Excessive Heat in Wisconsin, July 1 to 7, 2012

Name: Excessive Heat in Wisconsin, July 1 to 7, 2012
Start: 2012-07-01T00:00
End: 2012-07-07T00:00
Location: Wisconsin

July 1 to 7, 2012 · NWS MPX · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

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The toll

Deaths: 2
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 1

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS MPX wrote it up.

A large ridge of high pressure built across the Upper Midwest during the first week of July. This resulted in a combination of high humidity levels and temperatures, leading to two heat-related deaths on July 1 and July 5. Both were in Barron County of west central Wisconsin. The Barron County Medical Examiner found that a 71 year old woman died from heat in her apartment. The wall thermometer read 105 degrees. In addition, the Barron County Medical Examiner determined that a 76 year old woman died of heat on July 1st. She was in a motorized wheelchair that left the roadway and went into a ditch. She was unable to get back onto the dead-end road and was found approximately 6-7 hours later, still sitting in her wheelchair.

What forecasters said that day

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 Jun 30, 10:25 PM CST, 1 hour 35 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 30, 10:25 PM CST, 1 hour 35 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
1125 PM CDT SAT JUN 30 2012

.UPDATE...

UPDATED TO INCLUDE 06Z AVIATION DISCUSSION BELOW.

&&

.DISCUSSION...

MAIN TOPIC OF DISCUSSION IS THE VERY HOT AND MUGGY CONDITIONS
FORECAST FOR THE UPCOMING WEEK. AMPLIFIED MID LEVEL RIDGE ACROSS
THE CENTRAL CONUS WILL MAINTAIN A TIGHT HOLD OF THE OVERALL
WEATHER ACROSS THE CENTRAL UNITED STATES AS IT REMAINS IN PLACE
FOR THE NEXT WEEK. 500MB HEIGHTS OF ABOUT 588 DM WILL LINGER ACROSS
MINNESOTA FOR THE FIRST FEW DAYS OF THE WORK WEEK...BEFORE MOVING
NORTH TO THE CANADIAN BORDER. HIGH TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE FA LOOK
TO RANGE FROM THE LOW TO MID 90S FROM MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY...WITH
DEW POINTS AROUND 70 DEGREES FOR MUCH OF THAT TIME. IN
ADDITION...WARM FRONT WILL LIFT NORTH FROM IOWA SUNDAY THROUGH
MONDAY AND THE HOTTEST CONDITIONS WILL FOLLOW.

IN THE NEAR TERM HOWEVER...TWO DISTINCT SHORTWAVE TROUGHS WILL
MOVE ACROSS THE UPPER MIDWEST TONIGHT...WITH ONE MOVING NORTH OF
OUR AREA...AND ANOTHER MOVING THROUGH IOWA ALONG A STALLED OUT
FRONTAL BOUNDARY. OUR FA WILL BE STUCK IN THE MIDDLE...AND MISS OUT ON
MOST OF THE ACTION THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. ON SUNDAY...THE
WARM FRONT WILL BEGIN LIFTING NORTH...AS WARMER TEMPERATURES AND
MOIST AIR SURGES NORTHWARD. ANOTHER RIPPLE IN THE FLOW DOWNSTREAM
OF THE MID LEVEL RIDGE WILL GIVE US ANOTHER CHANCE OF
THUNDERSTORMS SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT...BUT THESE SHOULD BE VERY
SCATTERED IN NATURE. ISENTROPIC ASCENT AND LOW LEVEL WARM AIR
ADVECTION AHEAD OF THE FRONT WILL HELP FIRE STORMS SUNDAY
AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

THE WARM FRONT WILL PUSH THROUGH OUR AREA MONDAY...WHEN THE
INTENSE HEAT ARRIVES. THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK WILL BE CONTROLLED
BY HIGH TEMPERATURES IN THE 90S AND DEW POINT TEMPERATURES IN THE
UPPER 60S AND LOW 70S. ADDITIONAL SUBTLE SHORTWAVE TROUGHS WILL
MOVE EAST OF THE MAIN RIDGE AXIS THROUGH THE WEEK AND PROVIDE OUR
AREA WITH SOME CHANCE OF SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS THROUGHOUT MUCH
OF THE WEEK. ON MONDAY...A MORE INTENSE SHORTWAVE ASSOCIATED WITH
A WEAK SURFACE LOW WILL MOVE WEST TO EAST NORTH OF OUR AREA...BUT
LIKELY BRING SOME RAINFALL TO MAINLY THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE CWA.
BEYOND MONDAY...CONFIDENCE IS LOW IN THE PLACEMENT AND TIMING OF
BEST PRECIPITATION CHANCES AS THE SUBTLE SHORTWAVES MOVE
DOWNSTREAM OF THE RIDGE AXIS.

&&

.AVIATION.../06Z TAF ISSUANCE/

WEAK CONVECTION DEVELOPED THIS EVENING N AND NE OF ALL TERMINALS
IN RESPONSE TO A WEAK MIDLVL SHORTWAVE RIDING AROUND THE DEEP HIGH
PRES RIDGE COASTING E THROUGH THE REGION. THIS RIDGE WILL SHIFT E
OF THE AREA OVERNIGHT...ALLOWING ADDITIONAL ISOLD SHWRS AND STORMS
TO DEVELOP ACRS THE AREA. THAT SAID...CONFIDENCE IS QUITE LOW THAT
ANYTHING THAT FORMS WOULD BOTH MOVE ACRS THE TERMINAL AND PRODUCE
PRECIP TO ACTUALLY REACH THE GROUND. THEREFORE...HAVE KEPT THE
TAFS DRY THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT PERIOD. MODELS THEN HINT THAT
ANOTHER ROUND OF PRECIP MAY COME LATE SUN AFTN INTO SUN EVE...BUT
SIMILAR CONCERNS ABOUND DUE TO ISOLD NATURE AND POTENTIALLY LOW-
TO MID-LVL DRIER AIR PREVENTING ANYTHING FROM REACHING THE GROUND.
HAVE ALSO CONTINUED THE CONSERVATIVE NATURE WITH FOG IN THE TAFS
DUE WARMER AIR AND HIGHER DEWPOINT DEPRESSIONS.

MSP...VFR CONDITIONS THROUGHOUT BUT HAVE SEVERAL DIFFERENT MID- AND
UPPER- LEVEL CLOUD LAYER CONFIGURATIONS DEPENDING ON THE TIMING OF
SEVERAL UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES GLIDING ACROSS THE REGION. PRECIP
CHCS ARE QUITE LOW...LESS THAN 20 PERCENT THROUGHOUT THE PERIOD...
SO HAVE KEPT THE TAF DRY AND LATER TAF AMENDMENTS CAN ADDRESS
ANYTHING THAT DEVELOPS UPSTREAM WHICH MAY NICK MSP. THERE STILL IS
THE POTENTIAL FOR ISOLD TO SCATTERED CONVECTION...BUT CONFIDENCE
IS QUITE LOW IT WOULD HIT MSP. FOG IS NOT AN ISSUE AND WIND SPEEDS
WILL REMAIN AOB 10 KT WITH GENERALLY SE DIRECTION.

OUTLOOK...
.MONDAY...VFR. CHANCE OF TSRA AFTERNOON/NIGHT. WINDS S 5 TO 10 KT.
.TUESDAY...VFR. CHANCE OF TSRA. WINDS SW 5 TO 10 KT.
.WEDNESDAY...VFR. WINDS LIGHT AND VARIABLE.

&&

.MPX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MN...NONE.
WI...NONE.
&&

JPC

Hazardous weather outlook, Jun 30, 8:01 PM CST, 3 hours 59 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
901 PM CDT SAT JUN 30 2012

MNZ073>078-082>085-091>093-WIZ026-011200-
REDWOOD-BROWN-NICOLLET-LE SUEUR-RICE-GOODHUE-WATONWAN-BLUE EARTH-
WASECA-STEELE-MARTIN-FARIBAULT-FREEBORN-PEPIN-
901 PM CDT SAT JUN 30 2012

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL
MINNESOTA...SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA...SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA AND WEST
CENTRAL WISCONSIN.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THROUGH NEXT
WEEK...ESPECIALLY ACROSS CENTRAL MINNESOTA. A FEW SEVERE STORMS
ARE POSSIBLE.

HEAT AND HUMIDITY WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE OUTLOOK AREA...WITH
THE WORST CONDITIONS LIKELY BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. HIGHS IN
THE 90S WITH HEAT INDICES APPROACHING OR EXCEEDING 105 DEGREES
WILL BE POSSIBLE TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED THROUGH TONIGHT.

MNZ041>045-047>070-WIZ014>016-023>025-027-028-011200-
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-POLK-
BARRON-RUSK-ST. CROIX-PIERCE-DUNN-EAU CLAIRE-
901 PM CDT SAT JUN 30 2012

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL
MINNESOTA...EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...WEST CENTRAL MINNESOTA...
NORTHWEST WISCONSIN AND WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS EVENING INTO THE
OVERNIGHT HOURS. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM IS POSSIBLE WITH LARGE
HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THROUGH NEXT
WEEK...ESPECIALLY ACROSS CENTRAL MINNESOTA. A FEW SEVERE STORMS
ARE POSSIBLE.

HEAT AND HUMIDITY WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE OUTLOOK AREA...WITH
THE WORSE CONDITIONS LIKELY BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. HIGHS IN
THE 90S WITH HEAT INDICES APPROACHING OR EXCEEDING 105 DEGREES
WILL BE POSSIBLE TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED THROUGH TONIGHT.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 excessive heat. Local standard time, as filed.

Excessive Heat, Barron

When: July 1, 12:00 AM CST to July 7, 12:00 AM CST
Where: Barron forecast zone
Deaths: 2 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 45.424, -91.848 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The Barron County Medical Examiner found that a 71 year old woman died from heat in her apartment. The wall thermometer read 105 degrees. The family stated that she refused to have an air conditioner, stating she did not like the cold. In addition, the Barron County Medical Examiner determined that a 76 year old woman died of heat on July 1st. The county official reported that she was in a motorized wheelchair that left the roadway and went into a ditch. She was unable to get back onto the dead-end road and was found approximately 6-7 hours later. The temperature during that time frame was 86 to 89 degrees. She suffered from multiple sclerosis and was too weak to get out of the ditch. The deceased was found sitting in her wheelchair.

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

Event	Date	Age	Sex	Where	Kind
Excessive Heat, Barron	2012-07-01	76	Female	Outside/Open Areas	Direct
Excessive Heat, Barron	2012-07-05	71	Female	Permanent Home	Direct

What these are

Excessive Heat: Heat at or above the local excessive heat warning criteria, or heat that caused deaths.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Wisconsin in 2012 Every state in 2012 This day in weather history Warnings in Wisconsin, July 2012

Sources

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: 396652.