Growing clusters of strong to severe thunderstorms over northeast and east-central Wisconsin interacted with a Lake Michigan lake breeze boundary. The storms became better organized and grew and became more widespread, producing large hail, wind damage and torrential rainfall that led to some minor flooding.
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 GRB wrote it up.
Growing clusters of strong to severe thunderstorms over northeast and east-central Wisconsin interacted with a Lake Michigan lake breeze boundary. The storms became better organized and grew and became more widespread, producing large hail, wind damage and torrential rainfall that led to some minor flooding.
Winnebago County was hardest hit by the storms with hail to golf ball size, wind gusts of 60 to 70 mph and heavy rainfall. Damage there was estimated at $250,000. Construction signs, barrels and a crane were toppled by the thunderstorm winds and approximately 500 homes sustained at least minor damage from the hail. Torrential rainfall caused minor street flooding in the Oshkosh area and ponding of water on part of U.S. Highway 41. As many as four homes in the county may have been struck by lightning during the storms.
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 Green Bay, WI wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 2, 3:00 PM CST, 42 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREEN BAY WI 400 PM CDT MON JUL 2 2012 .SHORT TERM...TONIGHT AND TUESDAY. COMBINATION OF WARM FROM LIFTING NORTH ACROSS CENTRAL WISCONSIN...INCREASING INSTABLITY AND WEAK UPPER-LEVEL DISTURBANCES MOVING ACROSS THE STATE FROM MINNESOTA HAVE COMBINED TO GENERATE A FEW ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH MUCH OF THE AFTERNOON. SHORT-TERM MODELS HAVE STRUGGLED WITH TIMING AND LOCATION OF SCATTERED CONVECTION LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO THE EVENING. FEEL BEST CHANCE FOR SCATTERED ACTIVITY FOR LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO THE EARLY EVENING WILL BE ALONG WARM FRONT CURRENTLY LIFTING NORTHEAST ACROSS CENTRAL WISCONSIN TO THE FOX VALLEY. RADAR IMAGERY INDICATES A FEW SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS STILL TRYING TO INITIATE NEAR THE WARM FRONT OVER PARTS OF WAUSHARA NORTH TO SOUTHERN SHAWANO COUNTIES. HRRR HAS ALSO HINTED AT SCATTERED ACTIVITY FORMING IN THIS AREA AS WELL AS FURTHER NORTH INTO CENTRAL WISCONSIN FROM WAUSAU NORTH TO RHINELANDER. FEEL THIS ACTIVITY WILL INCREASE IN AREA COVERAGE SOMEWHAT...THEN DIMINSH AFTER SUNSET. BIG QUESTION WILL BE WHAT HAPPENS AFTER MIDNIGHT AS MODELS OFFER VARIOUS SOLUTIONS FOR POTENTIAL FOR MCS INITIATION OVER THE EASTERN DAKOTAS LATER TONIGHT AND SUBSEQUENT FORWARD PROPAGATION THEREAFTER. ACTIVTY IN THAT AREA THIS AFTERNOON HAS BEEN STRUGGLING...BUT SUSPECT AS LLJ STRENGTHENS AHEAD OF UPSTREAM SHORTWAVE ...ACTIVITY SHOULD GET ORGANIZED THIS EVENING. BEST GUESS IS THAT ANY MCS THAT CAN GET ORGANIZED WILL LIKELY HEAD ESE ACROSS NORTHERN WISCONSIN AFTER MIDNIGHT...THEN PERHAPS TURN MORE SOUTHEAST INTO THE FOX VALLEY BY AROUND 12Z TUESDAY. HAVE HIGHEST POPS OVERNIGHT ACROSS THE NORTH AND TAPPERED TO SLIGHT CHANCES ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST PORTION OF THE FORECAST AREA. MAINTAINED CHANCE POPS FOR MAINLY THE NORTHEAST THIRD OF THE FORECAST AREA EARLY TUESDAY AS UPPER-LEVEL DISTURBANCE AND MCS ACTIVITY SWINGS EAST OF THE AREA. AS PARTS OF THE SOUTHERN FORECAST AREA HAVE ALREADY MET HEAT ADVISORY CRITERIA...IN COORDINATIN WITH SURROUNDING OFFICES OPTED TO START EXTENDED HEAT ADVISORY THIS AFTERNOON TO CONTINUE THROUGH MUCH OF THE WEEK. .LONG TERM...TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH NEXT MONDAY...TEMPERATURES AND ASSOCIATED HEAT ADVISORY HEADLINES...AND PCPN CHANCES...ARE THE MAIN FCST CONCERNS. AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF HOT TEMPERATURES SHOULD CONTINUE THROUGH FRIDAY...WITH HEAT INDICES REACHING THE 95-105 RANGE DURING THE AFTERNOONS. FOR PROLONGED EVENTS OF 4 DAYS OR LONGER...WE LOWER THE HEAT ADVISORY THRESHOLD TO 95+...WHICH MAKES THE ISSUANCE OF AN ADVISORY AN EASIER CALL. RIGHT NOW...THE HOTTEST DAY APPEARS TO BE THURSDAY...WITH ACTUAL TEMPERATURES EXPECTED TO REACH 95 TO 100 DEGREES OVER MUCH OF C/EC/NE WI. FORTUNATELY DAYTIME MIXING SHOULD CAUSE DEW POINTS TO DROP INTO THE LOWER TO MIDDLE 60S IN THE SANDY SOIL LOCATIONS...WHICH ARE TYPICALLY ARE WARMEST SPOTS. THIS SHOULD KEEP OUR HEAT INDICES MAINLY BELOW WARNING CRITERIA. THE HEAT ADVISORY WILL CONTINUE THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING...AND GENERALLY COVER AREAS SOUTH OF A LINE FROM WAUSAU TO SHAWANO TO GREEN BAY...EXCLUDING THE LAKESHORE COUNTIES. THE PASSAGE OF A COLD FRONT WILL BRING A REPRIEVE FROM THE HOT TEMPERATURES OVER THE WEEKEND. OUR BEST PCPN CHANCES SHOULD BE ASSOCIATED WITH A COUPLE DIFFERENT COLD FRONTAL PASSAGES...TUESDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY/FRIDAY NIGHT. CONVERGENCE ALONG THE BOUNDARY ON TUESDAY IS EXPECTED TO BE SHALLOW AND WEAK...WITH LIGHT WESTERLY FLOW EXPECTED AT 925/850 MB. THERE WILL BE CONSIDERABLE INSTABILITY ALONG THE BOUNDARY... BUT GIVEN THE WEAK FORCING...THINK THAT OUR CURRENT 20-30 POPS WILL SUFFICE. EXPECT A LULL IN THE PCPN CHANCES FROM WEDS THROUGH THU NGT...AS AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE BUILDS OVER THE REGION. CHANCE POPS SEEM WARRANTED WITH THE SECOND FROPA ON FRI/FRI NGT...WITH A RETURN TO DRIER CONDITIONS OVER THE WEEKEND. && .AVIATION...MAINLY VFR CONDITIONS THROUGH TUESDAY. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE OVER PARTS OF THE FOX VALLEY AND CENTRAL WISCONSIN THIS EVENING...THEN AGAIN MAINLY ACROSS NORTHERN WISCONSIN AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT WITH POSSIBLE ORGANIZED CONVECTIVE COMPLEX. ISOLATED TO SCATTERED MVFR CONDITIONS POSSIBLE MAINLY ACROSS THE NORTH WITH ANY MCS ACTIVITY...BUT GIVEN MODEL UNCERTAINLY ON TRACK OF THIS COMPLEX ONLY MENTIONED THUNDER IN RHI TAFS FOR NOW. && .GRB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HEAT ADVISORY UNTIL 10 PM CDT FRIDAY FOR WIZ030-031-035>039-045- 048-049. && ESB/KIECKBUSCH
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREEN BAY WI 403 PM CDT MON JUL 2 2012 WIZ005-010>013-018>022-030-031-035>040-045-048>050-073-074-032115- VILAS-ONEIDA-FOREST-FLORENCE-NORTHERN MARINETTE-LINCOLN-LANGLADE- MENOMINEE-NORTHERN OCONTO-DOOR-MARATHON-SHAWANO-WOOD-PORTAGE- WAUPACA-OUTAGAMIE-BROWN-KEWAUNEE-WAUSHARA-WINNEBAGO-CALUMET- MANITOWOC-SOUTHERN MARINETTE-SOUTHERN OCONTO- 403 PM CDT MON JUL 2 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THIS EVENING OVER THE FOX VALLEY...THEN LATER TONIGHT ACROSS NORTHERN WISCONSIN. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE STORMS WITH DAMAGING WINDS AND HEAVY RAINFALL FOR LATER TONIGHT....ESPECIALLY NORTH OF THE HIGHWAY 29. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH MONDAY HOT AND HUMID CONDITIONS WILL COMBINE TO PRODUCE HEAT INDICES OF 95 TO 105 OVER MUCH OF CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST WISCONSIN FROM TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. A HEAT ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR AREAS ALONG AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM WAUSAU TO SHAWANO TO GREEN BAY THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING. PERSONS WORKING OR PLAYING OUTDOORS SHOULD MAKE SURE THEY TAKE BREAKS IN THE SHADE AND HAVE PLENTY OF WATER. ORGANIZERS OF LARGE OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES FOR INDEPENDENCE DAY SHOULD HAVE ADEQUATE WATER AND SHADE FOR THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT ARE EXPECTED. THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT AS A WEAK COLD FRONT MOVES ACROSS THE AREA. A FEW OF THESE STORMS COULD BE SEVERE...WITH DAMAGING WINDS AND HEAVY RAINFALL. ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT... BUT IT IS TOO EARLY TO DETERMINE IF THEY MIGHT BE SEVERE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED LATE TONIGHT INTO TUESDAY. LMZ521-522-541>543-032115- THE BAY OF GREEN BAY SOUTH OF A LINE FROM CEDAR RIVER MI TO ROCK ISLAND PASSAGE-LAKE MICHIGAN FROM WASHINGTON ISLAND TO SHEBOYGAN- 403 PM CDT MON JUL 2 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST LAKE MICHIGAN AND THE WATERS OF GREEN BAY. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE TONIGHT. A FEW STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS WITH GUSTY WINDS COULD MOVE INTO THE AREA LATE TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH MONDAY THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS ON TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT AS A WEAK COLD FRONT MOVES ACROSS THE AREA. A FEW OF THESE STORMS COULD BE SEVERE...WITH STRONG WINDS AND HEAVY RAINFALL. ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ON FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT... BUT IT IS TOO EARLY TO DETERMINE IF THEY MIGHT BE SEVERE. INCREASING HUMIDITY MAY LEAD TO AREAS OF DENSE FOG OVER THE COLD NEARSHORE WATERS OF LAKE MICHIGAN DURING THE WORK WEEK. VERY WARM TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED THROUGH FRIDAY...WITH INLAND AREAS REACHING THE UPPER 80S AND LOWER 90S AT TIMES. THOSE WITH OUTDOOR PLANS AWAY FROM THE LAKESHORE SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR HOT AND HUMID CONDITIONS. EB/TSK
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREEN BAY WI 438 PM CDT MON JUL 2 2012 WIZ031-037>039-045-048-049-074-022330- BROWN-CALUMET-OUTAGAMIE-SHAWANO-SOUTHERN OCONTO COUNTY-WAUPACA-WAUSHARA-WINNEBAGO- 438 PM CDT MON JUL 2 2012 ...THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAINFALL AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING... AT 430 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED AN AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM SHAWANO TO 19 MILES WEST OF OSHKOSH...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH. AT 428 PM CDT...WEATHER SPOTTERS IN THE CLINTONVILLE VICINITY HAVE OBSERVED PEA TO DIME SIZE HAIL...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING AND HEAVY DOWNPOURS. GUSTY WINDS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. * THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR... BLACK CREEK BY 525 PM CDT... PULASKI AND OSHKOSH BY 545 PM CDT... APPLETON BY 555 PM CDT... KAUKAUNA BY 620 PM CDT... GREEN BAY BY 630 PM CDT... GUSTY WINDS MAY CAUSE LIGHT WEIGHT OBJECTS TO BE BLOWN OVER. STAY AWAY FROM HIGH OBJECTS OUTDOORS SUCH AS TREES. SEEK SHELTER IN A STURDY STRUCTURE UNTIL THESE STORMS HAVE PASSED. TH
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREEN BAY WI
442 PM CDT MON JUL 02 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0430 PM HAIL CLINTONVILLE 44.61N 88.75W
07/02/2012 M0.25 INCH WAUPACA WI STORM CHASER
PEA TO DIME SAIZE HAIL
0440 PM HAIL CLINTONVILLE 44.61N 88.75W
07/02/2012 M0.50 INCH WAUPACA WI TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
ASHLEYWThe Green Bay radar (KGRB), 52 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:42 UTC.
7 hail, 7 thunderstorm wind, 1 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.
Ping pong ball size hail fell at Clintonville.
Nickel size hail fell north of New London.
Walnut size hail fell at New London.
Hail up to quarter size fell at New London.
Penny size hail fell at Hortonville.
Thunderstorm wind gusts downed trees on Oakwood Road west of Neenah.
Thunderstorms produced a wind gust to 60 mph as they passed northeast of Winneconne.
Nickel size hail fell at Darboy.
Thunderstorms produced large hail and wind gusts to 70 mph in Oshkosh. The gust caused a canopy to collapse at a car rental business, damaging five cars.
Thunderstorms produced golf ball size hail as they passed through Oshkosh. Approximately 500 homes and two dozen vehicles sustained at least minor damage as a result of the large hail in east-central Winnebago County.
Thunderstorms produced wind gusts to 60 mph that downed large tree limbs along 9th Avenue in Oshkosh.
Thunderstorms produced a wind gust of 59 mph at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh.
Thunderstorms moving through Winnebago County produced 1.31 inches of rain in just 31 minutes at Wittman Regional Airport.
Thunderstorms produced wind gusts of 60 to 70 mph near Oshkosh.
Thunderstorm winds downed trees near the intersection of STH 52 and CTH W.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Wisconsin in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Wisconsin, July 2012
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: 401249, 401251, 401252, 401253, 401254, 401502, 401473, 401256, 401491, 401522, 401492, 402597, 402601, 401519, 401503.