Hail, St. Croix
- When
- July 8, 5:55 PM CST
- Where
- St. Croix County, 5 mi WNW of River Falls
- Measured
- 1.5 in hail
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 44.883, -92.733
Ping pong ball sized hail damaged vegetation.
Flash Flooding and Hail in Wisconsin, July 8, 2005
2 hail, 2 thunderstorm wind, 2 flash flood, 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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 6
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 8, 1:50 PM CST, 4 hours 5 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jul 8, 1:50 PM CST, 4 hours 5 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN 250 PM CDT FRI JUL 8 2005 .DISCUSSION... THUNDERSTORM COMPLEX THAT BEGAN OVER EASTERN ND EARLY THIS MORNING NOW OVER NW IA AND TRYING TO FADE AWAY. MCV EVIDENT IN THE WATER VAPOR IMAGERY OVER NORTH CENTRAL MN WITH A SHORT WAVE STRETCHING BACK TO NEAR ABERDEEN. 12Z NAM QUITE EXCITED ABOUT CONVECTION OVER THE EASTERN CWA THROUGH THE EVENING WITH PRETTY GOOD LAYER Q-VECTOR CONVERGENCE/MOISTURE INDICATED. LAYER DIVERGENCE ALOFT IS ALSO QUITE IMPRESSIVE. VERTICAL PROFILE ALSO VEERS DRAMATICALLY FROM THE SURFACE TO 500 MB. THE 00Z WRF DID NOT HANDLE THIS MORNINGS CONVECTION AT ALL. IN FACT...THE RUN FROM THE NIGHT BEFORE WAS JUST ABOUT SPOT ON WITH THE BOW MOVING ACROSS EASTERN SD AND WEST CENTRAL/SW MN FOR THIS MORNING. ANYWAY...LAST NIGHTS WRF RUN INDICATES ONLY A FEW SHOWERS THIS AFTERNOON/EVENING OVER THE EASTERN CWA. WILL USE 20 TO 40 POPS FOR THIS EVENING FROM WEST TO EAST...THEN KNOCK THE ACTIVITY OUT DURING THE EARLY MORNING HOURS. ADDED SOME PATCHY FOG TO THE NORTHERN AND WESTERN CWA FOR THE EARLY MORNING HOURS DUE TO THE RAIN FROM THIS MORNING/EARLY AFTERNOON AND LACK OF ANY SIGNIFICANT HEATING TO REALLY DRY THINGS UP. FOG TECHNIQUE USING THE NAM BUFKIT PROFILES FOR AXN AND STC SHOW PRETTY GOOD CHANCES FOR FOG AS WELL. SATURDAY BEGINS THE WARM UP THAT SHOULD LAST THROUGH MONDAY. RIDGING ALOFT WILL SPREAD IN FROM THE DAKOTAS AND 850 MB WILL CLIMB INTO THE LOWER TO MIDDLE 20S THROUGH MONDAY. THIS WOULD GIVE HIGHS IN THE LOWER TO MIDDLE 90S WHICH IS PRECISELY WHAT THE MET AND MAV ARE GIVING. SO NO ARGUMENT HERE. NAM MODEL SURFACE DEW POINTS SEEM TO BE ABOUT 5 TO 8 DEGREES TO HIGH DURING THE WEEKEND AND PREFER A RANGE IN THE UPPER 60S TO LOWER 70S...WHICH IS IN LINE WITH THE MAV GUIDANCE. THIS WOULD PRODUCE A HEAT INDEX VALUE OF 103 DEGREES SUNDAY AFTERNOON FOR THE MSP AREA WHICH IS CLOSE TO A HEAT ADVISORY UNDER THE LATEST CRITERIA. THE PROBLEM IS THE LOW SUNDAY NIGHT IS GOING TO BE CLOSE TO 75 DEGREES. HENCE...WILL HAVE TO CLOSELY MONITOR THE NEED FOR A HEAT ADVISORY FOR SUNDAY/SUNDAY NIGHT. MONDAY A LITTLE IFFY AS UPPER HEIGHTS BEGIN TO LOWER WITH APPROACHING COOL FRONT AND SHORT WAVE...BUT ANOTHER HOT DAY COULD BE IN STORE FOR THE EASTERN AND SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF THE CWA AND USED LOWER 90S FOR THIS AREA WHICH WAS CLOSE TO THE MEX GUIDANCE. LONGER TERM...MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY EXPECT MCS TO MOVE SE THRU CWA MON NIGHT AHEAD OF 500MB SHORT WAVE. SHORT WAVE SLOW TO MOVE THRU TUE SO LEFT 20 POPS IN FCST INTO AFT. A BREAK TUE NIGHT WITH DRIER AIR FILTERING IN BEHIND WAVE BUT ON WED ANOTHER SHORT WAVE...THIS TIME ACCOMPANIED BY A SFC/850MB FRONT IS FCST TO SWING THRU ZONES. HAVE ADDED SCT POPS WED INTO WED NIGHT FOR THIS FROPA. THU THRU FRI LOOK DRY AS SFC HIGH BUILDS IN ALONG WITH CAA. .MPX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... .MN...NONE. .WI...NONE. && RAH/MARGRAF
Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 8, 10:48 AM CST, 7 hours 7 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN 1148 AM CDT FRI JUL 8 2005 MNZ041>045-047>070-073>078-082>085-091>093-WIZ014>016-023>028-091047- 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- 1148 AM CDT FRI JUL 8 2005 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MINNESOTA...AND WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVER THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. SOME OF THE STORMS MAY BE STRONG... CAUSING HAIL UP TO DIME SIZE ALONG WITH WIND GUSTS TO 45 MPH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED TODAY. RAH
The radar
The Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 66 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:57 UTC.
Event by event
2 hail, 2 thunderstorm wind, 2 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Hail, Pierce
- When
- July 8, 6:59 PM CST
- Where
- Pierce County, River Falls
- Measured
- 0.88 in hail
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 44.850, -92.633
Pea to nickel sized hail was reported.
Thunderstorm Wind, Pierce
- When
- July 8, 6:59 PM CST
- Where
- Pierce County, River Falls
- Measured
- 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
- Reported by
- NEWSPAPER
- Coordinates
- 44.850, -92.633
A large oak tree was downed onto a car. Tree branches were downed between Maple and Division streets near Winter Street. A downed power line blocked Maple Street for about an hour.
Flash Flood, Pierce
- When
- July 8, 7:30 PM CST to 9:30 PM CST
- Where
- Pierce County, River Falls
- Reported by
- NEWSPAPER
- Coordinates
- 44.850, -92.633
An isolated slow-moving thunderstorm formed over the River Falls area shortly after 6 PM and moved very little for 2 hours. It produced torrential rainfall which caused flooding in River Falls and in nearby rural areas. The intersection of County Road F and County Road M about 5 miles west of River Falls was flooded. Driveway flooding was reported along or adjacent to Highway 35 north northwest of River Falls. In River Falls high water covered the following intersections: Main and Pine, Roosevelt and Winter, and Maple and Wesley. A total of 4.25 inches of rain was recorded in only 75 minutes just north of the Pierce/St. Croix county line northwest of River Falls. A total of 3.24 inches was recorded on the east side of River Falls. A community parade in progress in downtown River Falls was washed out by the untimely downpour.
Flash Flood, St. Croix
- When
- July 8, 7:30 PM CST to 9:30 PM CST
- Where
- St. Croix County, River Falls
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 44.850, -92.633
An isolated slow-moving thunderstorm formed over the River Falls area shortly after 6 PM and moved very little for 2 hours. It produced torrential rainfall which caused flooding in River Falls and in nearby rural areas. The intersection of County Road F and County Road M about 5 miles west of River Falls was flooded. Driveway flooding was reported along or adjacent to Highway 35 north northwest of River Falls. In River Falls high water covered the following intersections: Main and Pine, Roosevelt and Winter, and Maple and Wesley. A total of 4.25 inches of rain was recorded in only 75 minutes just north of the Pierce/St. Croix county line northwest of River Falls. A total of 3.24 inches was recorded on the east side of River Falls. A community parade in progress in downtown River Falls was washed out by the untimely downpour.
Thunderstorm Wind, Pierce
- When
- July 8, 7:30 PM CST
- Where
- Pierce County, 5 mi W of River Falls
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 44.850, -92.733
Four inch tree limbs were downed near the intersection of County Road F and County Road M.
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.
- Flash Flood
- Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Hurricane in Florida, July 8 to 9, 2005
- Hurricane in Florida, July 8 to 10, 2005
- Hail in Nebraska, July 8, 2005
- Hail and Heavy Rain in Nebraska, July 8, 2005
- Lightning Strike in Michigan, July 8, 2005
- Tornadoes in Virginia, July 8, 2005
- Flash Flood and Damaging Wind in Mississippi, July 8, 2005
- Heavy Rain in New York, July 8 to 9, 2005
- Heavy Rain in New Jersey, July 8, 2005
- Lightning Strike in New York, July 8, 2005
- Heavy Rain in Pennsylvania, July 8, 2005
- Heavy Rain in Vermont, July 8 to 9, 2005
More
Every storm in Wisconsin in 2005Every state in 2005This day in weather historyWarnings in Wisconsin, July 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: 5463212, 5463269, 5463270, 5463267, 5463268, 5463271.