Several rounds of thunderstorms crossed southern Wisconsin, from early in the day through the mid to late evening hours of July 27th. Lightning from the morning storms struck a home in Dane County in Black Earth, while homes in Mequon in Ozaukee County were struck by lightning from storms in the afternoon and evening.
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 MKX wrote it up.
Several rounds of thunderstorms crossed southern Wisconsin, from early in the day through the mid to late evening hours of July 27th. Lightning from the morning storms struck a home in Dane County in Black Earth, while homes in Mequon in Ozaukee County were struck by lightning from storms in the afternoon and evening. Lightning also struck homes in Fort Atkinson in Rock County from evening storms that also produced heavy rains that caused a mud slide that blocked part of U.S. Highway 12 at the State Highway 26 interchange. The rains soaked recently graded soil from construction that was unstable due to recently planted grass not yet having taken root.
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 Jul 27, 3:10 AM CST, 55 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI 410 AM CDT WED JUL 27 2011 .SHORT TERM...30 KT LLJ AND ASSOCIATED WARM ADVECTION AND MOISTURE TRANSPORT HAS TRIGGERED CONVECTION NOW MOVING THROUGH SRN WI. ONGOING CONVECTION SHOULD BE THROUGH THE CWA BY MID MORNING BUT CONTINUED WARM AND MOIST ADVECTION SHOULD TRIGGER NEW TSTORM AT TIMES. THE LOW LEVEL JET WILL THEN INCREASE ONCE AGAIN LATE TODAY AND TNT AND VEER TO WSWLY WHILE THE N-S PRESSURE TROUGH/COLD FRONT OVER THE ERN DAKOTAS LAYS OVER FROM WEST TO EAST OVER SRN WI. IN ADDITION A SHORTWAVE TROUGH WILL TRACK INTO THE REGION BY LATE EVENING. THUS WITH SUFFICIENT LIFT IN PLACE WITHIN AN AIRMASS OF OVER 2 INCHES IN PRECIPITABLE WATERS AND MDT CAPE AND SHEAR VALUES...SEVERE CONVECTION AND HEAVY RAINS IS LIKELY. CONSIDERED A FLASH FLOOD WATCH WITH REPEATED ROUNDS OF CONVECTION POSSIBLE...BUT A 40 KT 500 MB JET STREAK WILL KEEP STORM MOTION FAIRLY QUICK. EVEN THOUGH ISOLD FLASH FLOODING MAY STILL OCCUR. .THURSDAY...FORECAST CONFIDENCE...MEDIUM KEPT POPS LIMITED TO CHANCE FOR THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT...AS UNCERTAINTY REMAINS AMONG MODELS. THE GFS CONTINUES TO SUGGEST THE FRONTOGENETIC ZONE WILL BE SHOVED SOUTH WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THEN REMAIN THERE THURSDAY...WITH SRN WI STAYING DRY. THE ECMWF KEEPS THINGS FARTHER NORTH WITH MOST OF THE FORECAST AREA UNDER THE GUN THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT...WHILE THE NAM CONTINUES TO FALL BETWEEN THE GFS AND ECMWF. TEMPS TRICKY...AS IT IS NOT CLEAR HOW MUCH SUN THERE WILL BE THROUGH THE DAYTIME HOURS. WENT MID TO UPPER 80S...BUT 925 MB TEMPS WARM ENOUGH THAT A FEW PLACES COULD APPROACH 90 IF THE SUN COMES OUT FOR A BIT. .FRIDAY...FORECAST CONFIDENCE...MEDIUM LINGERED CHANCE POPS ACROSS THE SOUTH FRIDAY AS THE FRONTAL ZONE IS SLOW TO PUSH SOUTHWARD. NOT EXPECTING COOLER WEATHER BEHIND THE FRONT...AS FLOW STAYS PRETTY FLAT ACROSS THE AREA. .SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY...FORECAST CONFIDENCE...MEDIUM WENT WITH MAINLY DRY WEATHER FOR THE WEEKEND INTO MONDAY. UPPER RIDING EXPECTED TO BUILD IN FROM THE SOUTHWEST...WITH HIGH PRESSURE GENERALLY PERSISTING AT THE SURFACE. GFS AND ECMWF SUGGESTING A WEAK WAVE WILL RIDE ALONG THE RIDGE AND BRING A CHANCE FOR SHOWERS/STORMS SUNDAY/SUNDAY NIGHT. KEPT CHANCE POPS IN FOR THIS POSSIBILITY. TEMPS SHOULD WARM WITH THE UPPER RIDGE BUILDING IN...AND CURRENTLY EXPECTING HIGHS NEARING 90 AWAY FROM THE LAKE SUNDAY AND MONDAY. .TUESDAY...FORECAST CONFIDENCE...MEDIUM MODELS SHOWING A STRONGER SYSTEM WILL APPROACH OR MOVE THROUGH TUESDAY. TIMING DIFFERENCES CERTAINLY EXIST BETWEEN THE GFS AND ECMWF...BUT ENOUGH OVERALL AGREEMENT TO PUT SOME LOW POPS IN FOR THIS PERIOD. TEMPS SHOULD CONTINUE TO RUN A FEW DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL AHEAD OF THE APPROACHING COLD FRONT. && .AVIATION...ROUNDS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERTORMS ARE EXPECTED TODAY AND TNT AS A WARM FRONT MOVES NORTH THROUGH THE REGION FOLLOWED BY THE APPROACH OF A COOL FRONT. AREAS OF MVFR CIGS WILL PREVAIL THROUGH THE PERIOD. OTHERWISE CIGS AND VSBYS WILL BE GREATLY REDUCED IN TSTORMS. && .MKX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WI...NONE. LM...NONE. && THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY...DDV/07 TODAY/TONIGHT AND AVIATION...GEHRING/20
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI 343 PM CDT TUE JUL 26 2011 WIZ046-047-051-052-056>060-062>072-272045- MARQUETTE-GREEN LAKE-FOND DU LAC-SHEBOYGAN-SAUK-COLUMBIA-DODGE- WASHINGTON-OZAUKEE-IOWA-DANE-JEFFERSON-WAUKESHA-MILWAUKEE- LAFAYETTE-GREEN-ROCK-WALWORTH-RACINE-KENOSHA- 343 PM CDT TUE JUL 26 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST CENTRAL WISCONSIN...SOUTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN AND SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP LATE TONIGHT OVER SOUTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN AS A WARM FRONT APPROACHES FROM THE SOUTH. SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN WILL REMAIN DRY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH TUESDAY THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT AS A WARM FRONT MOVES NORTH THROUGH THE STATE. DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...AND ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE. THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WILL THEN CONTINUE FOR THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY AS AN APPROACHING COOL FRONT SLOWLY SAGS SOUTH THROUGH THE REGION. HEAVY RAIN IS ALSO EXPECTED WITH THE THUNDERSTORMS...ESPECIALLY IF THEY MOVE REPEATEDLY OVER THE SAME AREAS...BRINGING THE POTENTIAL FOR LOCALIZED FLOODING WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED AT TIMES ON WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. LMZ643>646-272045- 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- 343 PM CDT TUE JUL 26 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF LAKE MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH TUESDAY THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT AS A WARM FRONT MOVES NORTH THROUGH THE STATE. THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WILL THEN CONTINUE FOR THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY AS AN APPROACHING COOL FRONT SLOWLY SAGS THROUGH THE REGION. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. REM WWW.WEATHER.GOV/MKX
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI 235 AM CDT WED JUL 27 2011 WIZ056-062-067-270830- IOWA-LAFAYETTE-SAUK- 235 AM CDT WED JUL 27 2011 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO SAUK...IOWA...AND FAR NORTHERN LAFAYETTE COUNTIES... AT 235 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER GRANT AND CRAWFORD COUNTIES...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH. PENNY SIZE HAIL...WINDS GREATER THAN 30 MPH...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS...ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. * THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR... BELMONT BY 305 AM CDT... BLACKHAWK LAKE RECREATION AREA BY 310 AM CDT... MINERAL POINT AIRPORT BY 320 AM CDT... MINERAL POINT BY 325 AM CDT... LONE ROCK AIRPORT AND GOVERNOR DODGE STATE PARK BY 330 AM CDT... 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. GEHRING
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI 336 AM CDT WED JUL 27 2011 WIZ056-057-062-063-270930- COLUMBIA-DANE-IOWA-SAUK- 336 AM CDT WED JUL 27 2011 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO SAUK AND DANE COUNTIES... AT 331 AM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 29 MILES WEST OF REEDSBURG TO 8 MILES SOUTHEAST OF DODGEVILLE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH. ONE HALF INCH DIAMETER HAIL...WINDS GREATER THAN 30 MPH...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS...ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... LONE ROCK AIRPORT... RIDGEWAY... SPRING GREEN... BARNEVELD... BLUE MOUND STATE PARK... BLUE MOUND ST PARK... PLAIN... BLUE MOUNDS... ARENA... HILL POINT... LIME RIDGE... MOUNT HOREB... IRONTON... PINE BLUFF... MARXVILLE... 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. GEHRING
The Milwaukee radar (KMKX), 99 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 10:03 UTC.
6 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
A home in the 1200 block of Hillcrest Road in Black Earth was struck by lightning and caught fire. The home suffered extensive water and smoke damage.
A home on North Beechwood Drive in Mequon was struck by lightning and the chimney caught fire. The home suffered smoke damage.
A home on North Monarch Lane in the Town of Koshkonong was struck by lightning and caught fire. The home suffered smoke damage.
A home in the 600 block of Cloute Street in Fort Atkinson was struck by lightning and caught fire. The home suffered smoke damage.
A home on West Highland Road in Mequon was struck by lightning and the garage caught fire. The home suffered water and smoke damage.
A home on North Springdale Court in Mequon was struck by lightning and caught fire. The home suffered water and smoke damage.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Wisconsin in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Wisconsin, July 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: 337669, 337676, 337683, 337684, 337679, 337681.