Isolated severe storms affected southeast Wisconsin with large hail and strong winds gusting to around 56 knots (65 mph). Synoptically, low pressure moved northeast through the La Crosse area while a warm front pushed north to a Marquette to Sheboyban county line.
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 MKX wrote it up.
Isolated severe storms affected southeast Wisconsin with large hail and strong winds gusting to around 56 knots (65 mph). Synoptically, low pressure moved northeast through the La Crosse area while a warm front pushed north to a Marquette to Sheboyban county line. Daytime maximum temperatures reached the 70s while surface dewpoints peaked in the 50s. Clusters or short lines of storms were generated.
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 May 2, 1:12 PM CST, 3 hours 58 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI 212 PM CDT FRI MAY 2 2008 .SHORT TERM... THE WINDOW FOR SEVERE THREAT IS BEGINNING. THERE IS STILL A SMALL CHANCE OF SEVERE STORMS...ALONG WITH ISOLATED TORNADOES LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY THIS EVENING. GOOD UPPER DIFLUENCE AS 95 KT UPPER JET PUSHES INTO THE LAKE MICHIGAN AREA THIS EVENING. VISIBLE SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWING CLOUDS THINNING BEHIND EARLY AFTERNOON BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS FAR SOUTHERN WI AND NORTHERN IL. LIS HAVE RISEN TO -3. EXPECT MAIN THREAT JUST AHEAD OF DRY PUNCH THAT WILL MOVE INTO THE FORECAST AREA LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY THIS EVENING. WATER VAPOR LOOP SHOWS DRYING JUST NOW PUSHING INTO THE EXTREME SOUTHWEST. FORECAST SOUNDINGS OFF 12Z NAM AND 17Z RUC HAVE MARGINAL CAPE...BUT THIS MAY BE UNDERDONE WITH A LITTLE HEATING. ALSO A BRIEF TORNADO POTENTIAL WITH HELICITY RAISING TO AROUND 230. EHI VALUES ARE NEAR 1...BUT WITH A LITTLE MORE CAPE THOSE WOULD BE HIGHER. HOWEVER RUC IS SHOWING THAT DRY PUNCH PUSHES IN FAIRLY RAPIDLY. IF THIS HAPPENS LIMITED INSTABILITY MAY NOT BE ENOUGH FOR DEEP CONVECTION. AT LEAST THE SOUTHERN HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA COULD BE IN THE WARM SECTOR...BEFORE OCCLUDED FRONT PUSHES IN FROM THE SOUTHWEST...AND DRY AIR PUSHES INTO THE MID LEVELS AROUND THE MATURE CLOSED UPPER LOW. THEN DRY AIR WILL SHUT OFF THUNDERSTORM...AND SHOWER POTENTIAL THIS EVENING. WINDS SHIFTED TO SOUTHWEST WITH GUSTS TO 33 KNOTS WITH OCCLUSION. WRAP AROUND PRECIP EXPECTED ON SATURDAY AS UPPER LOW OPENS AND RESULTANT TROUGH MOVES ACROSS WISCONSIN AND NORTHERN ILLINOIS. SHORTWAVE ON GFS FOR SUNDAY NIGHT IS NOT AS PRONOUNCED AS YESTERDAY AND IS IN FAIR AGREEMENT WITH ECMWF. BOTH 12Z GFS AND 12Z ECMWF HAVE A WEAK SURFACE TROUGH MOVING THROUGH MONDAY. BOTH NAM AND GFS HAVE STEEP LAPSE RATES...CAPES NEAR 700 OFF THE GFS. THEREFORE WILL GO WITH A SMALL CHANCE OF SHOWERS. .LONG TERM... NEW ECMWF IS NOW TRENDING TOWARD THE GFS IN THE MID/LATE PERIODS. THEREFORE WILL TREND WETTER FOR TUESDAY/TUESDAY NIGHT. && .AVIATION...MAIN ISSUE FOR TAFS THROUGH 00Z SUNDAY IS EXPECTED CONVECTION LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. THUNDERSTORMS AND ASSOCIATED MVFR/IFR CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES ASSOCIATED WITH LOW LEVEL JET NOSE PUSHING NORTHEAST OF THE AREA. NEXT ROUND OF THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED BETWEEN 20Z FRIDAY AND 02Z SATURDAY...AS COLD FRONT PUSHES ACROSS SOUTHERN WISCONSIN. EXPECT PREVAILING MVFR CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES WITH THUNDERSTORMS...WITH SOME IFR VISIBILITIES AND CEILINGS POSSIBLE IN STRONGEST STORMS. WINDS GRADUALLY INCREASE IN MAGNITUDE AND SHIFT TO THE SOUTHWEST AND WEST ON SATURDAY. MVFR CEILINGS AND SCATTERED RAIN SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED AS UPPER LOW SHIFTS ACROSS THE AREA. && .MARINE...STABLE MARINE LAYER EXPECTED TO PREVENT MIXING OF WINDS ALOFT DOWN TO THE SURFACE TONIGHT AND SATURDAY. THIS SHOULD KEEP WINDS BELOW SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY CRITERIA...DESPITE AN INCREASING SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT. && .MKX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WI...NONE. LM...NONE. && SHORT/LONG TERM...HENTZ AVIATION/MARINE...WOOD
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI 428 PM CDT FRI MAY 2 2008 WIZ046-047-051-052-056>060-062>072-031100- MARQUETTE-GREEN LAKE-FOND DU LAC-SHEBOYGAN-SAUK-COLUMBIA-DODGE- WASHINGTON-OZAUKEE-IOWA-DANE-JEFFERSON-WAUKESHA-MILWAUKEE- LAFAYETTE-GREEN-ROCK-WALWORTH-RACINE-KENOSHA- 428 PM CDT FRI MAY 2 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST CENTRAL WISCONSIN...SOUTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN AND SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THIS EVENING. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS ALL OF SOUTHERN WISCONSIN. LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE THE MAIN HAZARDS. SOME RIVERS WILL REMAIN IN FLOOD...INCLUDING THE FOX...PECATONICA AND ROCK. OTHER RIVERS THAT HAD BEEN FALLING WILL BECOME STEADY...OR SLOWLY RISE...WITH EXPECTED RAINFALL TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY RAINFALL THROUGH SATURDAY WILL KEEP SEVERAL RIVERS ABOVE FLOOD STAGE THROUGH THE WEEKEND...AND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE NEEDED TONIGHT. LMZ643>646-031100- SHEBOYGAN TO PORT WASHINGTON WI- PORT WASHINGTON TO NORTH POINT LIGHT WI- NORTH POINT LIGHT TO WIND POINT WI- WIND POINT WI TO WINTHROP HARBOR IL- 428 PM CDT FRI MAY 2 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF LAKE MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THIS EVENING. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND ISOLATED WATERSPOUTS ARE THE MAIN HAZARDS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. WOOD WWW.WEATHER.GOV/MKX
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
130 PM CDT FRI MAY 02 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0124 PM HEAVY RAIN 1 SE VERONA 42.98N 89.52W
05/02/2008 M0.47 INCH DANE WI TRAINED SPOTTER
SINCE 12 AM CDT TODAY.
&&
GDSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI 444 PM CDT FRI MAY 2 2008 WIZ046-047-051-052-056>060-062>072-022245- 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 444 PM CDT FRI MAY 2 2008 ...SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP THROUGH 6 PM... SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP OVER PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN THROUGH 6 PM. SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE...PRODUCING WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH AND ONE INCH HAIL. IN ADDITION...AN ISOLATED TORNADO IS POSSIBLE. A TORNADO WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR ALL OF SOUTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN ALONG AND WEST OF A LINE FROM GREEN LAKE TO SULLIVAN TO LAKE GENEVA AND PELL LAKE UNTIL 10 PM THIS EVENING. THIS WATCH INCLUDES THE MADISON...JANESVILLE...MINERAL POINT...REEDSBURG AND PORTAGE AREAS AS WELL. AT 440 PM...SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED FROM AROUND SUN PRAIRIE TO MONTELLO...AND ALSO IN THE DODGEVILLE AND SPRING GREEN AREAS. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING TO THE NORTH AT 40 TO 45 MPH. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE INCREASING IN INTENSITY AND PRODUCING CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING STRIKES. ALL PEOPLE OUTDOORS THIS EVENING OVER SOUTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN SHOULD KEEP AN EYE TO THE SKY AND BE PREPARED TO SEEK SHELTER SHOULD A THUNDERSTORM APPROACH YOUR LOCATION. REMEMBER...LIGHTNING CAN STRIKE THE GROUND WELL AWAY FROM THE PARENT THUNDERSTORM. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP OVER PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN BETWEEN 5 PM AND 7 PM. MBK
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI 543 PM CDT FRI MAY 2 2008 WIZ046-047-051-052-056>060-062>072-030000- 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 543 PM CDT FRI MAY 2 2008 ...TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN UNTIL 10 PM... SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER THE RIPON...PRINCETON... LAKE DELTON AND BLANCHARDVILLE AREAS. THE STORMS ARE MOVING TO THE NORTH AT 40 TO 45 MPH. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT THE BERLIN... BLUE MOUNDS...DODGEVILLE AND SPRING GREEN AREAS. HAIL TO ONE INCH...WIND GUSTS TO 60 MPH AND ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE FROM THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS. ALL PEOPLE OUTDOORS THIS EVENING SHOULD KEEP AN EYE TO THE SKY AND BE PREPARED TO SEEK SHELTER SHOULD A THUNDERSTORM APPROACH YOUR LOCATION. REMEMBER...LIGHTNING CAN STRIKE THE GROUND WELL AWAY FROM THE PARENT THUNDERSTORM. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE OVER SOUTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN THIS EVENING...AND DEVELOP OVER PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN BETWEEN 6 PM AND 8 PM. THE TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM FOR THE PORTION OF SOUTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN ALONG AND WEST OF A LINE FROM GREEN LAKE TO SULLIVAN TO LAKE GENEVA. THIS WATCH INCLUDES THE MADISON...JANESVILLE...MINERAL POINT...REEDSBURG AND PORTAGE AREAS. MBK
The Milwaukee radar (KMKX), 53 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:08 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind, 1 lightning, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Powerful straight-line winds and brief heavy rains uprooted some trees and damaged a mailbox.
A lightning strike caused a house fire to the roof area.
In addition to the hail, wind gusts were in the 35 to 43 knot range (40 to 50 mph), resulting in some broken small branches.
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, May 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: 100856, 100857, 100855.