A cold front moved across southwest Wisconsin during the late afternoon and evening hours on July 7th. A line of thunderstorms developed along the cold front and produced heavy rain, which caused flooding on streets and roadways.
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 cold front moved across southwest Wisconsin during the late afternoon and evening hours on July 7th. A line of thunderstorms developed along the cold front and produced heavy rain, which caused flooding on streets and roadways.
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 7, 2:33 PM CST, 47 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
333 PM CDT MON JUL 7 2008
.SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT
DISTURBANCES MOVING THROUGH UPPER FLOW LOCKED UP ACROSS SOUTHERN
CANADA AND FAR NORTHERN TIER STATES WILL REMAIN FOCUS FOR WEATHER
CONCERNS. IN NEAR TERM MOST OF THE WEATHER THREAT WILL BE IN FIRST
24 HOURS SO WILL BE CONCENTRATING ON SEVERE WEATHER CHANCES AND
SETUP.
MAIN SHORT WAVE TROUGH IN FLOW IS MOVING EASTWARD INTO FAR SOUTHERN
MANITOBA BUT COULD STILL BE SOME MINOR IMPULSES EMBEDDED IN FLOW
ACROSS THE PLAINS. SIGNIFICANT DRYING NOTED IN WATER VAPOR IMAGERY
COMING THROUGH THE DAKOTAS. AHEAD OF THIS...WEAK SURFACE LOW NOTED
NEAR MINNESOTA AND DAKOTAS BORDER AS OF 18Z WITH WARM FRONT ACROSS
OUR FORECAST AREA. VERY RIPE AIR IN THE FORM OF 70+ DEG F SURFACE
DEWPOINTS SOUTH OF THIS BOUNDARY LEADING TO 1000-2000 J/KG MIXED
LAYER CAPES.
BEYOND THIS INSTABILITY THOUGH DEEP SHEAR IS NOT OVERLY IMPRESSIVE
AND NOT MUCH IN THE WAY OF CONVERGENCE AROUND TO FOCUS ONGOING
CONVECTION. THIS IS EVIDENT ON WIND PROFILERS AND VAD WIND PROFILES
WITH MAIN SOUTHWEST TO WEST FLOW AROUND 850 MB FROM NEBRASKA ACROSS
IOWA AND INTO NORTHERN ILLINOIS. IT MAY TAKE A FEW MORE HOURS THIS
AFTERNOON TO GET INTO ORGANIZED SEVERE WEATHER THREAT BUT WATCH IS
LIKELY AT VERY LEAST. GIVEN AMOUNT OF INSTABILITY AND BOUNDARY IN
AREA...IN ADDITION TO APPROACH OF SHORT WAVE ENERGY THAT MAY
INCREASE WIND SHEAR HEADING INTO THIS EVENING...WILL LIKELY SEE A 3
TO 6 HOUR TIME FRAME OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AROUND. ALSO CONCERNED
WITH HEAVY RAIN THREAT DEPENDING ON HOW THINGS ORIENTATE THIS
AFTERNOON. LARGEST RAIN THREAT APPEARS TO BE ACROSS MAINLY NORTHEAST
IOWA INTO SOUTHWEST WISCONSIN...CLOSER TO HIGHER CAPE VALUES AND
CAPE GRADIENT.
BULK OF WEATHER LOOKS TO PUSH EAST OF THE AREA OVERNIGHT WITH HIGH
PRESSURE BUILDING BACK IN ON TUESDAY AND SWEEPING IN SOME DRIER LOW
LEVEL AIR. THIS PROMISES A FEW NICE DAYS UNTIL ABOUT THURSDAY WITH
SEASONAL TEMPERATURES AND MINIMAL RAIN CHANCES.
AHEAD OF NEXT DISTURBANCE ACROSS CANADA ON THURSDAY...LOW LEVEL
MOISTURE RETURNS WELL WEST OF OUR AREA AND SEEMS TO FOCUS INTO
NORTHERN MINNESOTA. THIS COULD DEVELOP COMPLEX THAT RIDES BY MAINLY
TO OUR NORTH SO WILL KEEP SMALL POPS GOING AS WE PROGRESS TOWARDS
THE END OF THE WEEK.
.LONG TERM...FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY
ZONAL FLOW AND PASSING SHORT WAVE ENERGY ACROSS SOUTHERN CANADA WILL
CONTINUE TO DRIVE WEATHER INTO LATER PERIODS AS WELL. ALL MEDIUM
RANGE GUIDANCE IN AGREEMENT WITH THIS SCENARIO BUT DIFFER IN TIMING
OF MAIN PASSING SHORT WAVE TROUGH THAT APPROACHES FRIDAY AND INTO
THE START OF THE WEEKEND. WILL LIKELY BLEND THESE SOLUTIONS WITH
CONVECTION FIRING ALONG APPROACHING FRONT TO THE NORTHWEST LATE ON
FRIDAY...AND THEN MOVING THROUGH THE FORECAST AREA INTO SATURDAY.
SOME AGREEMENT THAT THIS FRONT MAY DROP INTO CENTRAL IOWA AND
NORTHERN ILLINOIS BY SATURDAY AFTERNOON BUT NOT SURE THOSE KIND OF
DETAILS WILL HOLD TRUE THIS FAR OUT. SOME UPSTREAM RIDGING TAKES
OVER ON SUNDAY THOUGH SO PLAN ON KEEPING LOWER RAIN THREATS IN DAYS
6 AND 7 AND FOCUSED MORE IN SOUTHERN AREAS WITH WEAK SURFACE HIGH TO
THE NORTH.
&&
.AVIATION...
THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO BE THE MAIN CONCERN FOR THE KRST/KLSE TAF
SITES THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT. AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE
APPROACHING FROM THE PLAINS WILL PUSH A SURFACE COLD FRONT TOWARD
AND THROUGH THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT PRODUCING LIFT
AND SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS. SOME THUNDERSTORMS COULD BE
SEVERE...AND INCLUDE TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS. IT APPEARS THE MAIN TIME
FRAME FOR THESE CONDITIONS AT THE TAF SITES WILL BE FROM THIS
AFTERNOON THROUGH THIS EVENING. CONFIDENCE REMAINS HIGH ENOUGH TO
INCLUDE TEMPO TSRA IN THE TAFS ALONG WITH REDUCED VISIBILITY BELOW
3SM IN HEAVIER SHOWER ACTIVITY. THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY AND ANY
LINGERING SHOWERS WILL BE SOUTHEAST OF THE TAF SITES BY LATE EVENING
OR AROUND MIDNIGHT. DRIER AIR WILL FILTER INTO THE AREA ON TUESDAY
WITH JUST SCATTERED FAIR WEATHER CUMULUS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP BY MID
MORNING.
&&
.ARX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WI...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH TONIGHT FOR WIZ054-WIZ055-
WIZ061.
MN...NONE.
IA...FLASH FLOOD WATCH THROUGH TONIGHT FOR IAZ008-IAZ009-
IAZ010-IAZ011-IAZ018-IAZ019-IAZ029-IAZ030.
&&
SHORT AND LONG TERM - SHEA
AVIATION - DASHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI 1020 AM CDT MON JUL 7 2008 IAZ008>011-018-019-029-030-MNZ079-086>088-094>096-WIZ017-029-032>034- 041>044-053>055-061-081100- 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- 1020 AM CDT MON JUL 7 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PARTS OF SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA... NORTHEAST IOWA...AND SOUTHWEST INTO CENTRAL WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY ACROSS THE AREA TODAY AND TONIGHT...AS A COUPLE UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES INTERACT WITH THE MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIR MASS IN PLACE. THERE IS A DISTINCT POSSIBILITY SOME OF THE STORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE...WITH THE PRIMARY THREATS BEING DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL. AN ISOLATED TORNADO CANNOT BE RULED OUT. THE MAIN THREAT TIME FOR THE LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND HEAVY RAINFALL AREAWIDE APPEARS TO BE FROM 3 PM THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH 2 AM TUESDAY MORNING...EXCEPT THE ISOLATED TORNADO POTENTIAL WHICH SHOULD BE CONFINED MAINLY BETWEEN 3 PM AND 7 PM. OF SPECIAL NOTE...THE HEAVY RAINFALL THREAT SUGGESTS THE POTENTIAL FOR LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING...ESPECIALLY IN URBAN AREAS AND STEEP TERRAIN WHERE RAINFALL RUNOFF MAY BE ENHANCED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY ANY LINGERING THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO END TUESDAY MORNING... AS A COLD FRONT SWEEPS ACROSS THE AREA. PROBABILITIES FOR SEVERE STORMS IN THIS TIME FRAME APPEAR TO BE LOW. THERE WILL BE ADDITIONAL CHANCES OF THUNDERSTORMS DURING THE LATTER PART OF THE WEEK AND INTO THE WEEKEND. AT THIS POINT...IT WAS TOO EARLY TO DETERMINE THE SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL IN THIS TIME FRAME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER GROUPS MAY BE NEEDED AREAWIDE DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON AND INTO TONIGHT. IN ADDITION...ANY RAINFALL REPORTS...ALONG WITH ANY REPORTS OF FLOODING...WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. .EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATION... NO CALL IS SCHEDULED. DAS/THOMPSON
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
321 PM CDT MON JUL 07 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0320 PM HEAVY RAIN OSAGE 43.28N 92.81W
07/07/2008 M2.50 INCH MITCHELL IA LAW ENFORCEMENT
STREET FLOODING REPORTED.
&&
SHEAPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
352 PM CDT MON JUL 07 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0325 PM TSTM WND DMG 4 S UTICA 43.92N 91.95W
07/07/2008 WINONA MN LAW ENFORCEMENT
MULTIPLE TREES DOWN BLOCKING ROAD AT HWY 33 AND HENRY
DRIVE.
&&
DAVISPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
408 PM CDT MON JUL 07 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0408 PM TSTM WND GST 2 E LA CROSSE 43.83N 91.19W
07/07/2008 M68 MPH LA CROSSE WI MESONET
&&
DAVISPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
409 PM CDT MON JUL 07 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0404 PM TSTM WND GST LA CROSSE 43.83N 91.23W
07/07/2008 M55 MPH LA CROSSE WI AMATEUR RADIO
DOWNTOWN LA CROSSE
&&
DAVISPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
410 PM CDT MON JUL 07 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0409 PM TSTM WND DMG 2 E LA CROSSE 43.83N 91.19W
07/07/2008 LA CROSSE WI NWS STORM SURVEY
WIDESPREAD TREE DAMAGE AT NWS OFFICE.
&&
DAVISPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
413 PM CDT MON JUL 07 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0412 PM HAIL LA CRESCENT 43.83N 91.30W
07/07/2008 E1.00 INCH HOUSTON MN AMATEUR RADIO
&&
DAVISThe La Crosse radar (KARX), 7 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:19 UTC.
1 flash flood, 1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Amateur radio operators reported widespread street flooding in the cities of La Crosse and Onalaska.
Water was over parts of County Road Q.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Wisconsin in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Wisconsin, 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: 104602, 104603.