Thunderstorms developed during the mid-morning hours of May 25th over southern Wisconsin. These storms then moved north through the day producing sporadic reports of large hail, damaging winds and locally heavy rain.
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.
Thunderstorms developed during the mid-morning hours of May 25th over southern Wisconsin. These storms then moved north through the day producing sporadic reports of large hail, damaging winds and locally heavy rain. Additional thunderstorms developed over the area during the early afternoon producing additional wind damage.
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 25, 8:18 AM CST, 2 hours 37 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI 918 AM CDT TUE MAY 25 2010 .UPDATE...THIS MORNING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE CONTINUING TO DEVELOP IN AN AREA OF 925 MB AND 850 MB MOISTURE CONVERGENCE ACROSS WESTERN WISCONSIN AND EASTERN IOWA. THE 25.12Z RUC SHOWS THAT THIS CONVERGENCE WILL GRADUALLY WEAKEN THIS MORNING. AS THIS OCCURS...THE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY SHOULD SLOWLY DECREASE IN COVERAGE. THE FORECAST WAS UPDATED TO INCREASE THE RAIN CHANCES FROM NORTHEAST IOWA...NORTHEAST INTO CENTRAL WISCONSIN. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 317 AM CDT TUE MAY 25 2010/ SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT RATHER DIFFICULT FORECAST REGIME THROUGH WEDNESDAY...WITH MAIN CONCERN ON PRECIPITATION CHANCES THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND ITS AFFECT ON TEMPERATURES. 08Z WATER VAPOR IMAGERY IS SHOWING A WELL DEFINED UPPER CIRCULATION OVER EASTERN MONTANA AND ANOTHER WEAK SHORTWAVE ROTATING THROUGH ILLINOIS. SURFACE BOUNDARY ASSOCIATED WITH THE MONTANA WAVE WAS SPAWNING A LINE OF CONVECTION ALONG THE MINNESOTA/DAKOTAS BORDER AND ALONG THE IOWA NEBRASKA BORDER. WELL DEFINED OUTFLOW BOUNDARY SEEN RACING OUT AHEAD OF THIS LINE. MEANWHILE SHORTWAVE OVER ILLINOIS SPAWNING A SMALL CLUSTER OF STORMS HEADING INTO NORTHWEST ILLINOIS. OTHERWISE INFRARED SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWING CLEAR SKIES ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA...WITH HIGHER CLOUDS SPREADING IN FROM THE WEST AND SOUTH. ONLY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE 25.00Z NCEP DETERMINISTIC MODELS IS IN HOW QUICKLY THE HIGH BUILDS INTO THE REGION WEDNESDAY NIGHT. NAM SLOWEST AND ACTUALLY CONTINUES SOME INSTABILITY INTO THURSDAY ACROSS THE FAR SOUTH...WHILE GFS PUSHES BOUNDARY WELL SOUTH OF THE AREA. GFS HAS BEEN THE MOST CONSISTENT WITH THE MOVEMENT OF THE SYSTEM. BIGGEST QUESTION IN THE NEAR TERM IS CONVECTIVE POTENTIAL TODAY. UPPER LOW LIFTS FROM MONTANA THIS MORNING INTO MANITOBA LATER TODAY. FRONTAL BOUNDARY PUSHES EAST...BUT MODELS NEVER TAKE IT BEYOND THE INTERSTATE 35 CORRIDOR. HOWEVER...SEVERAL OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES...ONE FROM THE CONVECTION OVER WESTERN IOWA AND MINNESOTA AND THE OTHER FROM THE CONVECTION IN ILLINOIS LIKELY TO PLAY A ROLE TODAY. WITH LITTLE IN THE WAY OF MIXED LAYER CIN EXPECTED TODAY WILL LIKELY SEE CONVECTION BEGIN TO FIRE OVER THE AREA FROM MID MORNING ON. MODELS CONSISTENT IN THIS DEVELOPMENT AROUND 15Z. THUS HAVE KEPT THE LIKELY PROBABILITIES GOING...ESPECIALLY NEARER THE SURFACE FRONT ACROSS THE WEST. ORGANIZED SEVERE NOT EXPECTED AS DEEP SHEAR IS 20 KNOTS OR LESS...BUT GIVEN INSTABILITIES CANNOT RULE OUT AN ISOLATED SEVERE HAIL OR WIND REPORT. WITH THE EXPECTED CLOUDS AND CONVECTION...TEMPERATURES TO BE PROBLEMATIC.WITH A VERY WARM START TO THE DAY STILL EXPECT READINGS TO REACH THE UPPER 80S IN MANY AREAS. AS INSTABILITY WANES THIS EVENING AND LACK OF ANY MOISTURE TRANSPORT MAY SEE CONVECTION WIND DOWN BY LATE EVENING...BUT WITH ANY RESIDUAL BOUNDARIES AND THE VERY MOIST LOW LEVELS WILL NOT ADD ANY TIMING TO THIS TIME FRAME. SURFACE BOUNDARY FINALLY MAKES ITS WAY THROUGH THE AREA WEDNESDAY. WITH MOIST AIRMASS STILL IN PLACE (SURFACE DEW POINTS IN THE MID TO UPPER 60S) AND LITTLE IF ANY CIN...EXPECT CONVECTION TO ONCE AGAIN INCREASE IN COVERAGE. FOR THIS REASON DID RAISE PROBABILITIES INTO THE LIKELY CATEGORY. WITH LIGHTER LOW LEVEL WINDS PER SOUNDINGS AND PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES RUNNING NEARLY 200 PERCENT OF NORMAL COULD SEE SOME SLOWER MOVING CELLS WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR LOCALLY HEAVY DOWNPOURS. CONVECTION WILL BE ON THE WANE WEDNESDAY NIGHT AS DRIER AIR BEGINS TO FILTER INTO THE AREA. HIGHEST PROBABILITIES WILL BE DURING THE EVENING HOURS ACROSS THE SOUTHERN ZONES. HIGH PRESSURE THEN BUILDS IN FROM THE NORTH THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT. COOLER TEMPERATURES ALBEIT STILL ABOVE NORMAL AND MORE COMFORTABLE HUMIDITIES WILL BE FELT. WITH THE CLEAR SKIES THURSDAY NIGHT AND LIGHT WINDS AND RECENT RAINFALL COULD SEE THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME AREAS OF FOG...ESPECIALLY IN THE VALLEY LOCATIONS. STILL A FEW DAYS OUT AND THUS WILL NOT INCLUDE IN THE DATABASE AS OF YET. LONG TERM...FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY BOTH THE 25.0Z GFS AND ECMWF IN GOOD AGREEMENT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PERIOD IN KEEPING UPPER RIDGE AND SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE AREA. DIFFERENCES DO BEGIN TO COME INTO PLAY LATER IN THE WEEKEND AND EARLY NEXT WEEK. UPPER LOW PUSHES OUT OF THE NORTHERN ROCKIES INTO SOUTHERN CANADA PUSHING A SURFACE BOUNDARY TOWARD THE AREA. GFS FASTEST WITH THIS INITIATING CONVECTION ALONG IT ON SUNDAY ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA...WHILE ECMWF SLOWER WITH THE FRONT PLACING IT OVER WESTERN MINNESOTA. WITH THESE CONTINUED DIFFERENCES THE LOWER END PROBABILITIES FOR SUNDAY INTO MONDAY LOOK REASONABLE. THUS NO CHANGES WERE MADE TO THIS TIME FRAME. AVIATION...TODAY AND TONIGHT A LOWER CONFIDENCE FORECAST FOR TODAY/TONIGHT...AS FAR AS CONVECTION CHANCES/TRENDS AND MVFR/IFR OCCURRENCE AT THE TAF SITES. THE AIRMASS OVER THE AREA REMAINS UNSTABLE FOR TODAY/TONIGHT...WITH A WEAKENING INVERSION/CAP ALOFT. MODEL SOUNDINGS INDICATE THIS TO BE MINIMAL OVER THE AREA BY MID MORNING. FORCING MECHANISMS TO FOCUS CONVECTION REMAIN ON THE WEAK SIDE. HOWEVER WITH THE WEAKENING CAP...ANY WEAKER FEATURES LIKELY TO BE ENOUGH TO INITIATE SCT SHRA/TSRA OVER THE AREA TODAY. ONE OF THESE IS A WEAKENING BOUNDARY PUSHING IN FROM THE WEST. ANOTHER IS A WEAK SHORTWAVE OR TWO ROTATING AROUND THE WEST SIDE OF THE UPPER LEVEL HIGH CENTERED OVER EASTERN ONT. MODEL CONSENSUS HAS THESE WEAK FEATURES PROVIDING ENOUGH CONVERGENCE/LIFT FOR SCT -SHRA/TSRA OVER THE AREA BY LATE MORNING. HOWEVER...MODEL CONSENSUS WEAK WITH ACTUAL TIMING/LOCATION OF SHRA/TSRA IN/AROUND THE AREA. WILL LEAVE TAFS WITH VCSH AND CB MENTION UNTIL A CLEARER TIMING TREND FOR TSRA CAN BE DETERMINED. SOME CONSENSUS FOR A LULL IN THE CONVECTION TONIGHT AS INSTABILITY DECREASES...WITH AN INCREASE OF SHRA/TSRA ON WED AS INSTABILITY BUILDS AHEAD OF THE MAIN COLD FRONT PUSHING THRU THE AREA. GENERAL VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED TO PREVAIL THRU TODAY/TONIGHT...EXCEPT MVFR/LCL IFR CIGS/VSBYS IN THE SCT SHRA/TSRA. A BETTER SIGNAL FOR A PERIOD OF MVFR CIGS/VSBYS WITH THE FRONTAL PASSAGE ON WED. CLIMATE...TODAY AND TONIGHT AFTER A RECORD BREAKING DAY MONDAY...MORE RECORDS COULD BE BROKEN AGAIN TODAY. THE CAVEAT TO RECORDS HIGHS TODAY WILL BE THE AMOUNT OF CLOUDS AND PRECIPITATION. BUT WITH A WARM START TO THE DAY IT WILL NOT TAKE MUCH OF A RISE TO GET NEAR THE RECORD LEVELS. THE TABLE BELOW PROVIDES SOME OF THE RECORDS FOR THIS TIME PERIOD... ROCHESTER MN... TUESDAY MAY 25 MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE...89 IN 1980 TUESDAY MAY 25 WARMEST MINIMUM TEMPERATURE...64 IN 1944 LA CROSSE WI... TUESDAY MAY 25 MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE...91 IN 1980 TUESDAY MAY 25 WARMEST MINIMUM TEMPERATURE...71 IN 1914 && .ARX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WI...NONE. MN...NONE. IA...NONE. && UPDATE...BOYNE SHORT/LONG TERM...RABERDING AVIATION...RRS CLIMATE...BOYNE/RABERDING
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI 748 AM CDT TUE MAY 25 2010 IAZ008>011-018-019-029-030-MNZ079-086>088-094>096-WIZ017-029- 032>034-041>044-053>055-061-261100- 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- 748 AM CDT TUE MAY 25 2010 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA...NORTHEAST IOWA...AND SOUTHWEST INTO CENTRAL WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE AREA TODAY AND TONIGHT AS A WEAKENING COLD FRONT PUSHES INTO THE MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIRMASS OVER THE AREA. DUE TO THE WINDS ALOFT BEING ON THE LIGHT SIDE...ORGANIZED SEVERE STORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED TODAY OR TONIGHT. HOWEVER...DURING THIS AFTERNOON WHEN THE AIRMASS WILL BE MOST UNSTABLE...AN ISOLATED STORM OR TWO CAPABLE OF PRODUCING GUSTY WINDS TO 50 MPH AND PENNY SIZED HAIL CANNOT BE RULED OUT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE AGAIN EXPECTED ON WEDNESDAY AS THE COLD FRONT PUSHES SOUTH ACROSS THE AREA. WITH WEAK WINDS ALOFT ON WEDNESDAY...THE THREAT OF ORGANIZED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS APPEARS MINIMAL. A FEW OF THE STORMS MAY STILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING GUSTY WINDS TO 45 MPH AND SMALL HAIL. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED TODAY OR TONIGHT. .EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATION... NO CALL IS SCHEDULED. RRS
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
1123 AM CDT TUE MAY 25 2010
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1115 AM FLOOD 3 NE ELKADER 42.89N 91.36W
05/25/2010 CLAYTON IA AMATEUR RADIO
WATER OVER IOWA AVENUE JUST NORTH OF ITS INTERSECTION
WITH HIGHWAY 128
&&
TMSPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
1134 AM CDT TUE MAY 25 2010
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1130 AM HAIL EDGEWOOD 42.65N 91.40W
05/25/2010 E0.75 INCH CLAYTON IA LAW ENFORCEMENT
DIME SIZE HAIL
&&
AJPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
1138 AM CDT TUE MAY 25 2010
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1135 AM HEAVY RAIN 3 N GARNAVILLO 42.91N 91.24W
05/25/2010 E3.50 INCH CLAYTON IA FIRE DEPT/RESCUE
3.5 TO 4.0 INCHES OF RAIN...ALSO REPORTED 0.25 INCHES 4
MILES SOUTH OF GARNAVILLO
&&
BROOKSSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI 1147 AM CDT TUE MAY 25 2010 IAZ029-030-251745- CLAYTON-FAYETTE- 1147 AM CDT TUE MAY 25 2010 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE ACROSS CLAYTON AND EASTERN FAYETTE COUNTIES... AT 1143 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED AN AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS BETWEEN FAYETTE AND ELKADER AND SOUTH TO ARLINGTON AND STRAWBERRY POINT...MOVING NORTH AT 15 MPH. DIME SIZE HAIL AND WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH HAVE ALREADY BEEN REPORTED FROM THESE STORMS. LOCALIZED FLOODING...NICKEL SIZE HAIL...WINDS GREATER THAN 40 MPH AND FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. * THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT THE FOLLOWING AREAS THROUGH 1245 PM... WADENA...VOLGA...ELKADER...MEDERVILLE...CLAYTON CENTER...ST OLAF...GARBER...HIGHLAND...CLERMONT AND FARMERSBURG. GUSTY WINDS MAY CAUSE SMALL OBJECTS SUCH AS TRASH BINS TO BLOW AROUND. STAY AWAY FROM HIGH OBJECTS OUTDOORS SUCH AS TREES. SEEK SHELTER IN A STURDY STRUCTURE UNTIL THESE STORMS HAVE PASSED. DO NOT DRIVE THROUGH FLOODED ROADWAYS. AJ
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
1150 AM CDT TUE MAY 25 2010
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1125 AM HAIL EDGEWOOD 42.65N 91.40W
05/25/2010 E0.88 INCH CLAYTON IA EMERGENCY MNGR
MOSTLY PEA SIZE HAIL WITH SOME NICKEL SIZED
&&
TMSPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
1152 AM CDT TUE MAY 25 2010
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1100 AM HEAVY RAIN HILLSBORO 43.65N 90.34W
05/25/2010 M2.37 INCH VERNON WI EMERGENCY MNGR
&&
SHEAThe La Crosse radar (KARX), 94 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 16:55 UTC.
8 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
A billboard sign was broke in half by severe thunderstorm winds.
Thunderstorm winds blew the roof off an out building northeast of Neillsville. In Neillsville, a one foot diameter tree and a telephone pole were blown down along with tree branches in various parts of the city. Power outages lasted several hours.
Thunderstorms winds blew down trees and power lines along County Roads H and Y in the eastern parts of Clark County.
Thunderstorm winds blew down several trees southwest of Medford.
Thunderstorm winds blew down trees along County Road M west of the intersection with Highway 13.
Thunderstorm winds blew down trees south of Medford.
Thunderstorm winds blew down 7 power poles on Model Road near the intersection with County Road H. Also, a 25 to 30 foot tall tree was uprooted and fell onto a house.
Thunderstorm winds blew down several trees.
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, May 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: 223429, 226313, 223432, 223436, 223439, 223441, 223442, 223444, 223446.