A front remained nearly stationary from southwest Wisconsin into western Minnesota on July 10th. An upper level disturbance tracked along the front, triggering a line of severe thunderstorms over southeast Minnesota.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS ARX wrote it up.
A front remained nearly stationary from southwest Wisconsin into western Minnesota on July 10th. An upper level disturbance tracked along the front, triggering a line of severe thunderstorms over southeast Minnesota. Hail up to 2 inches in diameter and downed trees were reported by storm spotters and law enforcement officials.
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 La Crosse, WI wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 10, 3:14 AM CST, 9 hours 43 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI 414 AM CDT THU JUL 10 2008 .SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH SATURDAY PRECIPITATION TIMING AND SEVERE WEATHER THREATS ARE THE MAIN CONCERNS WITH THIS PART OF THE FORECAST FROM TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT. THE 10.00Z AND 10.06Z NAM/WRF CONTINUE TO SHOW THAT TWO MESOSCALE CONVECTIVE COMPLEXES WILL CONGEAL ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA TODAY. THE FIRST IS LOCATED ACROSS NEBRASKA AND THE SECOND ONE IS LOCATED ACROSS NORTHWEST MINNESOTA AND EASTERN NORTH DAKOTA. THE 10.00Z GFS KEEPS THE AREA DRY THIS MORNING...AND THEN SEEMS TO PLAY CATCH UP AND GENERATES PRECIPITATION THIS AFTERNOON. THE 10.00Z EASTNMM4 LOOKS VERY SIMILAR TO THE NAM/WRF AND IT IS HANDLING THE EXISTING CONVECTION FAIRLY WELL. AS A RESULT...I WENT WITH A BLEND OF THE EASTNMM4 AND NAM/WRF FOR MY TIMING IN THE FORECAST GRIDS. IT LOOKS LIKE THE SYSTEMS WILL MOVE INTO SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA...WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN...AND NORTHEAST IOWA BETWEEN 12Z AND 16Z THIS MORNING... AND THEN THIS CONVECTIVE SYSTEM MOVES THROUGH THE AREA DURING THE REMAINDER OF THE DAY. THERE APPEARS THAT THERE MAY BE ENOUGH SHEAR THAT A STRONG COLD POOL COULD DEVELOP. IF THIS DOES INDEED DEVELOP... DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE POSSIBLE. THE 10.00Z MODELS CONTINUE TO SHOW THAT A WARM FRONT WILL MOVE EAST ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA. WITH A MUCH WEAKER PRECIPITATION SIGNAL IN THE GFS...IT SHOWS THAT THIS FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA FASTER THAN NAM/WRF. FOR THE TIME BEING...I KEPT THE BLEND GOING FOR THIS TIME PERIOD. THUNDERSTORM COMPLEXES WILL LIKELY DEVELOP ALONG AND NORTHEAST OF THE WARM FRONT TONIGHT. THERE WILL BE ENOUGH INSTABILITY AND SHEAR FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF ADDITIONAL SEVERE WEATHER EPISODES. THE MAIN SEVERE WEATHER THREAT LOOKS TO BE DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. ON FRIDAY MORNING...SOME DIFFERENCES IN THE MODELS HAVE DEVELOPED. THE 06Z NAM/WRF NOW SHOWS THAT A MCS WILL MOVE SOUTHEAST ACROSS WESTERN WISCONSIN AND PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA. MEANWHILE THE 10.00Z GFS...ARW WRF...AND EASTNMM4 ARE DRY. FOR THE TIME BEING...I HAVE STAYED THE COURSE AND KEPT MUCH OF THE FORECAST ARE DRY FOR NOW. THIS WILL HAVE TO BE WATCHED DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON...SOME DIFFERENCES HAVE DEVELOPED BETWEEN THE 10.00Z GFS AND NAM/WRF. BOTH MODELS SHOW THAT THERE WILL BE A WEAK 500 MB SHORT WAVE TROUGH MOVING THROUGH THE FORECAST AREA. THIS TROUGH IS OUT OF AHEAD OF THE MUCH STRONGER 500 MB SHORT WAVE MOVING THROUGH THE DAKOTAS. THIS LEAD SHORT WAVE COOLS THE MID LEVELS SUFFICIENTLY TO BREAK THE CAP ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST WISCONSIN AND NORTHEAST IOWA FOR SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP. MEANWHILE THE NAM/WRF KEEP THE CAP STRONG ENOUGH TO PREVENT PRECIPITATION FROM DEVELOPING. THE 10.00Z ARW WRF AND 30 TO 50 PERCENT OF THE MEMBERS IN THE 09.21Z SPC SREF SUPPORT THE GFS SOLUTION. MEANWHILE THE ECMWF...GEM...AND EASTNMM4 SUPPORTS THE DRY NAM/WRF SOLUTION. FOR THE TIME BEING... I KEPT THE DRY FORECAST...BUT THIS IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT WILL HAVE TO BE WATCHED. BESIDES THE PRECIPITATION THREAT ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON...WE WILL HAVE TO WATCH THE HEAT INDICES. WITH TEMPERATURES AROUND 90 AND DEW POINTS IN THE LOWER 70S...HEAT INDICES LOOK TO BE GENERALLY IN THE 95 TO 100 DEGREE RANGE. MANY AREAS IN THE MISSISSIPPI AND WISCONSIN RIVER VALLEYS LOOK LIKE THEY MAY SEE HEAT INDICES AROUND 100 DEGREES. ON FRIDAY NIGHT...A VERY IMPRESSIVE 500 MB SHORT WAVE TROUGH MOVES THROUGH THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY. IT LOOKS LIKE THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD RAPIDLY DEVELOP AROUND 21Z FROM SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA NORTHEAST INTO THE MINNESOTA ARROWHEAD. THERE SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT 0-6 KM SHEAR FOR THESE THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP INTO SCATTERED SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORMS. A FEW OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS MAY GET INTO SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA...NORTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN...AND NORTHEAST IOWA. THESE THUNDERSTORMS MAY PRODUCE ISOLATED TORNADOES IN ADDITION TO THEIR WIND AND HAIL THREATS. AS THE EVENING PROGRESSES...THESE THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD EVOLVE INTO A LINEAR SYSTEM. AS THIS OCCURS...THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT WILL EVOLVE INTO A DAMAGING WIND EVENT. EVEN IF THE STORMS DEVELOP ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON ACROSS NORTHEAST IOWA...AND SOUTHWEST AND CENTRAL WISCONSIN...THERE SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT TIME TO DESTABILIZE PRIOR TO THE SQUALL LINE. .LONG TERM...SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY THE 10.00Z MEDIUM RANGE MODELS SHOW THAT A WEAK 500 MB SHORT WAVE WILL BE MOVING THROUGH NORTHEAST WISCONSIN AND MICHIGAN ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. AS DIURNAL HEATING OCCURS WITH A COLD ATMOSPHERE ALOFT...THE 1000 TO 500 MB LAPSE RATES WILL LIKELY STEEPEN. THERE APPEARS THAT THERE MAY BE JUST ENOUGH INSTABILITY IN THE AFTERNOON TO WARRANT A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...SO I HAVE ADDED THIS TO THE FORECAST. THE REMAINDER OF THIS TIME PERIOD LOOKS TO BE UNDER THE CONTROL OF A CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM...SO THE DRY FORECAST STILL LOOKS ON TRACK. && .AVIATION...TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE THE PRIMARY CONCERN FOR THE TAF SITES TODAY. CLUSTER OF THUNDERSTORMS UPSTREAM EARLY THIS MORNING OVER MINNESOTA EXPECTED TO TURN SOUTHEASTWARD WITH TIME...AS IT FEEDS ON INCREASING INSTABILITY. BASED ON THIS...FORECAST CONFIDENCE WILL PROBABLY BE HIGH ENOUGH TO INCLUDE TSRA AT BOTH KLSE AND KRST WITH 10.1130Z TAF ISSUANCE. POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR A FEW SEVERE STORMS TODAY WITH DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. FORECAST CONFIDENCE LOWERS TONIGHT WHETHER ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY COULD AFFECT TAF SITES. THUS...OPTED TO CONTINUE WITH CB TERM TO ALLUDE TO UNCERTAINTY. LOOKING AHEAD...THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO ACCOMPANY A COLD FRONT...WHICH SHOULD SWEEP THROUGH THE AREA FRIDAY NIGHT. SEVERE STORMS WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL APPEAR PROBABLE AT THIS TIME. && .ARX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WI...NONE. MN...NONE. IA...NONE. && AVIATION - THOMPSON SHORT AND LONG TERM - BOYNE
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI 1135 AM CDT THU JUL 10 2008 IAZ008>011-018-019-029-030-MNZ079-086>088-094>096-WIZ017-029-032>034- 041>044-053>055-061-111000- ADAMS-ALLAMAKEE-BUFFALO-CHICKASAW-CLARK-CLAYTON-CRAWFORD-DODGE- FAYETTE-FILLMORE-FLOYD-GRANT-HOUSTON-HOWARD-JACKSON-JUNEAU-LA CROSSE- MITCHELL-MONROE-MOWER-OLMSTED-RICHLAND-TAYLOR-TREMPEALEAU-VERNON- WABASHA-WINNESHIEK-WINONA- 1135 AM CDT THU JUL 10 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PARTS OF SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA... NORTHEAST IOWA...AND SOUTHWEST INTO CENTRAL WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A THUNDERSTORM COMPLEX WILL MOVE SOUTHWARD THROUGH THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO THIS EVENING. SEVERE STORMS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THIS COMPLEX...WITH DAMAGING WINDS AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN BEING THE MAIN THREATS. THE MOST FAVORABLE TIME FOR THESE STORMS TO MOVE THROUGH THE AREA WILL BE FROM 2 PM INTO THE EARLY EVENING HOURS. IT IS ALSO POSSIBLE FOR MORE STORMS TO DEVELOP OVERNIGHT...WITH DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN BEING THE MAIN THREATS. IT IS STILL UNCERTAIN HOWEVER THE TIMING AND AREAL EXTENT OF THESE STORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY ON FRIDAY...VERY WARM TEMPERATURES SHOULD INHIBIT THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT UNTIL LATE IN THE DAY...WHEN STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO INITIATE ALONG A COLD FRONT APPROACHING THE AREA. FAVORABLE INSTABILITY AND WIND PROFILES SUPPORT A DISTINCT POSSIBILITY FOR SEVERE STORMS. DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL AND ISOLATED TORNADOES WOULD BE THE PRIMARY THREATS. THE MOST FAVORABLE TIME SHOULD BE FRIDAY EVENING AND PERHAPS THE EARLY MORNING HOURS OF SATURDAY... ALTHOUGH THE ISOLATED TORNADO POTENTIAL FAVORS FRIDAY EVENING. EXCESSIVE HEAT AND HUMIDITY IS EXPECTED TO BE A FACTOR FRIDAY...WITH HEAT INDICES OF 95 TO 100 DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. THUNDERSTORM CHANCES RETURN TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT. AT THIS TIME...THERE WAS TOO MUCH UNCERTAINTY TO DETERMINE THE SEVERE STORM POTENTIAL IN THIS TIME PERIOD. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER GROUPS ARE ADVISED TO BE ALERT FOR ACTIVATION BETWEEN 2 PM AND 9 PM...LATER TONIGHT AND THEN AGAIN FRIDAY NIGHT. .EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATION... NO CALL IS SCHEDULED. THOMPSON/BROOKS
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
12 hail, 8 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Trees were blown down.
A trained spotter estimated 1 inch diameter hail and 30 mph wind gusts.
Hail of 2.25 inches in diameter was observed.
Law Enforcement reported an estimated wind gust of 60 miles per hour and hail up to dime size.
Quarter size hail was reported along with wind gusts of 30 to 35 miles per hour.
Thunderstorm wind gusts blew a tree down on top of a garage in Winona, destroying the garage.
Trees were blown down in the city of Winona.
Nickel sized hail was reported in addition to a measured wind gust of 53 miles per hour at the Emergency Operations Center.
Large trees were blown down.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Minnesota in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Minnesota, July 2008
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: 104619, 104620, 104621, 104624, 104627, 104628, 104629, 104633, 104635, 104639, 104760, 104643, 104647, 104649, 104652, 104656, 104660, 104663, 104666, 104669.