Low pressure moved northeast through the Northern Plains while a cold front pushed southeast across Wisconsin. Pre-frontal showers and scattered storms moved northeast through southern Wisconsin during the afternoon and evening hours.
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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.
Low pressure moved northeast through the Northern Plains while a cold front pushed southeast across Wisconsin. Pre-frontal showers and scattered storms moved northeast through southern Wisconsin during the afternoon and evening hours. Lightning accompanied the storms.
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 30, 2:20 PM CST, 3 hours 40 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI 320 PM CDT FRI MAY 30 2008 .DISCUSSION...IMMEDIATE CONCERNS FOCUS ON CONVECTION THREAT TONIGHT AND SMALL CHANCES FOR REDEVELOPMENT OVER WEEKEND. EMPHASIS THEN SHIFTS TO PROLONGED THREAT OF CONVECTION DURING EXTENDED PERIOD. .VERY SHORT TERM.../TONIGHT/. EVAPORATING MOISTURE HAS PUSHED SURFACE DEWPOINTS INTO THE LOWER TO MIDDLE 60S WHILE PARTIAL CLEARING HAS TEMPERATURES RISING TO NEAR 80. SURFACE LIFTED INDICIES HAVE DROPPED TO -2 TO -5 WHILE MUCAPE HAS INCREASED TO 1000 JOULES IN CENTRAL CWA. LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE HOWEVER IS MINIMAL AS INCREASING MIXING RESULTING IN WIDESPREAD BREEZY SOUTHWEST WINDS THIS AFTERNOON. HOWEVER AREA OF ENHANCED FORCING ASSOCIATED WITH PAIR OF SHORT WAVE TROUGHS TO AFFECT SRN WISCONSIN NEXT 12 HOURS. FIRST SHORT WAVE OVER WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN ATTM AS PICKED UP BY KARX/KMPX EXPECTED TO TRIGGER ISOLATED TO SCATTERED CONVECTION NEXT FEW HOURS. 0 TO 6KM BULK SHEAR REMAINS IMPRESSIVE INTO THE EVENING WITH VALUES OF 40KTS OR MORE. FARTHER UPSTREAM...SECOND MORE POTENT SHORT WAVE TRIGGERING SEVERE CONVECTION OVER SOUTH CENTRAL MN. MESOSCALE CONVECTIVE SYSTEM MAINTENANCE FAIRLY HIGH AT THE MOMENT DOWNSTREAM FROM THIS COMPLEX. IN ADDITION...WRF 4KM HOTSTART USHERS IN SMALL CONVECTIVE SYSTEM INTO SRN WISCONSIN THIS EVENING AS WELL AND CRAS FORECAST SHOWS SMALL AREA OF ENHANCED COLD CLOUD TOPS SPREADING OVER SRN WI AS WELL. HENCE SMALL THREAT OF SEVERE CONTINUES INTO THIS EVENING. .SHORT TERM.../SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY/. TEMPORARY LULL IN PRECIPITATION THREAT ON SATURDAY. HOWEVER SHORT TERM GUIDANCE IN REASONABLE AGREEMENT ON PULLING COMPACT SHORT WAVE AND MID LEVEL INSTABILITY ACROSS SOUTHERN WISCONSIN SATURDAY NIGHT. LINGERING INSTABILITY ON SUNDAY BUT VERY WEAK AND LACK OF FOCUSING MECHANISM. WILL CONTINUE SLIGHT CHANCE WORDING FOR NOW BUT FUTURE SHIFTS CAN LOOK TO REMOVE SUNDAY POPS IF SATURDAY NIGHT EVENT REMAINS PROGRESSIVE. .LONG TERM.../MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH NEXT FRIDAY/. GFS CONTINUING TO SHOW POOR RUN TO RUN CONTINUITY FOR EARLY NEXT WEEK WHILE HI RES ECMWF EXHIBITING MUCH BETTER CONSISTENCY. HENCE WL LEAN MORE HEAVILY ON ECMWF WHICH IS IN BETTER AGREEMENT WITH CANADIAN AND UKMT. GFS 500MB ENSEMBLES IN FAIR AGREEMENT FOR THE EXTENDED PERIOD...BUT MUCH MORE CHAOTIC IN THE LOWER LEVELS. ALL EXTENDED GUIDANCE SHOWING MORE SUBSIDENCE AND DRYING THEN PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT FOR MON/MON NGT TIME PERIOD SO WILL EITHER DECREASE POPS OR ELIMINATE PENDING LATEST GUIDANCE. MAY ALSO NEED TO DECREASE POPS FOR TUE IN LATER PERIODS IF HIGH PRESSURE OVER GTLAKES TURNS OUT TO BE MORE EXTENSIVE AS SHOWN BY ECMWF. LATER NEXT WEEK...EVEN ECMWF HAVING TROUBLE WITH AMPLITUDE AND MOVEMENT OF TROUGHING DEVELOPING OVER WESTERN CONUS...HENCE EVEN MORE UNCERTAINTY FOR THU/FRI PERIOD. ECMWF INDICATING STRONG WARMING FOR LATER NEXT WEEK...BUT WILL HOLD OFF ON WARMING TEMPERATURES FOR NOW AS CANADIAN AND UKMT NOT SHOWING AS MUCH AMPLITUDE TO UPSTREAM TROUGH. COMMONALITY BETWEEN EXTENDED GUIDANCE REMAINS STRENGTHENING BAROCLINIC ZONE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK JUST SOUTH OF WISCONSIN ARCING NORTHWEST INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS...HENCE NEED TO CONTINUE SMALL POPS THROUGH BULK OF EXTENDED PERIOD. ECMWF PUSHES BAROCLINIC ZONE TO THE NORTH WHILE GFS HOLDS ON TO THE SOUTH. GFS 5 DAY MEAN 500MB HEIGHT SHOWING TRANSITION TAKING PLACE DURING THE FIRST DAYS OF JUNE OF CLOSE TO NORMAL ZONAL PATTERN ACROSS NORTHERN CONUS TO A SLIGHTLY BELOW NORMAL PATTERN BY 00Z/09. HOWEVER 500MB MEANS REMAIN NEAR ZONAL TO SLIGHT WEST TO SOUTHWEST. HENCE INDICATING UNSETTLED PATTERN FOR THE MIDDLE TO LATTER PARTS OF NEXT WEEK AND WARMER TEMPERATURES THAN OF LATE. && .AVIATION...EXPECT MAINLY VFR CONDITIONS THROUGH 00Z SUNDAY. MVFR BROKEN TO OVERCAST DECK SHOULD GRADUALLY SCATTER OUT THIS AFTERNOON AT KMSN...AND SHOULD DEVELOP SOME SCATTERED CLOUDS AT KMKE AND KENW. GUSTY AND STRONG WAKE LOW WINDS OVER FAR NORTHERN ILLINOIS NOT EXPECTED TO IMPACT KENW...AS ISOLLABARIC GRADIENT MAINLY IN THAT AREA. WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE LATE THIS AFTERNOON NORTH AND WEST OF KMSN...BUT WILL LEAVE OUT OF TAFS FOR NOW. MORE SCATTERED CONVECTION POSSIBLE THIS EVENING WITH SURFACE TROUGH AND 500MB VORTICITY MAXIMUM PASSAGE. WILL MAINTAIN VFR VICINITY WORDING FOR THUNDER IN TAFS. && .MARINE...WAKE LOW WINDS OVER FAR NORTHERN ILLINOIS BROUGHT 50 KNOT GUSTS AT THE WAUKEGAN ILLINOIS GLERL SITE EARLIER TODAY. PER AVIATION DISCUSSION ABOVE...DID NOT SEE ANY VERIFICATION OF THESE WINDS GETTING INTO THE WIND POINT TO WINTHROP HARBOR ILLINOIS LAKE ZONE. SO...WILL JUST MONITOR FOR THE REST OF TODAY. WINDS IN THE NEARSHORE WATERS TODAY HAVE BEEN BELOW SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY CRITERIA FOR THE MOST PART...AS CLOUDS AND COOL WATERS HAVE BEEN KEEPING MIXING IN CHECK. AS HIGH CLOUDS CONTINUE TO MOVE OUT OF THE AREA...THERE MAY BE SOME OPPORTUNITY FOR MIXING NEAR THE SHORELINE BEFORE SUNSET. WILL LEAVE SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY GOING UNTIL 6 PM TO ACCOUNT FOR THIS. WIND GUSTS MAY APPROACH SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY CRITERIA ON SATURDAY...BUT WILL HOLD OFF ON AN ISSUANCE FOR NOW. && .MKX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WI...NONE. LM...SMALL CRAFT ADVY TIL 23Z/30 LMZ643>646. SHORT TERM/LONG TERM...11 AVIATION/MARINE........08
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI 346 PM CDT FRI MAY 30 2008 WIZ046-047-051-052-056>060-062>072-310945- MARQUETTE-GREEN LAKE-FOND DU LAC-SHEBOYGAN-SAUK-COLUMBIA-DODGE- WASHINGTON-OZAUKEE-IOWA-DANE-JEFFERSON-WAUKESHA-MILWAUKEE- LAFAYETTE-GREEN-ROCK-WALWORTH-RACINE-KENOSHA- 346 PM CDT FRI MAY 30 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 TO DEVELOP BY EARLY THIS EVENING...AND LINGER THROUGH THE REST OF THE EVENING. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS MOST OF SOUTHERN WISCONSIN...MAINLY SOUTHWEST OF A RIPON...TO NEWBURG...TO MEQUON LINE. DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL ARE THE MAIN HAZARDS. IN ADDITION...LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL IS POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY AFTERNOON...AND AGAIN MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS EVENING. LMZ643>646-310945- 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- 346 PM CDT FRI MAY 30 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF LAKE MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM...FOR BREEZY SOUTHWEST WINDS. THERE IS AN INCREASED RISK OF RIP CURRENTS UNTIL 6 PM AS WELL. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP BY EARLY THIS EVENING...AND LINGER INTO THE LATE EVENING HOURS. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...MAINLY SOUTH OF NORTHPOINT LIGHTHOUSE. LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS ARE THE MAIN HAZARDS. IN ADDITION...LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL IS POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY CONDITIONS MAY BE MET WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT. THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY AFTERNOON...AND AGAIN MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. WOOD WWW.WEATHER.GOV/MKX
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI 636 PM CDT FRI MAY 30 2008 WIZ046-047-051-052-056>060-062>072-310100- 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 636 PM CDT FRI MAY 30 2008 ...SEVERE STORMS APPROACHING PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST WISCONSIN... AT 635 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SMALL CLUSTER OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER EXTREME SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA...APPROACHING THE LA CROSSE AREA. THESE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE HAD A LONG HISTORY OF PRODUCING GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL. THESE STORMS ARE PUSHING EAST SOUTHEAST AROUND 35 MPH. THIS THUNDERSTORM CLUSTER IS HEADING INTO A MORE FAVORABLE SEVERE WEATHER ENVIRONMENT. THEREFORE...THERE IS A GOOD POSSIBILITY IT WILL SURVIVE AS IT PUSHES INTO SOUTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN. IF IT DOES HOLD TOGETHER...IT WILL BEGIN PUSHING INTO SAUK COUNTY BETWEEN 750 PM AND 810 PM. A LOCAL MODEL USED AT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE OFFICE SHOWS THIS COMPLEX EXPANDING INTO A LINE AND PUSHING ACROSS MUCH OF SOUTHERN WISCONSIN LATER THIS EVENING. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO ALL HAZARDS...OR YOUR FAVORITE MEDIA OUTLET FOR POSSIBLE WARNINGS OR ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS AS THIS ACTIVITY HEADS TOWARD THE AREA. BORGHOFF
The Milwaukee radar (KMKX), 16 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:02 UTC.
1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Lightning struck a nearly 100-year-old church in/near Genessee on State Highway 83, and the resultant fire destroyed the structure. The time of this event andn damage amount are broad estimates.
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: 111635.