Clusters of thunderstorms produced 2 to 4 inches of rain in about two hours, which caused flash flooding. There were mudslides, trees and debris along Highway 35 in Crawford County.
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.
Clusters of thunderstorms produced 2 to 4 inches of rain in about two hours, which caused flash flooding. There were mudslides, trees and debris along Highway 35 in Crawford County. Other highways that were reported to have water over the road included Highway 81 and 151.
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 24, 2:45 PM CST, 15 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI 345 PM CDT FRI JUL 24 2009 .SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...AND PRECIPITATION AND TEMPERATURES FROM SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY ARE THE MAIN CONCERNS WITH THIS PART OF THE FORECAST. AT 3 PM...A COLD FRONT WAS LOCATED FROM ASHLAND WISCONSIN SOUTHEAST TO FORT DODGE IOWA. ELEVATED SHOWERS AND STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED BETWEEN DODGE CENTER MINNESOTA TO BOSCOBEL AND RICHLAND CENTER WISCONSIN. THIS PRECIPITATION WAS GENERATING IN AN AREA OF MODERATE TO STRONG 900 TO 700 MB FRONTOGENESIS. 40 TO 50 KNOT 700 MB WINDS ARE BRINGING ELEVATED INSTABILITY INTO THIS AREA FROM WESTERN IOWA. SPC MOST UNSTABLE CAPES ARE RUNNING AROUND 3000 J/KG JUST WEST OF OUR FORECAST AREA. MEANWHILE AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT... SURFACE BASE CAPES ARE RUNNING BETWEEN 500 AND 1000 J/KG. IN ADDITION TO THIS INSTABILITY...THE EFFECTIVE BULK SHEAR ARE RUNNING ANYWHERE FROM 45 TO 55 KNOTS. AS A RESULT...WE EXPECT THAT THE THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER WILL LIKELY CONTINUE UNTIL AT AT LEAST 10 PM THIS EVENING. DESPITE CINS APPROACHING 200 J/KG CAUSED BY THE EARLIER CONVECTION...THERE IS STILL THE THREAT OF DAMAGING WINDS DUE TO DOWNDRAFT CAPES APPROACHING 1000 J/KG. IF THE SUNSHINE CAN MIX OUT THE STABLE LAYER NEAR THE SURFACE...THE 0-1 KM STORM RELATIVE HELICITY WOULD BE FAVORABLE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A TORNADO. AT THIS TIME...THE BEST THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER LOOKS TO BE ACROSS SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA...NORTHEAST IOWA...AND SOUTHWEST WISCONSIN. A CLOSED 500 MB LOW WILL MOVE SOUTHEAST INTO THE GREAT LAKES FOR MUCH OF THE UPCOMING WEEKEND. THE COMBINATION OF COLD AIR ALOFT AND DIURNAL HEATING WILL RESULT IN MEAN LAYER CAPES CLIMBING INTO THE 500 TO 1000 J/KG RANGE. AS A RESULT...THERE WILL BE A CHANCE OF INSTABILITY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS FROM LATE MORNING THROUGH EARLY EVENING ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA ON SATURDAY AND MAINLY ACROSS WESTERN WISCONSIN ON SUNDAY. WITH THE GFS 850 MB TEMPERATURE ANOMALIES RUNNING AROUND 1 BELOW THE 1948 TO 2007 STANDARDIZED ANOMALIES...HIGH TEMPERATURES ON SATURDAY WILL LIKELY RANGE FROM THE UPPER 60S TO MID 70S. ADDITIONAL CHANCES OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS LOOK POSSIBLE ON MONDAY AS A COLD FRONT APPROACHES THE REGION. SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS AHEAD OF THIS FRONT WILL ALLOW TEMPERATURES TO CLIMB TO AROUND 80 IN MOST AREAS. .LONG TERM...TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY THE OUTGOING LONG WAVE RADIATION CONTINUES TO SHOW STRONG TROPICAL FORCING LOCATED OVER THE WESTERN PACIFIC BETWEEN 140 AND 170 DEGREES EAST LONGITUDE. WITH THE SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURES IN THIS AREA REMAINING AT OR ABOVE 29C...THIS CONVECTION WILL LIKELY CONTINUE THROUGH THIS TIME PERIOD. THE WAVE TRAIN ASSOCIATED WITH THIS CONVECTION HAS RESULTED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF A STRONG 150 MB ANTICYCLONE CENTERED AT 150 DEGREES EAST LONGITUDE AND 50 DEGREES NORTH LATITUDE. AS THIS SYSTEM PROGRESSES EAST...THE TELECONNECTION ASSOCIATED WITH THIS FEATURE WILL LIKELY RESULT IN FURTHER AMPLIFICATION OF THE 500 MB RIDGE ACROSS THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST AND WESTERN CANADA. AS THIS OCCURS...THE 500 MB TROUGH AXIS SHOULD GRADUALLY SHIFT FROM THE GREAT LAKES AND ONTARIO WEST INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS AND MANITOBA...AND IN TURN OUR WINDS ALOFT WILL SHIFT FROM THE NORTHWEST TO THE WEST. SINCE THE 24.00Z MODELS SEEM TO HAVE A GOOD HANDLE ON THIS SITUATION...THERE WAS ENOUGH CONFIDENCE TO APPLY SOME MORE TIMING TO THIS PART OF THE FORECAST. WITH CANADIAN COLD FRONTS MOVING SOUTHEAST THROUGH THE AREA FROM MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY...AND FROM THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY...SLIGHTLY HIGHER PRECIPITATION CHANCES WERE CENTERED ON THOSE TIME PERIODS. SINCE THE LAST 3 MODEL RUNS BEING DRY FROM TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY...THE PRECIPITATION PROBABILITIES WERE DROPPED FOR THOSE TIME PERIODS. WITH THE GFS AND ECMWF 850 MB TEMPERATURE ANOMALIES REMAINING ANYWHERE FROM 0.5 TO 1.5 BELOW THE 1948 TO 2007 STANDARDIZED ANOMALIES...THE TEMPERATURES SHOULD REMAIN BELOW NORMAL THROUGH THE END OF JULY. SINCE THE MOS MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES HAVE BEEN TRENDING TOO WARM LATELY...A 50-50 BLEND OF HPC AND MOS BIAS CORRECTED WERE USED FOR THESE GRIDS. && .AVIATION...TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING SURFACE COLD FRONT REMAINS TO THE WEST OF BOTH TAF SITES THIS AFTERNOON. STILL SOME UNCERTAINTY AS TO WHETHER ADDITIONAL CONVECTION WILL FIRE ALONG THE FRONT. LAPS ANALYSIS AT 24.18Z SHOWS A BUILDING NARROW AXIS OF CAPE JUST AHEAD OF THE FRONT. WATER VAPOR SATELLITE IMAGERY STILL SHOWS A SHORT WAVE TROUGH UPSTREAM ACROSS NORTHERN MINNESOTA. THE 24.18Z RUC SHOWS THE FRONTOGENESIS CIRCULATION INCREASING WITH THE FRONT THROUGH THE LATE AFTERNOON...ESPECIALLY OVER THE WESTERN SECTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA AND BELOW 700 MB. HAVE MAINTAINED THE CONTINUITY FROM THE PREVIOUS TAFS OF SHOWING VICINITY SHOWERS THROUGH THE LATE AFTERNOON INTO THE EARLY EVENING. VISIBLE AND IR SATELLITE SHOWING A LARGE MASS OF LOW CLOUDS ASSOCIATED WITH THE SURFACE LOW. CEILINGS ARE PRIMARILY VFR WITH SOME EMBEDDED MVFR. EXPECTING THESE CLOUDS TO MOVE INTO BOTH TAF SITES SATURDAY MORNING AND FOR NOW HAVE BROUGHT IN VFR CEILINGS. && .ARX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WI...NONE. MN...NONE. IA...NONE. && SHORT/LONG TERM...BOYNE AVIATION...04
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI 1241 PM CDT FRI JUL 24 2009 IAZ008-018-MNZ079-086>088-094>096-WIZ017-029-032>034-041>044-053-055- 251100- ADAMS-BUFFALO-CLARK-DODGE-FILLMORE-FLOYD-HOUSTON-JACKSON-JUNEAU- LA CROSSE-MITCHELL-MONROE-MOWER-OLMSTED-RICHLAND-TAYLOR-TREMPEALEAU- VERNON-WABASHA-WINONA- 1241 PM CDT FRI JUL 24 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PARTS OF SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA... NORTHEAST IOWA AND SOUTHWEST INTO CENTRAL WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. IF SUFFICIENT INSTABILITY IS ABLE TO BUILD...ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS MAY DEVELOP. IF THIS OCCURS...THE WINDS ALOFT WOULD FAVORABLE FOR THEM TO BECOME SEVERE BETWEEN 3 PM AND 10 PM. THE MAIN SEVERE WEATHER THREATS WOULD BE LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND ISOLATED TORNADOES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY A FEW THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE DURING THE WEEKEND AND INTO THE FIRST PART OF NEXT WEEK. ORGANIZED SEVERE STORMS ARE NOT ANTICIPATED SATURDAY OR SUNDAY. IT IS TOO EARLY TO DETERMINE IF THERE WOULD BE A SEVERE WEATHER THREAT FOR THE EARLY PART OF NEXT WEEK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER GROUPS ARE ADVISED TO BE ALERT FOR POSSIBLE ACTIVATION THROUGH EVENING. .EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATION... NO CALL IS SCHEDULED. IAZ009>011-019-029-030-WIZ054-061-251100- ALLAMAKEE-CHICKASAW-CLAYTON-CRAWFORD-FAYETTE-GRANT-HOWARD-WINNESHIEK- 1241 PM CDT FRI JUL 24 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PARTS OF NORTHEAST IOWA AND SOUTHWEST WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT AN AREA OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE AREA EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND ISOLATED TORNADOES WILL ALL BE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. IF SUFFICIENT INSTABILITY IS ABLE TO BUILD...ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS MAY DEVELOP. IF THIS OCCURS...THE WINDS ALOFT WOULD FAVORABLE FOR THEM TO BECOME SEVERE THROUGH 10 PM. THE MAIN SEVERE WEATHER THREATS WOULD BE LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND ISOLATED TORNADOES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY A FEW THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE DURING THE WEEKEND AND INTO THE FIRST PART OF NEXT WEEK. ORGANIZED SEVERE STORMS ARE NOT ANTICIPATED SATURDAY OR SUNDAY. IT IS TOO EARLY TO DETERMINE IF THERE WOULD BE A SEVERE WEATHER THREAT FOR THE EARLY PART OF NEXT WEEK. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER GROUPS ARE ADVISED TO BE ALERT FOR POSSIBLE ACTIVATION THROUGH EVENING. .EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATION... NO CALL IS SCHEDULED. RIECK/BOYNE/04
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI 320 PM CDT FRI JUL 24 2009 WIZ055-061-242115- GRANT-RICHLAND- 320 PM CDT FRI JUL 24 2009 ...STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS APPROACHING GRANT AND RICHLAND COUNTIES... AT 315 PM...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 11 MILES NORTH OF WOODMAN...MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 35 MPH. SMALL HAIL UP TO THE SIZE OF NICKELS AND TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS MAY ACCOMPANY THIS THUNDERSTORM. LOCATIONS THAT MAY BE AFFECTED INCLUDE... WOODMAN...TAVERA...BOSCOBEL...WESTPORT...BLUE RIVER...PORT ANDREW AND HICKORY GROVE. A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 500 PM FRIDAY AFTERNOON FOR NORTHEAST IOWA AND SOUTHWEST WISCONSIN. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH ALSO REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 500 PM FRIDAY AFTERNOON FOR NORTHEASTERN IOWA AND SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA AND SOUTHWEST WISCONSIN. BE ALERT FOR STORMS THAT MAY PRODUCE LARGE HAIL. MOVE INDOORS AND AWAY FROM WINDOWS IF A WARNING IS ISSUED. 04
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
325 PM CDT FRI JUL 24 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0104 PM TSTM WND DMG CALMAR 43.18N 91.87W
07/24/2009 WINNESHIEK IA FIRE DEPT/RESCUE
12 TO 18 INCH DIAMETER TREES SNAPPED
0104 PM HAIL CALMAR 43.18N 91.87W
07/24/2009 E1.75 INCH WINNESHIEK IA FIRE DEPT/RESCUE
LASTED APPROX 10 MINUTES. BROKE WINDOWS AND DAMAGED
SIDING.
0100 PM HAIL 2 NW CALMAR 43.20N 91.89W
07/24/2009 E1.25 INCH WINNESHIEK IA FIRE DEPT/RESCUE
HAIL WAS 8 TO 9 INCHES DEEP IN PLACES AND SHREADED CROPS
&&
SHEAPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
337 PM CDT FRI JUL 24 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0315 PM HAIL FERRYVILLE 43.34N 91.08W
07/24/2009 E1.00 INCH CRAWFORD WI CO-OP OBSERVER
&&
SHEAPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
339 PM CDT FRI JUL 24 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0328 PM HAIL SENECA 43.27N 90.97W
07/24/2009 E1.00 INCH CRAWFORD WI POST OFFICE
&&
SHEAPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
350 PM CDT FRI JUL 24 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0349 PM HAIL STEUBEN 43.18N 90.86W
07/24/2009 E0.50 INCH CRAWFORD WI AMATEUR RADIO
0347 PM HAIL 3 NE DORCHESTER 43.50N 91.47W
07/24/2009 E0.25 INCH ALLAMAKEE IA PUBLIC
&&
SHEAPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
357 PM CDT FRI JUL 24 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0352 PM HAIL 3 E DORCHESTER 43.47N 91.46W
07/24/2009 E0.50 INCH ALLAMAKEE IA PUBLIC
0357 PM HAIL 4 ENE DORCHESTER 43.49N 91.44W
07/24/2009 E0.50 INCH ALLAMAKEE IA PUBLIC
&&
SHEAThe La Crosse radar (KARX), 67 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:00 UTC.
4 heavy rain, 3 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Mudslides were reported along Highway 35. The highway was closed temporarily, until mud and debris could be removed. A few cars were stranded and motorists were rescued, but there were no injuries reported.
High water flooded sections of Highway 81 between Lancaster and Platteville.
Water was reported over Highway 151 near Kieler.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Wisconsin in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Wisconsin, July 2009
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: 175323, 175648, 175649, 175647, 177454, 175650, 175651.