One severe thunderstorm tracked across portions of west-central Wisconsin the afternoon of Tuesday July 20th. The storm caused extensive damage near the cities of Cumberland and Rice Lake, where a turkey barn roof was blown off and numerous reports of golf ball size hail were received.
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 MPX wrote it up.
One severe thunderstorm tracked across portions of west-central Wisconsin the afternoon of Tuesday July 20th. The storm caused extensive damage near the cities of Cumberland and Rice Lake, where a turkey barn roof was blown off and numerous reports of golf ball size hail were received.
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 Twin Cities, MN wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 20, 10:51 AM CST, 2 hours 12 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN 1151 AM CDT TUE JUL 20 2010 .DISCUSSION... THE PRIMARY FORECAST CONCERNS CONTINUE TO SURROUND PRECIPITATION CHANCES TODAY...AND THE POTENTIAL FOR STRONG/SEVERE STORMS AND HEAVY RAINFALL LATE IN THE WORK WEEK. EARLY MORNING WATER VAPOR IMAGERY SHOWS WESTERLY FLOW ACROSS THE NORTHERN CONUS...WITH SEVERAL WEAK EMBEDDED IMPULSES. THE FIRST OF THESE WAVES IS STRADDLING THE ND/SD BORDER. THIS FEATURE WILL TRACK ACROSS CENTRAL MN AND NORTHERN WISCONSIN THIS MORNING...IN THE VICINITY OF A WEAK SFC TROUGH THAT IS LINGERING ACROSS NORTHWESTERN MN. ALTHOUGH PROGGED INSTABILITY AND MOISTURE IS SLIGHTLY MORE FAVORABLE OVER THE DAKOTAS...STILL EXPECT A FEW SHOWERS/TS TO MAKE IT INTO CENTRAL MN/WI THIS MORNING. THIS AFTERNOON...THE CONVECTIVE POTENTIAL WILL BE MORE FOCUSED OVER EASTERN MN INTO WEST CENTRAL WI...WHERE PROGGED INSTABILITY IS SUFFICIENT IN THE VICINITY OF THE TROUGH TO PROMOTE SCT SHRA/TS DEVELOPMENT. COULD SEE SCT SHOWERS LINGERING ON TUESDAY NIGHT AS WEAK RIPPLES IN THE FAST WESTERLY MID LEVEL FLOW REGIME CONTINUE TO FILTER ACROSS THE AREA. TEMPORARY/WEAK RIDGING ARRIVES FOR WEDNESDAY...WHEN ATTENDANT DRY CONDITIONS AND SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED. SURFACE CYCLOGENESIS BEGINS IN EARNEST ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY OVER THE NORTHERN/CENTRAL PLAINS. LLVL WARM AIR/THETA E ADVECTION ENSUES OVER WESTERN/SOUTHERN MN ON WEDNESDAY EVENING...AND EXPANDS ACROSS THE AREA ON THURSDAY. PWATS SURGE TO BETWEEN 2 AND 2.5 INCHES ACROSS THE AREA ON THURSDAY...WHEN STRONG MOISTURE TRANSPORT NOSES INTO THE CWA. THERE HAS BEEN SOME FLUCTUATION IN THE MODELS AS TO WHERE THE HEAVIEST BAND OF RAINFALL WILL OCCUR...BUT IT APPEARS THAT A 2+ INCH BAND WILL SET UP SOMEWHERE IN THE CWA. IN ADDITION TO THE HEAVY RAINFALL POTENTIAL...THE ARRIVAL OF THE SUB 1000MB SFC LOW TO WESTERN MN WILL YIELD THE POSSIBILITY OF STRONG/SEVERE STORMS ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA ON THURSDAY-THURSDAY NIGHT. THE FRONT EXITS THE AREA BY FRIDAY...ALTHOUGH FAST WESTERLY MID LEVEL FLOW MAY TRIGGER MORE SCT SHOWERS...SO A 20 POP HAS BEEN MAINTAINED ON FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT. MID LEVEL RIDGING GRADUALLY BUILDS IN OVER THE WEEKEND...AND BRINGS DECREASING PRECIPITATION CHANCES AND WARMING TEMPERATURES. && .AVIATION.../18Z TAF ISSUANCE/ MAIN AVIATION CONCERNS DEAL WITH THE FIRST 6 TO 9 HRS AS A TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE...AND ASSOCIATED TSRA/SHRA WAS EVIDENT ACROSS CENTRAL MN EARLY THIS AFTN. VWP WNDS INDICATE A CONVERGENCE ZONE ACROSS THE NORTHERN FA...WITH SOME LT SHRA NEAR JMR AS OF 1130 AM. BASED ON THE LATEST CAPE/LIS THAT HAVE BEEN INCREASING THIS MORNING...VCSH/VCTS WILL BE LIKELY IN THE SE ONE HALF OF FA...WHICH WILL INCLUDE RWF/MSP/RNH/EAU...WITH SOME CHC NEAR STC. SPC HAS PLACED WESTERN WISCONSIN IN A SLT RISK OF SVR TSRA THIS AFTN/EVENING WITH THIS SFC FEATURE THIS MORNING. THEREFORE...WILL CONTINUE THE VCSH...BUT WILL NOT PLACE A TEMPORARY PERIOD IN THE TAFS UNTIL I HAVE A BETTER SCENARIO OF DEVELOPMENT AND TRACK OF THE CELLS. WNDS WILL BE GENERALLY FROM THE W/NW OVR THE NEXT 12/24 HRS...BEFORE BACKING TO MORE SW WEDNESDAY AFTN. CEILINGS SHOULD HOLD SLIGHTLY ABV MVFR CEILINGS. ANY TSRA WILL BE BRIEF SO IF A TEMPORARY PERIOD IS INTRODUCED IN THE 18Z TAFS...IT WILL BE VFR CEILINGS AND VSBYS ARND 3-5SM. MSP...WNDS WILL BE FROM THE WEST...THEN NW/N THIS AFTN AS A TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE MOVES ACROSS THE AREA. SHRA/TSRA NEAR JMR MAY MOVE SOUTHWARD WITH TIME THIS AFTN...WHICH WILL LEAD TO A TEMPORARY PERIOD OF VCTS...BUT CONFIDENCES IS TOO LOW FOR ADDING THIS TO THE LATEST 18Z TAF. CEILINGS SHOULD REMAIN AOA 3500 FT...WITH ONLY A BRIEF PERIOD OF MVFR CEILINGS IN TSRA AND POSSIBLY A IFR VSBY IF A TSRA MOVES DIRECTLY OVER THE AIRPORT. AFT 02Z...WNDS WILL DECREASE TO LESS THAN 5 KTS FROM THE W/NW...THEN BECOME MORE W/SW ON WEDNESDAY. DUE TO LGT AND VRB WNDS OVERNIGHT...BR/FG MAY DEVELOP...ESPECIALLY ALONG THE RIVER VALLEY. ..JLT.. && .MPX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MN...NONE. WI...NONE. && LS/JLT
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN 1215 PM CDT TUE JUL 20 2010 MNZ041>045-047>070-073>078-082>085-091>093-WIZ014>016-023>028- 211715- DOUGLAS-TODD-MORRISON-MILLE LACS-KANABEC-STEVENS-POPE-STEARNS- BENTON-SHERBURNE-ISANTI-CHISAGO-LAC QUI PARLE-SWIFT-CHIPPEWA- KANDIYOHI-MEEKER-WRIGHT-HENNEPIN-ANOKA-RAMSEY-WASHINGTON- YELLOW MEDICINE-RENVILLE-MCLEOD-SIBLEY-CARVER-SCOTT-DAKOTA- REDWOOD-BROWN-NICOLLET-LE SUEUR-RICE-GOODHUE-WATONWAN-BLUE EARTH- WASECA-STEELE-MARTIN-FARIBAULT-FREEBORN-POLK-BARRON-RUSK- ST. CROIX-PIERCE-DUNN-PEPIN-EAU CLAIRE- 1215 PM CDT TUE JUL 20 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MINNESOTA...AND WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP ACROSS EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA AND WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN THIS AFTERNOON AND MOVE SOUTHWARD TOWARD THE IOWA BORDER BY THIS EVENING. DUE TO MARGINAL INSTABILITY...MOST OF THE STORMS SHOULD REMAIN BELOW SEVERE LIMITS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE OUTLOOK AREA WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT AS THE UNSETTLED WEATHER PATTERN CONTINUES. THE THREAT FOR MORE ORGANIZED AND STRONGER STORMS WILL ARRIVE LATER WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY AS A WARM FRONT AND AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE PUSHES NORTH TOWARD THE AREA. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK THAT THESE STORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE ON THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... DUE TO THE ISOLATED NATURE OF SEVERE STORM POTENTIAL THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT...SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. JLT
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
126 PM CDT TUE JUL 20 2010
WIZ014-015-201930-
BARRON-POLK-
126 PM CDT TUE JUL 20 2010
AT 122 PM CDT...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG
THUNDERSTORM 2 MILES WEST OF LEWIS. THIS STORM WAS MOVING EAST AT 20
MPH.
HAIL UP TO DIME SIZE AND WINDS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS
STORM.
* LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...
FREDERIC.
LEWIS.
CLAM FALLS.
MCKINLEY.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
SEEK SHELTER AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED.
&&
LAT...LON 4572 9214 4565 9215 4565 9202 4564 9202
4545 9216 4563 9282 4566 9277 4565 9255
4571 9255 4574 9252 4573 9218
TIME...MOT...LOC 1826Z 283DEG 17KT 4569 9242SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
134 PM CDT TUE JUL 20 2010
MNZ073-074-201915-
BROWN-REDWOOD-
134 PM CDT TUE JUL 20 2010
AT 131 PM CDT...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR WAS TRACKING A STRONG
THUNDERSTORM 4 MILES SOUTHWEST OF LUCAN. THIS STORM WAS MOVING EAST
AT 20 MPH.
HAIL UP TO DIME SIZE AND WINDS UP TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS
STORM.
* LOCATIONS IN OR NEAR THE PATH OF THIS STORM INCLUDE...
LUCAN.
WALNUT GROVE.
REVERE.
WABASSO.
WANDA.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
SEEK SHELTER AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED.
&&
LAT...LON 4434 9559 4445 9547 4435 9501 4419 9517
4421 9558
TIME...MOT...LOC 1834Z 288DEG 18KT 4436 9546The Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 137 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:01 UTC.
9 hail, 3 thunderstorm wind, 2 funnel cloud. Local standard time, as filed.
Several reports of dime, up to half dollar size hail were reported from north of McKinley, extending to the southeast in Barron County, near Cumberland, Wisconsin.
Several reports of dime, up to half dollar size hail were reported from north of McKinley in Polk County, extending to the southeast in Barron County, near Cumberland, Wisconsin.
A funnel cloud was reported at Eagle Point Campground.
Damaging straight-line winds caused excessive damage east of Cumberland, near Highway 48, and 12th Street. Numerous trees were uprooted along with a turkey barn roof blown off, and damage to nearby crops. Some damage also occurred to a home near the turkey barn.
Several reports of dime, up to golf ball size hail was observed from west of Rice Lake, into the city of Rice Lake.
Several reports of trees and power lines blown down in the city of Rice Lake, Wisconsin.
Several reports of quarter, up to tennis ball size hail were observed in the south part of Rice Lake, then southeast toward Canton, Wisconsin.
A large tree and numerous branches were blown down near Highway 40.
Several trained spotters reported dime, up to half dollar size hail around Balsam Lake, Wisconsin.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Wisconsin in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in Wisconsin, July 2010
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: 234024, 254523, 234021, 234047, 234029, 234049, 234034, 234036, 234050, 234037, 234039, 234041, 234023, 234044.