A small complex of thunderstorms developed north of a stationary front over north central Minnesota during the mid morning of July 30th. As these storms moved into north central Wisconsin, they produced some high winds that damaged a carnival tent at the Taylor County Fair in Medford (Taylor County).
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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 small complex of thunderstorms developed north of a stationary front over north central Minnesota during the mid morning of July 30th. As these storms moved into north central Wisconsin, they produced some high winds that damaged a carnival tent at the Taylor County Fair in Medford (Taylor County).
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 30, 1:50 AM CST, 11 hours 4 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI 250 AM CDT SAT JUL 30 2011 .SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT FORECAST FOCUS IS ON THE PCPN CHANCES FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS. DIFFICULTIES IN THE PCPN FORECAST OVER THE NEXT COUPLE DAYS AS DIFFERENT MODELS LATCH ONTO DIFFERENT SMALL SCALE FORCING MECHANISMS...LEADING TO A VARIETY OF PCPN SCENARIOS. FORCING LOOKS RELATIVELY WEAK UNTIL A SHORTWAVE/FRONT MOVES IN MONDAY NIGHT-TUES...BUT WITH PLENTY OF UNSTABLE AIR...ANY SMALL SCALE FEATURE COULD LEAD TO SHOWER/STORM CHANCES. FIRST UP FOR TODAY...IT WAS LOOKING LIKE ANOTHER SUNNY AND WARM DAY...MUCH LIKE YESTERDAY. HOWEVER...A FEW ISSUES TO CONSIDER. ON GOING CONVECTION OVER THE NORTHERN PLAINS IS BEING SPAWNED BY A COUPLE DISTURBANCES AND LOW LEVEL MOISTURE TRANSPORT...AND SEVERAL OF THE MODELS WOULD TAKE THE SOUTHERN SHORTWAVE/MCV INTO NORTHWEST WI LATER THIS AFTERNOON. WITH AMPLE INSTABILITY...A FEW SHOWERS/STORMS WOULD BE POSSIBLE. A SHORTWAVE JUST NORTH OF THIS ONE WOULD SLIDE ACROSS NORTHERN PARTS OF THE REGION THIS EVENING...BRINGING A SFC BOUNDARY WITH IT. MORE CONVECTION POSSIBLE WITH THESE FEATURES ALTHOUGH MORE FAVORED OVER NORTHERN MN/NORTHWEST WI. 30.00Z GFS AND NAM IN GOOD AGREEMENT WITH TAKING THAT NORTHERN SHORTWAVE DUE EAST ACROSS SOUTHERN CANADA TODAY/SUNDAY. WHILE THE BULK OF ITS FORCING WILL STAY NORTH OF THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY...IT WILL DRAG A SFC FRONT/TROUGH ACROSS THE REGION ON SUNDAY. LOW LEVEL WARM AIR ADVECTION IS RATHER WEAK...AS IS THE FRONTOGENETIC RESPONSE COMPARED TO PREVIOUS MODEL RUNS. INSTABILITY CONTINUES TO BE AMPLE THANKS TO THE SUMMERY AIRMASS/HIGH SFC DEW POINTS...WITH SBCAPES AROUND 4000 J/KG...WITH THE BULK OF THE 20-30 KITS OF SHEAR IN THE 0-3 KM LAYER. THE LOW LEVEL MOISTURE TRANSPORT NOSES INTO THE SHORTWAVE OVERNIGHT TONIGHT....SHIFTING ITS FOCUS TOWARD THE EASTERN GREAT LAKES ON SUNDAY. MEANWHILE... NORTHEAST-SOUTHWEST RUNNING X-SECTION CONTINUES TO POINT TO VERY MEAGER SATURATION AS THE SFC BOUNDARY MOVES SOUTHWEST ACROSS THE REGION...MOSTLY IN A 100 MB LAYER BELOW 800 MB. ALL IN ALL...NOT VERY IMPRESSIVE...AND WEAKER COMPARED TO SOME PREVIOUS MODEL RUNS. STILL...CONVERGENCE ALONG THE BOUNDARY AND THE INSTABILITY WARRANT AT LEAST SMALL POPS...WITH THE BETTER CHANCES TO THE NORTH AND EAST. ON MONDAY...THE MODELS HINT AT REMNANTS OF THAT SFC FRONT HANGING FROM NORTHWEST-SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE REGION...WITH WEAK WARM AIR ADVECTION AND 900-800 MB FRONTOGENETIC ASSOCIATED WITH IT. STILL RELATIVELY MOISTURE STARVED ON MONDAY THOUGH...WITH RH FIELDS AND TIME/HEIGHT X-SECTIONS POINTING TO MOSTLY MID LEVEL SATURATION. STILL...INSTABILTY IS THERE FOR ANY WEAK CONVERGENCE TO TAP INTO...AND WILL HANG ONTO THE VERY SMALL RAIN CHANCES FOR NOW. BETTER RAIN CHANCES WILL START TO MOVE IN MONDAY NIGHT AS A SHORTWAVE TROUGH RIDES ACROSS A BROAD UPPER LEVEL RIDGE. THIS FEATURE WILL INTERACT WITH THE LOW LEVEL JET/MOISTURE RETURN TO FIRE A THUNDERSTORM COMPLEX OVER THE NORTHERN PLAINS/MN BY MONDAY EVENING...MOVING ACROSS NORTHERN WI TUES MORNING. THE MCS COULD AVOID THE LOCAL FORECAST AREA COMPLETELY...BUT AN ASSOCIATED SFC FRONT COULD SERVE AS AN ADDITIONAL FOCUS FOR SHOWERS/STORMS. MORE ON THIS IN THE LONG TERM DISCUSSION BELOW. WITH HEFTY INSTABILITY TO WORK WITH...ANY STORM OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BE STRONG...AND IF ENOUGH SHEAR PRESENT...SEVERE. THINK THE BETTER CHANCES WOULD COME MONDAY NIGHT-TUES AS THE STRONGER SYSTEM MOVES IN...BUT CAN/T RULE OUT A SHOT LATER TODAY...IF STORMS REFIRE OVER MN AND MOVE SOUTHEAST. HEAVY RAIN PRODUCING FLASH FLOODING ALSO NEEDS TO BE HIGHLIGHTED AS MANY LOCATIONS HAVE HAD SOAKING RAINS OVER THE LAST WEEK...AND ANY PROLONGED HEAVY RAINFALL COULD RESULT IN FLOODING. 3 HOUR FLASH FLOOD GUIDANCE IS 2.5 INCHES OR LESS FOR MUCH OF THE FORECAST AREA. .LONG TERM...TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY MODELS CONTINUE IN PRETTY GOOD AGREEMENT WITH A BROAD...FLAT TOPPED UPPER LEVEL RIDGE PERSISTING ACROSS THE MID-SECTION OF THE U.S. FOR MUCH OF NEXT WEEK...THUS CONTINUING THE SUMMERY WARMTH AND HUMIDITY FOR THE FORECAST AREA. BOTH THE GFS AND ECMWF TAKE A SHORTWAVE TROUGH ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS TO OVER THE EASTERN GREAT LAKES ON TUES. THE BULK OF THE UPPER LEVEL FORCING WILL STAY NORTH/EAST OF THE AREA...BUT A SFC FRONT WILL DRAG ACROSS THE REGION. THIS WILL INTERACT WITH STRONG LOW LEVEL MOISTURE RETURN AND DECENT INSTABILITY TO SPARK SHOWERS/STORMS ALONG AND AHEAD OF IT. THE EC CONTINUES TO BE A BIT FASTER THAN THE GFS...BY ABOUT 6 HOURS...BUT BOTH FAVOR BETTER PCPN CHANCES OVER NORTHERN SECTIONS OF MN AND WI. HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN TUESDAY NIGHT...WITH THE NEXT UPPER LEVEL SHORTWAVE TAKING AIM ON THE REGION FROM THE CENTRAL PLAINS FOR THU. WITH A JUICY AIRMASS ANCHORED IN PLACE...IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT ANY THUNDERSTORM NEXT WEEK WILL BE CAPABLE OF HEAVY RAIN. && .AVIATION...TODAY AND TONIGHT AREAS OF DENSE FOG HAVE DEVELOPED IN THE WISCONSIN AND LOWER KICKAPOO RIVER VALLEYS EARLY THIS MORNING. THIS FOG WILL DISSIPATE RAPIDLY BETWEEN 30.13Z AND 30.14Z. A SHORTWAVE TROUGH WILL LIKELY AFFECT AREAS NORTH OF THE INTERSTATE 90 CORRIDOR THIS AFTERNOON. ABUNDANT SUNSHINE THIS MORNING WILL ALLOW THE AIR MASS TO BECOME VERY UNSTABLE /ML CAPES 2500 TO 3500 J/KG/ PRIOR TO THE TROUGH/S ARRIVAL. THIS SHOULD ALLOW SOME SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP IN THIS AREA. AT THIS TIME...IT LOOKS LIKE THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NORTH OF THE TAFS SITES...SO NO PLANS ON ADDING THEM TO THE FORECAST AT THIS TIME. FOR TONIGHT...A COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH THE AREA FROM THE NORTHERN PLAINS. WHILE THIS FRONT MAY PROVIDE A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AT BOTH OF THE TAF SITES...THERE STILL REMAINS TOO MUCH UNCERTAINTY ON THE TIMING AND LOCATION TO INCLUDE THEM IN THE 31.12Z TAF FORECAST. && .ARX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WI...NONE. MN...NONE. IA...NONE. && SHORT/LONG TERM... RIECK AVIATION.......... BOYNE
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI 137 PM CDT SAT JUL 30 2011 IAZ008>011-018-019-029-030-MNZ079-086>088-094>096-WIZ017-029-032>034- 041>044-053>055-061-311100- 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- 137 PM CDT SAT JUL 30 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PARTS OF NORTHEAST IOWA... SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA...AND SOUTHWEST INTO CENTRAL WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT A COUPLE ROUNDS OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THROUGH TONIGHT. THE FIRST WILL MAINLY AFFECT AREAS ALONG AND NORTHEAST OF THE INTERSTATE 94 CORRIDOR THIS AFTERNOON. THESE STORMS WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS...LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN AND POSSIBLY SOME LARGE HAIL. THE SECOND ROUND OF STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS EVENING INTO THE OVERNIGHT FOR AREAS MAINLY NORTH OF AN AUSTIN MINNESOTA TO TOMAH WISCONSIN LINE. THESE STORMS WILL ALSO HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BE SEVERE WITH DAMAGING WINDS...LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN AND LARGE HAIL THE MAIN THREATS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY SMALL STORM CHANCES WILL CONTINUE ON SUNDAY AND MONDAY...BUT SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. HOWEVER...HEAT INDICES COULD REACH 100 TO 105 DEGREES OVER PARTS OF NORTHEAST IOWA AND SOUTHWEST WISCONSIN ON MONDAY. MONDAY NIGHT A THUNDERSTORM COMPLEX WILL APPROACH FROM THE NORTHERN PLAINS. SOME OF THESE STORMS WOULD HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BECOME STRONG TO SEVERE...MOSTLY NORTH OF A WINONA MINNESOTA TO TOMAH WISCONSIN LINE. MORE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT. ITS TOO EARLY TO ASCERTAIN IF THERE WOULD BE A SEVERE RISK WITH ANY OF THIS ACTIVITY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON AND AGAIN THIS EVENING INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. .EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATION... NO WEBINAR IS SCHEDULED. 04
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI 1217 PM CDT SAT JUL 30 2011 WIZ017-301815- TAYLOR- 1217 PM CDT SAT JUL 30 2011 AT 1209 PM...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 30 TO 35 MPH ACROSS NORTHWEST WISCONSIN. THIS LINE OF STORMS IS EXPECTED TO REACH INTO TAYLOR COUNTY BY 115 PM. LOOK FOR WIND GUSTS AROUND 40 MPH...SMALL HAIL AND HEAVY RAIN TO ACCOMPANY THESE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS. LOCATIONS THAT MAY BE AFFECTED INCLUDE... JUMP RIVER...PERKINSTOWN...POLLEY...LUBLIN... WESTBORO...CHELSEA...AND MEDFORD. HEAVY RAIN COULD LEAD TO MINOR FLOODING OR A SHORT PERIOD OF STANDING WATER. STAY CLEAR OF DRAINAGE AREAS AND AVOID AREAS OF HIGH WATER IF THEY DEVELOP. DAS
The La Crosse radar (KARX), 160 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:56 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A carnival tent was blown over at the Taylor County Fair.
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: 330688.