Hail and Damaging Winds in Wisconsin, May 30, 2008

Name: Hail and Damaging Winds in Wisconsin, May 30, 2008
Start: 2008-05-30T17:44
End: 2008-05-30T18:07
Location: Wisconsin

May 30, 2008 · NWS ARX · 5 events in 2 counties and zones

An upper level disturbance triggered scattered severe thunderstorms during the late afternoon and early evening of May 30. Hail up to the size of nickels, along with wind gusts estimated up to 65 mph, was reported by amateur radio operators, law enforcement officials and the public.

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: $1,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 5

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 ARX wrote it up.

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 La Crosse, WI wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 30, 1:25 PM CST, 4 hours 19 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 30, 1:25 PM CST, 4 hours 19 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
225 PM CDT FRI MAY 30 2008

.SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT

ON AND OFF PRECIPITATION CHANCES THROUGH THE PERIOD WILL BE THE
PRIMARY FORECAST CONCERN.

SURFACE MAP THIS AFTERNOON HAD AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE OVER THE
ARROWHEAD OF MN WITH A COLD FRONT EXTENDING SOUTHWARD ACROSS WESTERN
WI AND THEN SOUTHWEST...BISECTING IA. VIS SATELLITE/SURFACE
OBS/CLEAR AIR RADAR SHOWING A BAND OF STRATOCUMULUS CONVERGING ALONG
THE COLD FRONT WITH EVEN SOME POCKETS OF -RA/DZ. OTHERWISE...
TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE AREA UNDER THE CLOUDS WERE SITTING IN THE
UPPER 50S TO LOWER 60S ACROSS NORTHERN MN/WI....TO THE MID 70S AHEAD
OF THE COLD FRONT OVER SOUTHWEST WISCONSIN INTO NORTHEAST IA. WATER
VAPOR IMAGERY WAS SHOWING A FAIRLY VIGOROUS MID-LEVEL SHORTWAVE
TROUGH ROTATING SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE DAKOTAS WITH RADAR MOSAIC
SHOWING SCATTERED SHRA/TS ACTIVITY OUT AHEAD OF IT.

30.12Z GFS AND NAM IN REASONABLY GOOD AGREEMENT THROUGH THE PERIOD
WITH HANDLING OF MID LEVEL/SURFACE FEATURES.

FOR THIS EVENING...THE SHORTWAVE TROUGH OVER THE DAKOTAS/WESTERN MN
WILL SWING SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE AREA...EXITING EAST BY MIDNIGHT.
PRETTY DECENT CAPE OF 1000-2000J/KG WILL EXIST INTO THIS EVENING
ASSOCIATED WITH THE WAVE TO SUPPORT TS ACTIVITY. MAIN BAND OF 0-6KM
BULK SHEAR WILL SINK SOUTH OF THE AREA ALSO THIS EVENING...SO STORMS
SHOULD BE IN PULSE MODE. SOME HAIL WILL LIKELY OCCUR WITH THESE
STORMS IN THE STRONGER UPDRAFTS...BUT SHOULD REMAIN BELOW SEVERE
LIMITS GOING INTO THE EVENING WITH LOSS OF SURFACE HEATING. SHRA/TS
ACTIVITY SHOULD BE PRETTY MUCH OVER BY MIDNIGHT AS THE TROUGH AXIS
EXITS EAST OF THE AREA AND WEAK RIDGING BUILDS IN FROM THE NORTHERN
PLAINS.

WEAK RIDGE MOVES ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING...KEEPING
SKIES PARTLY CLOUDY. ANOTHER MID-LEVEL TROUGH THEN DIVES INTO THE
UPPER MIDWEST/GREAT LAKES REGION SATURDAY AFTERNOON/EVENING FOR
ANOTHER CHANCE OF SHRA/TS AS LAPSE RATES STEEPEN. NAM INDICATING
0-3KM MUCAPE INCREASING TO NEAR 2000J/KG ONCE AGAIN WHILE 0-6KM BULK
SHEAR INCREASES INTO THE 40-45KT RANGE. BASED ON THIS SIGNAL...
CANNOT RULE OUT A COUPLE LARGER HAIL PRODUCING STORMS WITH DAMAGING
WIND POTENTIAL.

HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD BACK INTO THE AREA LATER SATURDAY NIGHT
THROUGH SUNDAY FOR A PERIOD OF QUIET WEATHER WITH TEMPERATURES RIGHT
AROUND SEASONAL NORMALS.

BOTH THE GFS AND NAM SHOWING A MID-LEVEL TROUGH MOVING ACROSS THE
CENTRAL PLAINS INTO THE UPPER MIDWEST LATER SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH
MONDAY NIGHT. APPEARS THERE WILL BE THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERAL
THUNDERSTORM COMPLEXES TO FIRE SOMEWHERE OVER THE CENTRAL/NORTHERN
PLAINS SUNDAY NIGHT...THEN MOVING EAST ACROSS THE REGION.

.LONG TERM...TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

LOW CONFIDENCE EXISTS THROUGH THE PERIOD. 30.00/06Z GFS/ 30.00Z
ECMWF OFFERING DIFFERING SOLUTIONS AS THEY TRY TO COPE WITH TROPICAL
TELECONNECTIONS/ANOMALIES. NEITHER MODEL SHOWING OVERLY RUN TO RUN
CONSISTENCY SIGNALS ONE WAY OR THE OTHER. CURRENT RUN OF GFS/ECMWF
START OFF WITH A FAIRLY HIGH ZONAL FLOW/PROGRESSIVE PATTERN EARLY ON
AND THEN UNDERGO AN AMPLIFYING PATTERN IN THE LATTER PERIOD WITH
DEEPENING TROUGH IN THE WEST AND BUILDING RIDGE OVER CENTRAL/EASTERN
CONUS. BETWEEN THE MODELS THERE ARE DIFFERENCES AS TO THE STRENGTH
AND PLACEMENT OF THE TROUGH/RIDGE. OVERALL...IT LOOKS LIKE AND
UNSETTLED PERIOD WITH HIGH ZONAL FLOW TUE/WED...THEN SOUTHWEST FLOW
ON BACKSIDE OF RIDGE. BASED ON THIS SIGNAL...HAVE OPTED TO KEEP
SHRA/TS CHANCES IN THROUGH THE ENTIRE PERIOD. TEMPERATURES SHOULD BE
RIGHT AROUND SEASONAL NORMALS TUE/WED...POSSIBLY CREEPING ABOVE
NORMAL WITH RIDGING THU/FRI. THIS OF COURSE WILL DEPEND ON HOW MUCH
CLOUD/PRECIPITATION WILL BE AROUND. WILL STICK CLOSE TO HPC GUIDANCE
FOR NOW.

&&

.AVIATION...TONIGHT AND SATURDAY

THE IFR CONDITIONS ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN SHOULD GRADUALLY
IMPROVE TO MVFR BY 30.22Z...AND THEN IFR CONDITIONS WILL ONCE AGAIN
DEVELOP ACROSS THIS AREA AFTER 31.06Z.

FURTHER TO SOUTH ACROSS SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA...NORTHEAST IOWA...AND
WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN THE SCATTERED TO BROKEN 1500-2500 FEET WILL
BECOME MORE SCATTERED AS THIS AFTERNOON WEARS ON. MOST AREAS WILL
BECOME VFR AFTER 30.21Z. THIS WILL ALLOW TEMPERATURES TO CLIMB INTO
THE 70S AHEAD OF AN APPROACHING AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA. THIS AREA OF
PRECIPITATION IS BEING CAUSED BY AN UPPER LEVEL SHORT WAVE THROUGH
WHICH WILL BE MOVING SOUTHEAST THROUGH THE REGION BETWEEN 30.21Z
AND 31.05Z. THERE MAY BE ENOUGH INSTABILITY AND SHEAR THAT A FEW OF
THESE THUNDERSTORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE BETWEEN 30.22Z AND 31.02Z
MAINLY ACROSS SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA AND NORTHEAST IOWA. THE MAIN
SEVERE WEATHER THREAT WOULD BE DAMAGING HAIL. HOWEVER I COULD NOT
COMPLETELY RULE OUT AN ISOLATE MICROBURST.

BEHIND THIS SHORT WAVE TROUGH...CEILINGS WILL LIKELY ONCE AGAIN DROP
INTO THE IFR TO MVFR RANGE FROM 31.06Z THROUGH 31.16Z.

ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS LOOK POSSIBLE ON SATURDAY
AFTERNOON AS YET ANOTHER SHORT WAVE TROUGH MOVES SOUTHEAST THROUGH
THE REGION. LIKE THIS AFTERNOON...A FEW OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS MAY
BECOME SEVERE.

&&

.ARX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WI...NONE.
MN...NONE.
IA...NONE.
&&

SHORT/LONG TERM...DAS
AVIATION..........BOYNE

Hazardous weather outlook, May 30, 2:11 PM CST, 3 hours 33 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
311 PM CDT FRI MAY 30 2008

IAZ008>011-018-019-029-030-MNZ079-086>088-094>096-WIZ017-029-032>034-
041>044-053>055-061-311100-
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-
311 PM CDT FRI MAY 30 2008

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PARTS OF SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA...
NORTHEAST IOWA...AND SOUTHWEST INTO CENTRAL WISCONSIN.

.DAY ONE...LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT

AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL MOVE SOUTHEAST THROUGH THE AREA TONIGHT.
THERE IS ENOUGH INSTABILITY AHEAD OF THIS SYSTEM FOR SCATTERED
THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. A FEW OF
THESE THUNDERSTORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE SOUTH OF A LINE FROM THE TWIN
CITIES TO WISCONSIN RAPIDS. LARGE HAIL LOOKS TO BE THE PRIMARY
THREAT. THE BEST CHANCE FOR SEVERE WEATHER WILL BE FROM 5 PM TO
8 PM.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

MORE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ON SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING.
THERE COULD BE ENOUGH INSTABILITY TO SUPPORT THE POTENTIAL FOR
ISOLATED SEVERE WEATHER...WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WIND GUSTS THE
PRIMARY THREATS. ADDITIONAL CHANCES OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE
THROUGH MUCH OF NEXT WEEK. THE EXACT TIMING AND SEVERE WEATHER
POTENTIAL IS RATHER UNCLEAR AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED BRIEFLY LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING ACROSS SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA...NORTHEAST IOWA...AND MUCH OF
WEST CENTRAL...CENTRAL...AND SOUTHWEST WISCONSIN. SPOTTER
ACTIVATION MAY ALSO BE NEEDED ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA ON SATURDAY
AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

.EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATION...

NO CALL IS SCHEDULED.

BOYNE

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 30, 3:58 PM CST, 1 hour 46 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
458 PM CDT FRI MAY 30 2008

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

0457 PM     HAIL             ROCHESTER               44.01N 92.48W
05/30/2008  M1.00 INCH       OLMSTED            MN   CO-OP OBSERVER

&&

DAS

Local storm report, May 30, 4:06 PM CST, 1 hour 38 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
506 PM CDT FRI MAY 30 2008

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

0505 PM     HAIL             2 NE ROCHESTER          44.03N 92.45W
05/30/2008  E1.75 INCH       OLMSTED            MN   AMATEUR RADIO

&&

MW

Local storm report, May 30, 4:45 PM CST, 59 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
545 PM CDT FRI MAY 30 2008

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

0534 PM     HAIL             ST. CHARLES             43.97N 92.06W
05/30/2008  M1.75 INCH       WINONA             MN   LAW ENFORCEMENT

&&

MW

Local storm report, May 30, 4:54 PM CST, 50 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
554 PM CDT FRI MAY 30 2008

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

0554 PM     HAIL             FREMONT                 43.91N 91.90W
05/30/2008  M0.88 INCH       WINONA             MN   AMATEUR RADIO

&&

MW

Local storm report, May 30, 5:02 PM CST, 42 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
602 PM CDT FRI MAY 30 2008

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

0602 PM     HAIL             HART                    43.88N 91.74W
05/30/2008  E1.75 INCH       WINONA             MN   AMATEUR RADIO

&&

MW

Local storm report, May 30, 5:33 PM CST, 11 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
633 PM CDT FRI MAY 30 2008

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

0632 PM     HAIL             HOKAH                   43.76N 91.35W
05/30/2008  E0.50 INCH       HOUSTON            MN   AMATEUR RADIO

0632 PM     TSTM WND DMG     HOKAH                   43.76N 91.35W
05/30/2008                   HOUSTON            MN   AMATEUR RADIO

            TREES DOWN

0632 PM     TSTM WND GST     HOKAH                   43.76N 91.35W
05/30/2008  E0 MPH           HOUSTON            MN   AMATEUR RADIO

            ESTIMATED 60 MPH WINDS BY SPOTTER.

&&

MW

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 hail, 2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Vernon

When: May 30, 5:44 PM CST
Where: Vernon County, 0.23 mi SSE of Stoddard
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 43.667, -91.218

Hail the size of pennies and 40 mph winds were reported on the north side of Stoddard.

Thunderstorm Wind, Vernon

When: May 30, 5:45 PM CST
Where: Vernon County, 2.43 mi NE of Stoddard
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $500
Reported by: NWS Employee
Coordinates: 43.690, -91.180

A willow tree 18 inches in diameter was snapped halfway up and numerous 3 to 4 inch diameter limbs were blown down. There was also pea size hail.

Hail, La Crosse

When: May 30, 5:47 PM CST
Where: La Crosse County, 0.69 mi N of St Joseph
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: Amateur Radio
Coordinates: 43.790, -91.030

Hail, Vernon

When: May 30, 6:05 PM CST
Where: Vernon County, 0.5 mi W of Westby
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: Law Enforcement
Coordinates: 43.650, -90.860

Thunderstorm Wind, Vernon

When: May 30, 6:07 PM CST
Where: Vernon County, 3.25 mi NE of Ross
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $750
Reported by: Amateur Radio
Coordinates: 43.580, -90.700

A storm spotter estimated wind gusts of 60 to 65 mph.

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
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, May 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: 93771, 93775, 93772, 93773, 93776.