A cold front pushed east into Wisconsin during the late afternoon and evening hours of April 10th. Severe thunderstorms developed along the cold front and produced very large hail and three tornadoes over portions of western and central Wisconsin.
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.
A cold front pushed east into Wisconsin during the late afternoon and evening hours of April 10th. Severe thunderstorms developed along the cold front and produced very large hail and three tornadoes over portions of western and central Wisconsin. The hail ranged from quarter to tennis ball size and caused extensive damage to siding and cars in the southern portions of the city of La Crosse (La Crosse County). Although difficult to estimate, damage estimates from insurance companies and contractors in the area were between 20 and 30 million dollars from the one hail storm. National Weather Service storm survey teams confirmed two EF1 tornadoes and an EF2 tornado in Juneau and Adams counties. The tornadoes uprooted trees, knocked power lines down, flipped automobiles, and damaged or destroyed homes and businesses. In Adams County, 7 homes and 3 businesses were destroyed and damage assessments exceeded three and a half million dollars.
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 Apr 10, 2:23 AM CST, 5 hours 27 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI 323 AM CDT SUN APR 10 2011 .SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT MAIN FORECAST CONCERN CONTINUES TO FOCUS ON A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SEVERE WEATHER EVENT THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF LARGE TORNADOES...DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. 07Z SURFACE ANALYSIS SHOWS AN ELONGATED AREA OF LOW PRESSURE ACROSS EASTERN NEBRASKA WITH A WARM FRONT EXTENDING ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA. RADAR SHOWING A BROKEN LINE OF STORMS FROM NEAR GREEN BAY... ALL THE WAY BACK INTO SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA. THESE HAVE BEEN SLOWLY LIFTING NORTH WITH TIME AND BECOMING MORE ELEVATED. 10.00Z MODELS OFFER SIMILAR SOLUTIONS THROUGH THE PERIOD. ALTHOUGH SOME QUESTION STILL REMAINING ABOUT DEGREE OF CAPPING INVERSION TODAY AND THUS CONVECTIVE INITIATION ZONE. IN THE NEAR TERM...THE VARIOUS MESO MODELS AS WELL AS THE 10.00Z NAM ALL POINTING TO ELEVATED CONVECTION PUSHING NORTH OF THE AREA THIS MORNING. SO LINGERING POPS HAVE BEEN CONFINED TO THE FAR NORTH EARLY THIS MORNING WITH DRY WEATHER ELSEWHERE. ATMOSPHERE THEN CAPS OFF FOR MUCH OF THE DAY. HOWEVER...LONGWAVE TROUGH MOVES INTO THE PLAINS TODAY...AND SURFACE LOW LIFTS NORTHEAST INTO SOUTHERN MINNESOTA BY 18Z AND THEN INTO NORTHWEST WISCONSIN BY 12Z. DEEP LAYER SHEAR QUITE IMPRESSIVE WITH 0-6KM VALUES OF NEARLY 60 KNOTS AND MLCAPES APPROACHING 2000 J/KG IN THE WARM SECTOR BY LATE AFTERNOON. MODELS SUGGEST CAP TO WEAKEN MID TO LATE AFTERNOON AND WOULD EXPECT CONVECTION TO RAPIDLY DEVELOP AHEAD OF THE SURFACE LOW AND NEAR THE NORTHWARD MOVING WARM FRONT...WITH ROTATING SUPERCELLS. INITIATION ZONE LOOKS TO BE ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA. THIS SCENARIO SUPPORTED BY THE 10.00Z EASTNMM4 AND THE 10.00Z SPCWRF. LOW LEVEL TORNADO PARAMETERS FAVORABLE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF STRONG AND POSSIBLY LONG TRACK TORNADOES. EXPECT DISCRETE SUPERCELLS INITIALLY FORMING INTO MORE OF A LINEAR SYSTEM BY EARLY TO MID EVENING AS IT PUSHES EAST OF THE FORECAST AREA. IN ADDITION...STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL GUST TO 35 MPH TODAY IN STRONG WARM ADVECTION REGIME AHEAD OF THE FRONT. THIS WILL HAVE TO BE WATCHED FOR POSSIBLE WIND ADVISORY. CLOUDS EXPECTED TO SCATTERED OUT ALLOWING TEMPERATURES TO SOAR INTO THE UPPER 70S TO LOWER 80S. COLD FRONT WILL SWEEP THROUGH THE AREA THIS EVENING PUSHING THE CONVECTION EAST OF THE AREA BY 03Z. STRONG PRESSURE GRADIENT BEHIND FRONT WITH RATHER STEEP SURFACE TO 850MB LAPSE RATES WILL MAKE FOR WINDY CONDITIONS TONIGHT...WHICH WILL CONTINUE RIGHT INTO MONDAY WITH GUSTS TO 30 TO 40 MPH POSSIBLE. SHOWERS LIKELY DURING THE MORNING HOURS MONDAY...BUT BEGIN TO PUSH EAST OF THE AREA DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS. MODELS CONSISTENT IN KEEPING CLOUD OVER THE AREA MONDAY...BUT CLEARING OUT MONDAY NIGHT AS UPPER RIDGE BUILDS ACROSS THE AREA. WITH CLEAR SKIES AND LIGHT WINDS...TEMPERATURES WILL DROP INTO THE LOWER TO MIDDLE 30S BY TUESDAY MORNING. QUIET WEATHER THEN EXPECTED TUESDAY INTO TUESDAY EVENING AS UPPER RIDGE SETTLES OVER THE AREA. LATER TUESDAY NIGHT A SHORTWAVE TROUGH WILL MOVE ACROSS SOUTHERN CANADA DRAGGING A COLD FRONT INTO MINNESOTA. MODELS HAVE BEEN VERY CONSISTENT IN GENERATING SOME LIGHT SHOWERS ALONG THIS AND PUSHING THEM INTO THE NORTHWEST SECTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA BY MORNING. THUS LOWER END PROBABILITIES LOOK REASONABLE. .LONG TERM...WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY AFOREMENTIONED COLD FRONT SAGS INTO THE AREA WEDNESDAY AND BECOMES NEARLY STATIONARY. MEANWHILE...ANOTHER UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL THEN MOVE EAST ACROSS THE PLAINS THURSDAY/FRIDAY. WHILE THE SURFACE LOW WILL BE WELL SOUTH OF THE FORECAST AREA...IT WILL INTERACT WITH THE LINGERING SURFACE BOUNDARY...TAKING IT WITH IT AS THE STORM SYSTEM LIFTS NORTHEAST TOWARD THE NEW ENGLAND STATES. THIS SHOULD RESULT IN A BETTER CHANCES FOR SHOWERS/STORMS THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY. MILD TEMPERATURES THURSDAY AND FRIDAY WILL GIVE WAY TO COLDER TEMPERATURES FOR FRIDAY AND SATURDAY...WITH HIGHS ONLY IN THE 40S BY SATURDAY. && .AVIATION... A BAND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...WHICH HAS RESIDED ACROSS THE TAF SITES SINCE 10.02Z...HAS STARTED TO SHIFT NORTH OF THE TAF SITES. ANOTHER ROUND OF THUNDERSTORMS MAY AFFECT KLSE AROUND 10.1030Z. AFTER THIS BAND OF THUNDERSTORMS...A STRONG CAP WILL MOVE INTO THE AREA AND SKIES WILL BE MAINLY CLEAR THROUGH AT LEAST MID AFTERNOON. AS A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM APPROACHES THE AREA DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON /AFTER 10.21Z/...THE AIR WILL GRADUALLY COOL ALOFT...AND THE CAP WILL QUICKLY ERODE. THIS WILL ALLOW RAPID DEVELOP OF THUNDERSTORMS BETWEEN 10.21Z AND 11.00Z AT KRST...AND FROM 10.22Z AND 11.01Z AT KLSE. SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS MAY BECOME SEVERE WITH LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND TORNADOES THE PRIMARY THREATS. IN THE WAKE OF THE COLD FRONT THIS EVENING...CEILINGS WILL BECOME MVFR. THIS SHOULD OCCUR AT KRST AROUND 10.01Z AND AT KLSE AROUND 10.02Z. && .HYDROLOGY... THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS HAVE DROPPED ANYWHERE FROM ONE HALF INCH TO NEARLY 3 INCHES IN A FEW LOCATIONS. MOST OF THE RAIN HAS FALLEN ACROSS THE NORTHERN TWO THIRDS OF THE FORECAST AREA. MORE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED LATE TODAY. ALTHOUGH LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL IS POSSIBLE...THEY LOOK TO BE FAST MOVING AND THUS LIMITING THE AMOUNT OF RAINFALL AT AN GIVEN POINT. WITH MANY RIVERS RUNNING HIGH OR IN FLOOD STAGE...ESPECIALLY THE BLACK AND TREMPEALEAU RIVERS...ANY ADDITIONAL RAINFALL WILL HEIGHTEN THE FLOODING CONCERNS. WILL CONTINUE THE HYDROLOGIC OUTLOOK FOR THESE FLOODING CONCERNS. && .ARX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WI...NONE. MN...NONE. IA...NONE. && SHORT/LONG TERM... RABERDING AVIATION.......... BOYNE
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI 751 AM CDT SUN APR 10 2011 IAZ008>011-018-019-029-030-MNZ079-086>088-094>096-WIZ017-029-032>034- 041>044-053>055-061-111100- 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- 751 AM CDT SUN APR 10 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PARTS OF SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA...NORTHEAST IOWA AND SOUTHWEST INTO CENTRAL WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT A LARGE SEVERE WEATHER EVENT STILL LOOKS LIKELY FOR LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING AS A STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVES THROUGH THE REGION. BETWEEN 3 PM AND 6 PM...SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP RATHER RAPIDLY ACROSS SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA... NORTHEAST IOWA...AND WESTERN WISCONSIN. THESE THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SEVERE WEATHER WITHIN 20 TO 30 MINUTES AFTER THEIR INITIAL DEVELOPMENT. THE PRIMARY THREATS WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND TORNADOES. THE TORNADOES MAY BE FAST MOVING AND LONG TRACKED. BETWEEN 6 PM AND 10 PM...THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL EVOLVE INTO A LINE AS IT MOVES EAST ACROSS WISCONSIN. THE PRIMARY THREATS WITH THIS LINE WILL BE DAMAGING WINDS. IN ADDITION TO THE THUNDERSTORMS...SUSTAINED WINDS WILL BE IN THE 20 TO 30 MPH RANGE AND WINDS WILL GUST INTO THE 30 TO 40 MPH RANGE FROM LATE THIS MORNING INTO TONIGHT. THE WINDS WILL BE SOUTHERLY TODAY... AND BECOME WESTERLY TONIGHT AS A COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE REGION. MINOR FLOODING WILL REMAIN A CONCERN ON THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER WHERE WATER LEVELS CONTINUE TO SLOWLY RISE TOWARD OR FURTHER ABOVE FLOOD STAGE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY ON MONDAY...STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS WILL BE FOUND ACROSS THE AREA. SUSTAINED WINDS WILL BE IN THE 20 TO 30 MPH RANGE...AND WIND GUSTS WILL RANGE FROM 30 TO 40 MPH. FLOODING WILL REMAIN A CONCERN ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER THROUGH APRIL. THOSE WITH INTERESTS ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI NEED TO MONITOR THE LATEST RIVER STATEMENTS AND FLOOD FORECASTS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED BRIEFLY THIS MORNING AND LIKELY FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. .EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATION... A WEBINAR IS SCHEDULED FOR 1 PM TODAY. BOYNE
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
259 AM CDT SUN APR 10 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0230 AM HEAVY RAIN GRAND MEADOW 43.71N 92.57W
04/10/2011 M2.34 INCH MOWER MN CO-OP OBSERVER
2.34 INCHES TOTAL IN THE LAST 24 HOURS. 1.34 SINCE 1203
AM.
&&
WETENKAMPSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI 340 AM CDT SUN APR 10 2011 IAZ008-009-018-019-100945- CHICKASAW-FLOYD-HOWARD-MITCHELL- 340 AM CDT SUN APR 10 2011 AT 335 AM...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER ROCKFORD...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 55 MPH. DIME SIZE HAIL WAS REPORTED IN ROCKFORD AT 335 AM. LOCATIONS THAT MAY BE AFFECTED INCLUDE... FLOYD...FLOYD CROSSING...HOWARDVILLE...IDLEWILDE STATE PARK...COLWELL COUNTY PARK...COLWELL...COUNTY B 17 AND BELL AVENUE AND COUNTY ROADS 17 AND T 72. BE ALERT FOR STORMS THAT MAY PRODUCE LARGE HAIL. MOVE INDOORS AND AWAY FROM WINDOWS IF A WARNING IS ISSUED. JW
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI 418 AM CDT SUN APR 10 2011 IAZ009>011-019-029-MNZ096-101015- ALLAMAKEE-CHICKASAW-FAYETTE-HOUSTON-HOWARD-WINNESHIEK- 418 AM CDT SUN APR 10 2011 AT 411 AM...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER SAUDE...MOVING EAST AT 55 MPH. NICKEL SIZE HAIL MAY ACCOMPANY THESE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS. LOCATIONS THAT MAY BE AFFECTED INCLUDE... STATE ROAD 9 AND 245TH STREET...CALMAR...NORDNESS...STATE ROAD 9 AND FRANKVILLE ROAD...GLENWOOD CHURCH...LUDLOW...COUNTY ROADS A 52 AND W 60 AND WAUKON. BE ALERT FOR STORMS THAT MAY PRODUCE LARGE HAIL. MOVE INDOORS AND AWAY FROM WINDOWS IF A WARNING IS ISSUED. JW
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
425 AM CDT SUN APR 10 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0423 AM HAIL NEW HAMPTON 43.06N 92.31W
04/10/2011 M0.50 INCH CHICKASAW IA LAW ENFORCEMENT
&&
WETENKAMPPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
802 AM CDT SUN APR 10 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0700 AM HEAVY RAIN HOLMEN 2NW/HOLLAND 43.97N 91.29W
04/10/2011 M2.44 INCH LA CROSSE WI CO-OP OBSERVER
0700 AM HEAVY RAIN HOLMEN 1NW 43.97N 91.27W
04/10/2011 M2.24 INCH LA CROSSE WI CO-OP OBSERVER
&&
FOR THIS...AND A WEALTH OF OTHER RIVER AND WEATHER INFORMATION...
VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WEATHER.GOV/LACROSSE
DTJThe La Crosse radar (KARX), 61 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 13:48 UTC.
24 hail, 6 thunderstorm wind, 3 tornado, 2 flood, 1 funnel cloud. Local standard time, as filed.
Two day rainfall amounts of 1 to 2 inches across central Wisconsin produced a period of flooding along the Black River in Black River Falls. The river exceeded the flood stage from the 10th into the 12th. The river crested over four feet above the flood stage at 51.6 feet.
Multiple reports of quarter size hail.
Amateur radio operators estimated a wind gust of 60 mph.
Quarter to half dollar sized hail fell on the south side of La Crosse.
Hundreds of homes received roof and siding damage as well as broken windows on the south side of La Crosse. Wal Mart department store reported approximately 20 sky lights broken. Hundreds of cars were also damaged with dents and broken windows and mirrors. There were several thousand claims made to major insurance companies in and around the La Crosse area.
Golf ball size hail fell at the National Weather Service office and damaged several vehicles.
Golf ball size hail fell at the intersection of U.S. Highway 14 and County Road MM.
A National Weather Service storm survey team reported trees blown down in Osseo. One of the large trees partially fell on a house. A trained spotter reported broken windows and cars dented due to wind blown debris.
Power lines were blown down on Mound Ridge Road.
The emergency manager reported power lines down in two locations in the township of Hixon.
A possible funnel cloud was sighted three miles southwest of Oakdale.
The roof was blown off a barn.
Hail that ranged in size from three quarters of an inch up to an inch fell from west of Tomah to Warrens.
Hail ranging in size from a penny to tennis ball fell in Tomah.
A storm chaser estimated a wind gust of 70 mph in Tomah.
A National Weather Service storm survey team confirmed an EF2 tornado that tracked from approximately three miles west of Arkdale to County Road G. The tornado caused extensive damage to barns, trees, and parts of a house two miles west of Arkdale. A cement silo was knocked over as well. The tornado crossed Highway 21 north of Arkdale hitting nearby homes, irrigation systems, and hundreds of trees. A very distinct convergent pattern was noted in the trees at this location with winds estimated around 125 mph. Several more farms, homes, and trees were hit as the tornado continued toward the south side of Big Roche A Cri Lake near the small community of Cottonville. Several cars and mobile homes were flipped or heavily damage. A lake association building on the southwest side of Big Roche A Cri Lake was completely destroyed and numerous center-pivot irrigation systems were twisted or destroyed across the county. EF2 damage was noted as the tornado widened to nearly a half mile wide. It crossed Highway 13 at Cottonville and gradually began to weaken hitting more seasonal homes, trees, and roof tops. The tornado dissipated south of the Colburn Wildlife area.
A National Weather Service storm survey team confirmed an EF1 tornado south of Necedah. The tornado first touched down near the intersection of Paradise Lane and 25th Street and produced EF0 damage. The tornado briefly produced EF1 damage for about three fourths of a mile from T Lane through Padre Pio Drive. A mobile home was rolled over and pine trees were snapped. The tornado continued east-northeast and produced EF0 damage to pine trees around County Road G before ending near the Wisconsin River.
Golf ball sized hail fell in several locations east of Necedah.
A National Weather Service storm survey team confirmed that a second tornado formed near County Road G and Buttercup Ave. north of where the Arkdale to Cottonville tornado dissipated. EF1 damage was noted to some homes and trees, especially along Buttercup Ave. as the tornado tracked into Waushara County. Several center-post irrigation systems were destroyed along with some roof damage to homes and power poles.
Penny to dime sized hail fell in the Adams/Friendship area.
Two day rainfall amounts of 1 to 2 inches across western and central Wisconsin produced a period of flooding along the Black River near Galesville. The river exceeded the flood stage from the 11th into the 14th. The river crested over a foot and a half above the flood stage at 13.6 feet on the 12th.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Wisconsin in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Wisconsin, 2011Warnings in Wisconsin, April 2011
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: 294086, 293737, 293738, 293741, 293739, 293742, 293743, 294043, 295817, 293744, 297366, 293749, 295704, 295786, 293748, 294044, 294045, 294046, 294047, 297375, 294074, 294060, 299239, 294049, 294050, 294051, 294052, 293736, 293746, 294053, 294055, 294056, 293745, 294057, 294058, 294244.