Hail and Damaging Winds in Wisconsin, July 30, 2006

Name: Hail and Damaging Winds in Wisconsin, July 30, 2006
Start: 2006-07-30T06:10
End: 2006-07-30T09:10
Location: Wisconsin

July 30, 2006 · NWS MKX · 17 events in 11 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 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: $108,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 17

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.

Scattered clusters of thunderstorms developed during the mid-morning hours and moved southeast with time. These storms produced mainly damaging winds up to 61 knots (70 mph), and some isolated large hail. Vivid lightning was also noted. Lightning hit a tree in Racine around 0910CST causing it to fall onto and lightly damage a car. About 15,000 customers were without electrical power due to tree damage to power-lines.

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 30, 2:51 AM CST, 3 hours 19 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 30, 2:51 AM CST, 3 hours 19 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
351 AM CDT SUN JUL 30 2006

.DISCUSSION...
MAIN THEME WILL BE HOT AND HUMID THROUGH TUESDAY AND POSSIBLY
WEDNESDAY AS NEXT SIGNIFICANT FRONT NOT DUE UNTIL THE MIDDLE OF
THE WEEK.

IN SHORT TERM...SEVERE MCS IN NORTHERN WISCONSIN RIDING ALONG THE
EDGE OF SIGNIFICANT 700 MB CAP. HOWEVER...GFS/NAM/RUC ALL HINT ON
ISOLATED STORMS EITHER FROM REMNANTS OF MCS CLIPPING MAINLY
NORTHEAST PART OF CWA OR FROM ACCAS BOMBS ON TOP OF CAP. THERE WAS
A COUPLE OF ATTEMPTS AT THIS EARLIER IN WESTERN PORTION OF CWA AS
SOME 50 DBZ ECHOES DID DEVELOP BRIEFLY WITHIN THE PAST COUPLE OF
HOURS. SINCE WARMEST 700 MB TEMPS ARE WEST WENT AHEAD AND LEFT OUT
PRECIP FAR WEST AND JUST ISOLATED CENTRAL AND EAST TODAY.

ALTHOUGH RADAR LOOKS PRETTY SCARY AS STORMS SURGE SOUTH
CURRENTLY...DIFFICULT TO SEE HOW MCS CAN TURN TO FAR SOUTH WITHOUT
SUFFERING THE FATE OF THE DEATH CAP WITH +14C OR WARMER AT 700 MB.
THUS...EXPECT IT TO RIDE THE ISOTHERMS EAST SOUTHEAST AND STAY
JUST NORTH OF CWA. WILL BE A CLOSE CALL THOUGH.

WITH SOME EXTRA CLOUD COVER AND LAKE BREEZE LIKELY TODAY WITH WEAK
GRADIENT...LEFT COASTAL COUNTIES OUT OF HEAT ADVISORY TODAY BUT
WENT AHEAD WITH HEAT ADVISORY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT OTHERWISE.
EVEN LIMITING DEWPOINTS TO 75 TODAY HAVE SEVERAL HOURS AT OR ABOVE
105 ON THE HEAT INDEX CENTRAL AND WESTERN ZONES.

GFS MAV MOS YIELDS 100 DEGREE HEAT ON MONDAY. LOOKING AT 850 MB
TEMPERATURE FORECASTS...ESPECIALLY FOR GFS...IT IS DIFFICULT TO
SEE HOW WE COULD GET MUCH ABOVE THE MIDDLE 90S DURING THE EVENT.
HOWEVER...MODERATE WESTERLY BOUNDARY LAYER FLOW COULD RESULT IN
DOWNSLOPE IN THE COASTAL AREAS MONDAY SO WENT AHEAD WITH UPPER
90S BOTH MONDAY AND TUESDAY. ALTHOUGH MAY SEE MORE MIXING OF THE
DEWPOINTS IN THE AFTERNOONS MONDAY AND TUESDAY IT SHOULD BE HOTTER
AND COVER THE 105 HEAT INDEX FOR AT LEAST SEVERAL HOURS.

GFS AND 18Z DGEX ONLY TEASES THE NORTHERN CWA FOR THUNDERSTORMS
TUESDAY NIGHT SO HAVE HIGHEST POPS FOR WEDNESDAY AND WENT BELOW
GUIDANCE ON POPS TUESDAY NIGHT.

SIGNIFICANT COOLING ON TAP FOR LATE WEEK AS 850 MB TEMPS FALL
NEARLY 15 C TO ABOUT 10 C FOR THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. GUIDANCE KEEPS
TEMPERATURES NEAR CLIMO LEVELS BUT 850 MB TEMPERATURES SUPPORT
HIGHS IN THE 70S. FOR NOW WILL ROLL WITH GUIDANCE.

&&

.MKX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
HEAT ADVISORY FROM 7 AM MONDAY TO 7 AM CDT WEDNESDAY FOR WIZ052-
WIZ060-WIZ066-WIZ071-WIZ072.

HEAT ADVISORY FROM NOON TODAY TO 7 AM CDT WEDNESDAY FOR WIZ046-
WIZ047-WIZ051-WIZ056-WIZ057-WIZ058-WIZ059-WIZ062-WIZ063-WIZ064-
WIZ065-WIZ067-WIZ068-WIZ069-WIZ070.

&&

MVK/11    - SHORT TERM & AVIATION
CRAVEN/02 - LONG TERM

Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 30, 4:00 AM CST, 2 hours 10 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
500 AM CDT SUN JUL 30 2006

WIZ046-047-051-052-056>060-062>072-310900-
COLUMBIA-DANE-DODGE-FOND DU LAC-GREEN-GREEN LAKE-IOWA-JEFFERSON-
KENOSHA-LAFAYETTE-MARQUETTE-MILWAUKEE-OZAUKEE-RACINE-ROCK-SAUK-
SHEBOYGAN-WALWORTH-WASHINGTON-WAUKESHA-
500 AM CDT SUN JUL 30 2006

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...MAINLY THIS
MORNING.  THE MAIN SEVERE WEATHER THREATS WILL BE DAMAGING
WINDS TO 70 MPH AND LARGE HAIL.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF THE AREA UNTIL
9 AM THIS MORNING.  SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING ACROSS NORTHERN
WISCONSIN EARLY THIS MORNING.  THERE IS A CHANCE THAT SOME OF THESE
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MAY SLIDE INTO SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST
WISCONSIN AFTER 6 AM THIS MORNING.

HIGH TEMPERATURES TODAY WILL REACH THE 90 TO 96 DEGREE RANGE.  THESE
HOT TEMPERATURES IN COMBINATION WITH THE EXPECTED HUMIDITY WILL
RESULT IN HEAT INDICES REACHING 100 TO 108 DEGREES THIS
AFTERNOON...MAINLY WELL AWAY FROM LAKE MICHIGAN. HENCE A HEAT
ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR AREAS WELL AWAY FROM LAKE
MICHIGAN FOR TODAY AND TONIGHT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY

A HEAT ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA MONDAY THROUGH
TUESDAY NIGHT. DAYTIME TEMPERATURES WILL REACH THE MIDDLE TO UPPER
90S DURING THE DAY...AND REMAIN IN THE MIDDLE TO UPPER 70S AT
NIGHT.  SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS WILL PREVENT ANY SIGNIFICANT LAKE BREEZE
FROM DEVELOPING.

THESE TEMPERATURES COMBINED WITH HIGH HUMIDITY WILL PRODUCE HEAT
INDICES IN THE 100 TO 110 DEGREE RANGE ON MONDAY AND TUESDAY.

INCREASING CLOUDS ARE EXPECTED TO COOL TEMPERATURES SLIGHTLY ON
WEDNESDAY...HOWEVER SIGNIFICANT COOLING IS NOT EXPECTED UNTIL
WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY AFTER A COOL FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE
REGION.  THERE IS A CHANCE THAT THUNDERSTORMS WILL ACCOMPANY
THIS COOL FRONT FROM TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS MORNING.

LMZ643>646-665-310900-
NORTH POINT LIGHTHOUSE TO WIND POINT-
PORT WASHINGTON TO NORTH POINT LIGHTHOUSE-
SHEBOYGAN WI TO PORT WASHINGTON-
WIND POINT TO WINTHROP HARBOR ILLINOIS-
500 AM CDT SUN JUL 30 2006

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF LAKE MICHIGAN.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THIS MORNING.
THE PRIMARY THREATS WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS TO 60
KNOTS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY

THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH
WEDNESDAY NIGHT.

MBK

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 30, 5:45 AM CST, 25 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
645 AM CDT SUN JUL 30 2006

WIZ046-047-051-052-056>060-062>072-301230-
MARQUETTE-GREEN LAKE-FOND DU LAC-SHEBOYGAN-SAUK-COLUMBIA-DODGE-
WASHINGTON-OZAUKEE-IOWA-DANE-JEFFERSON-WAUKESHA-MILWAUKEE-
LAFAYETTE-GREEN-ROCK-WALWORTH-RACINE-KENOSHA-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...MONTELLO...BERLIN...FOND DU LAC...
SHEBOYGAN...BARABOO...PORTAGE...WISCONSIN DELLS...BEAVER DAM...
WEST BEND...PORT WASHINGTON...DODGEVILLE...MADISON...JEFFERSON...
LAKE MILLS...WAUKESHA...BROOKFIELD...MILWAUKEE...DARLINGTON...
MONROE...JANESVILLE...BELOIT...ELKHORN...LAKE GENEVA...RACINE...
KENOSHA
645 AM CDT SUN JUL 30 2006

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 659 REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF SOUTH
CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN UNTIL 9 AM CDT...

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 659 REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 AM CDT FOR
MARQUETTE...GREEN LAKE...FOND DU LAC...SAUK...COLUMBIA...DODGE...
WASHINGTON...IOWA...DANE...JEFFERSON...WAUKESHA...LAFAYETTE...
GREEN...ROCK...WALWORTH...RACINE...AND KENOSHA COUNTIES.

AT 645 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED TWO
SEPARATE LINES OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS NORTHERN AND
CENTRAL WISCONSIN. ONE LINE EXTENDED FROM WISCONSIN RAPIDS TO NEW
LONDON TO NEAR GREEN BAY. ANOTHER LINE EXTENDED FROM NEAR CHIPPEWA
FALLS TO MEDFORD. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING SOUTHEAST AROUND 35 MPH.

THE FIRST LINE OF STORMS IS EXPECTED TO ENTER MARQUETTE...GREEN
LAKE...FOND DU LAC...AND SHEBOYGAN COUNTIES BETWEEN 700 AM AND 730
AM CDT.

THESE STORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS TO 60
MPH...DIME SIZED HAIL...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS
THROUGH MID-MORNING AS THEY PROGRESS INTO SOUTHERN WISCONSIN.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR FAVORITE MEDIA OUTLET THIS
MORNING FOR POSSIBLE WARNINGS AND STATEMENTS.

BB

The radar

The Green Bay radar (KGRB), 88 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 12:10 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

14 thunderstorm wind, 2 hail, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Green Lake

When: July 30, 6:10 AM CST
Where: Green Lake County, Berlin
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 43.967, -88.933

Trees down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Marquette

When: July 30, 6:15 AM CST to 6:30 AM CST
Where: Marquette County, Countywide
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 43.833, -89.400

Tree and power line damage scattered across the whole county.

Thunderstorm Wind, Fond du Lac

When: July 30, 6:30 AM CST
Where: Fond du Lac County, 2 mi SW of Ripon
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 43.817, -88.867

Trees and power lines reported down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Fond du Lac

When: July 30, 6:32 AM CST
Where: Fond du Lac County, Taycheedah
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 43.800, -88.400

Trees and power lines down.

Hail, Sheboygan

When: July 30, 6:50 AM CST
Where: Sheboygan County, Cascade
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 43.667, -88.000

Thunderstorm Wind, Sheboygan

When: July 30, 6:50 AM CST
Where: Sheboygan County, Cascade
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates: 43.667, -88.000

Trees down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Dodge

When: July 30, 7:00 AM CST
Where: Dodge County, Beaver Dam
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 43.467, -88.833

Trees and power-lines down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Dodge

When: July 30, 7:03 AM CST
Where: Dodge County, 2 mi NE of Lomira
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 43.600, -88.400

Trees and power-lines down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Washington

When: July 30, 7:05 AM CST to 7:15 AM CST
Where: Washington County, Kewaskum
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $15,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 43.517, -88.217

Trees and power-lines down across the northern portions of Washington County.

Thunderstorm Wind, Marquette

When: July 30, 7:06 AM CST
Where: Marquette County, 6 mi ENE of Briggsville
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 43.683, -89.467

Thunderstorm Wind, Fond du Lac

When: July 30, 7:11 AM CST
Where: Fond du Lac County, 1 mi E of Ashford
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 43.583, -88.350

Trees and power-lines down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Columbia

When: July 30, 7:18 AM CST
Where: Columbia County, 7 mi NNE of Portage
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 43.650, -89.400

Trees and power-lines reported down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Ozaukee

When: July 30, 7:40 AM CST
Where: Ozaukee County, 2 mi NW of Cedarburg
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 43.300, -88.017

Trees and power-lines reported down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Jefferson

When: July 30, 7:52 AM CST
Where: Jefferson County, 3 mi NE of Ixonia
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 43.183, -88.550

Thunderstorm Wind, Milwaukee

When: July 30, 8:00 AM CST
Where: Milwaukee County, 6 mi NW of Milwaukee
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $50,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 43.100, -88.050

Powerful wind gusts to an estimated 61 knots (70 mph) took the roof of a lumberyard off, which took down nearby power-lines. Around 45 customers were without power for a time as a result. Large trees and powerlines were toppled.

Hail, Racine

When: July 30, 9:08 AM CST
Where: Racine County, 2 mi SE of Sturtevant
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 42.683, -87.867

Lightning, Racine

When: July 30, 9:10 AM CST
Where: Racine County, Racine
Property damage: $3,000
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 42.730, -87.812 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Lightning hit a tree, which then fell onto a car in the city of Racine.

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.
Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Lightning: A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.

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, July 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: 5520264, 5520202, 5520265, 5520266, 5520267, 5520268, 5520269, 5520270, 5520272, 5520273, 5520271, 5520274, 5520275, 5520276, 5520277, 5520278, 5520279.