAST MORE OR LESS UNCHANGED. DRY AND QUITE WARM THROUGH AT
LEAST WEDNESDAY. STAY TUNED.

.MKX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...NONE.

&&

DAVIS

Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 31, 12:07 PM CST, 11 hours 53 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
107 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 2005

WIZ046-047-051-052-056>060-062>072-011000-
COLUMBIA-DANE-DODGE-FOND DU LAC-GREEN-GREEN LAKE-IOWA-JEFFERSON-
KENOSHA-LAFAYETTE-MARQUETTE-MILWAUKEE-OZAUKEE-RACINE-ROCK-SAUK-
SHEBOYGAN-WALWORTH-WASHINGTON-WAUKESHA-
107 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 2005

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

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY

THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND THURSDAY NIGHT...
BUT ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN BELOW SEVERE LEVELS.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON OR TONIGHT.

&&

DETAILED WEATHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ON THE NWS MILWAUKEE
WEB-PAGE...WEATHER.GOV/MILWAUKEE     /LOWER CASE/

LMZ643>646-665-011000-
SHEBOYGAN WI TO WINTHROP HARBOR ILLINOIS-
107 PM CDT SUN JUL 31 2005

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE WISCONSIN NEARSHORE WATERS
OF LAKE MICHIGAN.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY

THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND THURSDAY NIGHT...
BUT ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN BELOW SEVERE LEVELS.

&&

DETAILED WEATHER INFORMATION AVAILABLE ON THE NWS MILWAUKEE
WEB-PAGE...WEATHER.GOV/MILWAUKEE     /LOWER CASE/

REM

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

20 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Columbia

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Columbia forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 43.467, -89.334 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Dane

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Dane forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 43.067, -89.418 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Dodge

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Dodge forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 43.416, -88.707 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Fond du Lac

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Fond du Lac forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 43.754, -88.488 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Green

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Green forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 42.680, -89.602 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Green Lake

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Green Lake forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 43.800, -89.045 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Iowa

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Iowa forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 43.001, -90.135 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Jefferson

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Jefferson forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 43.021, -88.776 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Kenosha

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Kenosha forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 42.573, -87.840 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Lafayette

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Lafayette forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 42.661, -90.132 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Marquette

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Marquette forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 43.820, -89.399 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Milwaukee

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Milwaukee forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 43.022, -87.929 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Ozaukee

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Ozaukee forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 43.403, -87.891 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Racine

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Racine forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 42.730, -87.812 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Rock

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Rock forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 42.671, -89.072 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Sauk

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Sauk forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 43.427, -89.948 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Sheboygan

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Sheboygan forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 43.756, -87.800 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Walworth

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Walworth forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 42.669, -88.542 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Washington

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Washington forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 43.369, -88.231 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Waukesha

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 31, 11:59 PM CST
Where: Waukesha forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 43.018, -88.304 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Drought: A drought reaching severe (D2) or worse on the US Drought Monitor, or with notable impacts.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Wisconsin in 2005 Every state in 2005 This day in weather history Warnings in Wisconsin, August 2005

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: 5475887, 5475888, 5475889, 5475890, 5475891, 5475892, 5475893, 5475894, 5475895, 5475896, 5475897, 5475898, 5475899, 5475900, 5475901, 5475902, 5475903, 5475904, 5475905, 5475906.