Damaging Winds in Wisconsin, July 11, 2008

Name: Damaging Winds in Wisconsin, July 11, 2008
Start: 2008-07-11T19:22
End: 2008-07-11T21:30
Location: Wisconsin

July 11, 2008 · NWS DLH · 7 events in 3 counties and zones

Strong to severe thunderstorms developed across much of northwest Wisconsin as a cold front pushed through the area. Wind damage occurred with some of these storms, with wind speeds over 60 mph.

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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 7

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.

Strong to severe thunderstorms developed across much of northwest Wisconsin as a cold front pushed through the area. Wind damage occurred with some of these storms, with wind speeds over 60 mph. Power was lost to about 10,000 customers.

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 11, 4:32 PM CST, 2 hours 50 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 11, 4:32 PM CST, 2 hours 50 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...MESOSCALE UPDATE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
532 PM CDT FRI JUL 11 2008

.MESOSCALE UPDATE...CONCERNING SEVERE STORM MOVING INTO BRAINERD
LAKES REGION.

URGENT...STORM MOVING FROM STAPLES AREA INTO NISSWA...BRAINERD AND
GULL LAKE AREA APPEARS TO BE ACQUIRING HP SUPERCELL/BOW ECHO RADAR
SIGNATURES.  THREAT OF 80-100 MPH NON TORNADIC WINDS APPEARS TO BE
HIGH NEXT HOUR ALONG HIGHWAY 210 CORRIDOR FROM STAPLES TO BRAINERD
AND LAKE MILLE LACS.
 MILLER

Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 11, 12:45 PM CST, 6 hours 37 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
145 PM CDT FRI JUL 11 2008

MNZ010>012-018>021-025-026-033>038-WIZ001>004-006>009-121030-
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-
135 PM CDT FRI JUL 11 2008

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

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

ONGOING STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE MINNESOTA ARROWHEAD
ARE EXPECTED TO PERSIST ALONG THE CANADIAN BORDER... INCLUDING THE
BOUNDARY WATERS CANOE AREA... FOR MUCH OF THIS AFTERNOON. THE
STRONGEST STORMS WILL STILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING PENNY SIZE HAIL
AND WIND GUSTS UP TO 60 MPH ALONG WITH LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL... BUT
THESE STORMS SHOULD BEGIN TO DIMINISH IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY
AFTER 2 PM AS THEY MOVE INTO ONTARIO.

AS A STRONG DISTURBANCE AND FRONT APPROACH CENTRAL AND NORTHERN
MINNESOTA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING... ADDITIONAL SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO RAPIDLY DEVELOP DURING MID TO LATE
AFTERNOON ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE FRONT FROM LAKE OF THE WOODS...
SOUTHWARD TO ALEXANDRIA BETWEEN 2 AND 4 PM.  STORMS ARE THEN
EXPECTED TO MOVE EASTWARD ACROSS MUCH OF CENTRAL AND NORTHERN
MINNESOTA AND NORTHWEST WISCONSIN THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT.
WIDESPREAD DAMAGING WINDS AND VERY LARGE HAIL APPEAR LIKELY.  IN
ADDITION... THE STRONGEST STORMS WILL ALSO BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING
TORNADOES. THE GREATEST TORNADO THREAT APPEARS TO EXIST BETWEEN 4
AND 9 PM IN AREAS FROM THE BRAINERD LAKES AREA...NORTHWARD TO
INTERNATIONAL FALLS AND CRANE LAKE.  EVERYONE... ESPECIALLY
VACATIONERS AND ANYONE WITH OUTDOOR OR LAKE PLANS TODAY... ARE URGED
TO STAY CURRENT WITH THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION THIS AFTERNOON
AND EVENING.

FINALLY... STRONG ONSHORE WINDS WILL RESULT IN AN INCREASED RISK OF
RIP CURRENTS ON THE SANDY BEACHES OF LAKE SUPERIOR...INCLUDING PARK
POINT...AND ALONG THE SOUTH SHORE TO THE APOSTLE ISLANDS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

THERE IS A SMALL CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS SATURDAY AFTERNOON ACROSS
FAR NORTHERN MINNESOTA...AND ANOTHER CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS TUESDAY
NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY ACROSS THE ENTIRE REGION.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE REQUIRED THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING IN MOST AREAS.

LSZ121-140>148-121030-
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-
135 PM CDT FRI JUL 11 2008

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE NEARSHORE WATERS OF
WESTERN LAKE SUPERIOR.

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

EAST TO NORTHEAST WINDS FROM 15 TO 25 MPH AT THE SOUTHWEST TIP OF
LAKE SUPERIOR AND PARTS OF THE NORTH SHORE WILL PERSIST INTO MID
AFTERNOON AND RESULT IN WAVE HEIGHTS OF 2 TO 5 FEET.  A SMALL CRAFT
ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 3 PM.  WINDS AND WAVES ARE EXPECTED TO
DECREASE LATE THIS AFTERNOON...BEFORE INCREASING OUT OF THE WEST
AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT AFTER A FRONT PASSES.

A VERY STRONG SYSTEM WILL BRING A THREAT OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
FROM LATE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT. THE PRIMARY THREATS WILL
BE VERY LARGE HAIL...GALE TO STORM FORCE WIND GUSTS... AND FREQUENT
LIGHTNING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

THERE IS A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH
THURSDAY.

 MILLER

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 11, 5:28 PM CST, 1 hour 54 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
628 PM CDT FRI JUL 11 2008

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

0627 PM     TSTM WND DMG     NISSWA                  46.50N 94.30W
07/11/2008                   CROW WING          MN   EMERGENCY MNGR

            TREES DOWN ON OJIBWA ROAD

&&

MSTEWART

Local storm report, Jul 11, 5:37 PM CST, 1 hour 45 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
637 PM CDT FRI JUL 11 2008

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

0555 PM     HAIL             BAXTER                  46.34N 94.28W
07/11/2008  M0.50 INCH       CROW WING          MN   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

SGOHDE

Local storm report, Jul 11, 5:37 PM CST, 1 hour 45 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
637 PM CDT FRI JUL 11 2008

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

0630 PM     HAIL             BAXTER                  46.34N 94.28W
07/11/2008  M0.50 INCH       CROW WING          MN   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

SGOHDE

Local storm report, Jul 11, 6:08 PM CST, 1 hour 14 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
708 PM CDT FRI JUL 11 2008

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

0615 PM     FUNNEL CLOUD     6 E LEADER              46.52N 94.52W
07/11/2008                   CASS               MN   TRAINED SPOTTER

            SEVERAL FUNNELS SPOTTED. 10 LARGE TREES DOWN EST. 70 MPH
            WINDS.

&&

SGOHDE

Local storm report, Jul 11, 6:08 PM CST, 1 hour 14 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
708 PM CDT FRI JUL 11 2008

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

0615 PM     TSTM WND DMG     6 E LEADER              46.52N 94.52W
07/11/2008                   CASS               MN   TRAINED SPOTTER

            SEVERAL FUNNELS SPOTTED. 10 LARGE TREES DOWN EST. 70 MPH
            WINDS.

&&

SGOHDE

Local storm report, Jul 11, 6:18 PM CST, 1 hour 4 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
718 PM CDT FRI JUL 11 2008

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

0710 PM     TSTM WND DMG     2 E PALISADE            46.71N 93.45W
07/11/2008                   AITKIN             MN   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            MANY TREES DOWN ALONG STATE HIGHWAY 232. UNKNOWN SIZE AT
            THIS TIME.

&&

SGOHDE

The radar

The Duluth radar (KDLH), 123 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:20 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Burnett

When: July 11, 7:22 PM CST
Where: Burnett County, Grantsburg
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Amateur Radio
Coordinates: 45.780, -92.680

Trees were blown down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Burnett

When: July 11, 7:33 PM CST
Where: Burnett County, Alpha
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Amateur Radio
Coordinates: 45.770, -92.580

Numerous trees were blown down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Burnett

When: July 11, 7:33 PM CST
Where: Burnett County, 4 mi SW of Danbury
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 45.959, -92.429

Numerous trees were blown down and umerous power poles were snapped in half. The hardest hit area was the west and southwest sides of Yellow Lake. Numerous locations were without power until the afternoon of the following day.

Thunderstorm Wind, Burnett

When: July 11, 7:38 PM CST
Where: Burnett County, 1 mi SSW of Webster
Measured: 53 kt (61 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Amateur Radio
Coordinates: 45.867, -92.378

Trees were blown down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Washburn

When: July 11, 8:18 PM CST
Where: Washburn County, 1.38 mi S of Minong
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Amateur Radio
Coordinates: 46.080, -91.820

Trees were blown down on southbound U. S. Highway 53.

Thunderstorm Wind, Bayfield

When: July 11, 8:50 PM CST
Where: Bayfield County, Mason
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 46.430, -91.070

Trees were blown down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Bayfield

When: July 11, 9:30 PM CST
Where: Bayfield County, Oula
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 46.630, -91.530

Three trees were blown down in thunderstorm wind gusts.

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.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Wisconsin in 2008 Every state in 2008 This day in weather history Warnings in Wisconsin, July 2008

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: 128465, 128462, 128463, 128467, 128466, 128461, 128457.