Drought in Wisconsin, August 1 to 29, 2006

Name: Drought in Wisconsin, August 1 to 29, 2006
Start: 2006-08-01T00:00
End: 2006-08-29T00:00
Location: Wisconsin

August 1 to 29, 2006 · NWS DLH · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

The drought continued from July. S.

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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 5

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 DLH wrote it up.

The drought continued from July. This area was in the D2 region (severe drought) according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Rainfall for the summer ranged from 3 to 5 inches below normal. Most major rivers were running between two percent and five percent of normal discharge. The dry weather will likely cause farmers to be short of livestock feed for the upcoming winter. By late August the drought severity was changed to a D1, or moderate drought.

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 Duluth, MN wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 31, 3:15 PM CST, 8 hours 45 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 31, 3:15 PM CST, 8 hours 45 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...MESOSCALE UPDATE...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
415 PM CDT MON JUL 31 2006

.UPDATE...
SEVERE STORM OVER WRN ITASCA COUNTY CONTINUES TO BECOME BETTER
ORGANIZED..WITH INTENSE REFLECTIVITY CORE WELL ABOVE 40 KFT AND
EXCELLENT 4D REFL/VEL STRUCTURE. THIS STORM WILL TRACK EAST ALONG
THE SFC BOUNDARY EVIDENT IN MESOANALYSIS DATA FROM ROUGHLY
MARCELL... TO BETWEEN COOK AND VIRGINIA... TO NEAR ELY.  SURFACE
AIRMASS ALONG AND JUST SOUTH OF THIS BOUNDARY IS EXTREMELY UNSTABLE
WITH CAP AOA 4000 J/KG..WITH DEEP LAYER SHEAR AOA 50 KT.  IT APPEARS
THIS STORM WILL HAVE EASY ACCES TO EXTREME INSTABILITY.. AND THUS
HAS POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE SIGNIFICANT WIND/HAIL DAMAGE OVER THE NEXT
2 HOURS ALONG 30 MILE WIDE CORRIDOR INVOF THE SFC BOUNDARY.

STORM FARTHER NORTHEAST.. NEAR ORR.. IS A BIT FARTHER NORTH OF THE
SFC BOUNDARY..AND LIKELY TAPPING SLIGHTLY ELEVATED UPDRAFT PARCELS.
THUS.. HIGH-END WIND/HAIL THREAT WITH THIS STORM MAY BE DIMINISHING.

&&

.DLH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...

MN...HEAT ADVISORY UNTIL MIDNIGHT CDT TONIGHT FOR CARLTON/SOUTHERN
     ST. LOUIS-CROW WING-NORTHERN AITKIN-NORTHERN CASS-PINE-
     SOUTHERN AITKIN-SOUTHERN CASS.

WI...HEAT ADVISORY UNTIL MIDNIGHT CDT TONIGHT FOR ASHLAND-BAYFIELD-
     BURNETT-DOUGLAS-IRON-PRICE-SAWYER-WASHBURN.

LS...NONE.

 MILLER

Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 31, 9:49 PM CST, 2 hours 11 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
1049 PM CDT MON JUL 31 2006

LSZ121-140>148-162-MNZ010>012-018>021-025-026-033>038-WIZ001>004-
006>009-011230-
BAYFIELD TO OAK POINT WI-GRAND PORTAGE TO GRAND MARAIS MN-
GRAND MARAIS TO TACONITE HARBOR MN-
TACONITE HARBOR TO SILVER BAY HARBOR MN-
SILVER BAY HARBOR TO TWO HARBORS MN-TWO HARBORS TO DULUTH MN-
DULUTH MN TO PORT WING WI-PORT WING TO SAND ISLAND WI-
SAND ISLAND TO BAYFIELD WI-OAK POINT TO SAXON HARBOR WI-
OPEN WATERS OF LAKE SUPERIOR WEST OF A LINE FROM SAXON HARBOR WI
TO GRAND PORTAGE MN-KOOCHICHING-NORTHERN ST. LOUIS-
NORTHERN COOK/NORTHERN LAKE-NORTHERN ITASCA-CENTRAL ST. LOUIS-
SOUTHERN LAKE/LAKESHORE-SOUTHERN COOK/LAKESHORE-NORTHERN CASS-
SOUTHERN ITASCA-SOUTHERN CASS-CROW WING-NORTHERN AITKIN-
SOUTHERN AITKIN-CARLTON/SOUTHERN ST. LOUIS-PINE-DOUGLAS-BAYFIELD-
ASHLAND-IRON-BURNETT-WASHBURN-SAWYER-PRICE-
1049 PM CDT MON JUL 31 2006

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST MINNESOTA...
NORTHWEST WISCONSIN AND WESTERN LAKE SUPERIOR.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL IMPACT NORTHWEST WISCONSIN FOR THE
REST OF TONIGHT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY

THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...AND
AGAIN SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TONIGHT.

GSF

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 31, 6:44 PM CST, 5 hours 16 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
744 PM CDT MON JUL 31 2006

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

0410 PM     TSTM WND DMG     1 E GHEEN               47.97N 92.79W
07/31/2006                   ST. LOUIS          MN   TRAINED SPOTTER

            2 FOOT PINE TREE BLOWN DOWN

0445 PM     TSTM WND DMG     2 N TOWER               47.84N 92.29W
07/31/2006                   ST. LOUIS          MN   PUBLIC

            5 INCH TREE BLOWN DOWN AT FORTUNE BAY CASINO AT LAKE
            VERMILION

0507 PM     HAIL             COLERAINE               47.31N 93.42W
07/31/2006  E0.88 INCH       SOUTHERN ITASCA    MN   TRAINED SPOTTER

0515 PM     TSTM WND DMG     ELY                     47.91N 91.85W
07/31/2006                   NORTHEAST ST. LOUI MN   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            NUMEROUS TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN FROM ELY TO SOUDAN.

0530 PM     HAIL             ELY                     47.91N 91.85W
07/31/2006  E0.88 INCH       NORTHEAST ST. LOUI MN   PUBLIC

            TREES DOWN IN TOWN, NO SIZE ESTIMATE

0532 PM     HAIL             NASHWAUK                47.38N 93.17W
07/31/2006  E0.88 INCH       SOUTHERN ITASCA    MN   TRAINED SPOTTER

0535 PM     TSTM WND DMG     BABBITT                 47.65N 91.94W
07/31/2006                   EAST CENTRAL ST. L MN   TRAINED SPOTTER

            NUMEROUS TREES DOWN WITH POWER OUT IN BABBIT.

0650 PM     TSTM WND DMG     GRAND MARAIS            47.76N 90.34W
07/31/2006                   COOK               MN   AMATEUR RADIO

            12-18 TREES SNAPPED OFF ABOUT 3 FEET FROM THE GROUND.

0715 PM     HAIL             CULVER                  46.93N 92.56W
07/31/2006  E1.00 INCH       SOUTHWEST ST. LOUI MN   NWS EMPLOYEE

&&

MELDE

Local storm report, Jul 31, 7:08 PM CST, 4 hours 52 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
808 PM CDT MON JUL 31 2006

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

0445 PM     TSTM WND DMG     4 WNW TOWER             47.83N 92.37W
07/31/2006                   ST. LOUIS          MN   CO-OP OBSERVER

            20 INCH DIAMETER TREES DOWN ON BIRCH POINT ON LAKE
            VERMILLION...OR 4 MILES WNW OF TOWER.

&&

MELDE

Local storm report, Jul 31, 7:57 PM CST, 4 hours 3 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
857 PM CDT MON JUL 31 2006

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

0600 PM     TSTM WND DMG     MOUNTAIN IRON           47.53N 92.63W
07/31/2006                   WEST CENTRAL ST. L MN   TRAINED SPOTTER

            IN PARKVILLE...A SUBDIVISION OF MOUNTAIN IRON...MULTIPLE
            TREES DOWN...SOME UPROOTED AND SOME SNAPPED OFF. TREE
            DIAMETERS RANGED FROM 8 TO 14 INCHES.

&&

MELDE

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 drought. Local standard time, as filed.

Drought, Ashland

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 29, 12:00 AM CST
Where: Ashland forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 46.510, -90.720 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Bayfield

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 29, 12:00 AM CST
Where: Bayfield forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 46.635, -91.181 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Iron

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 29, 12:00 AM CST
Where: Iron forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 46.317, -90.264 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Washburn

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 29, 12:00 AM CST
Where: Washburn forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 45.899, -91.791 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Drought, Price

When: August 1, 12:00 AM CST to August 29, 12:00 AM CST
Where: Price forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 45.680, -90.361 (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 2006 Every state in 2006 This day in weather history Warnings in Wisconsin, August 2006

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: 5534899, 5534900, 5534901, 5534902, 5534903.