Thunderstorms that developed over South Dakota during the early morning hours of May 26th held together past sunrise and intensified over southeast Minnesota during the late morning. These storms then produced large hail and locally heavy rain over portions of western Wisconsin during 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 ARX wrote it up.
Thunderstorms that developed over South Dakota during the early morning hours of May 26th held together past sunrise and intensified over southeast Minnesota during the late morning. These storms then produced large hail and locally heavy rain over portions of western Wisconsin during the afternoon and evening. Golf ball sized hail fell near Tell (Buffalo County) and some street flooding occurred in La Crosse (La Crosse 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 May 26, 1:28 PM CST, 2 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI 228 PM CDT SAT MAY 26 2012 .SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT 228 PM CDT SAT MAY 26 2012 TIMING AND SEVERE THREAT WITH ROUNDS OF STORMS THIS HOLIDAY WEEKEND CONTINUES TO BE MAIN EMPHASIS...BESIDES POSSIBLE RECORD HEAT FOR TOMORROW. CURRENT MCS ACTIVITY IS RIDING MOST UNSTABLE CAPE GRADIENT FROM SOUTHERN MINNESOTA INTO EASTERN IOWA AND ILLINOIS...ALONG WITH EDGE OF MID LAYER TEMPERATURE CAP TO THE SOUTHWEST. ACTIVITY IS NOT OVERLY ORGANIZED BUT DECENT LOW LEVEL INFLOW FROM THE EAST AND UNSTABLE MID LEVEL LAPSE RATES ENOUGH TO FLARE UP STORMS OCCASIONALLY THAT HAVE PRODUCED HAIL AND STRONG WINDS EARLIER... INCLUDING 69 MPH WIND GUST REPORTED AT KRST AIRPORT. WILL CONTINUE STORM THREAT INTO EARLY EVENING AS LOW/MID LEVEL MOISTURE CONVERGENCE CONTINUES. POWERFUL SOUTHWEST U.S. UPPER TROUGH CONTINUES TO DIG INTO HIGH PLATEU AREAS CAUSING RIDGING OVER CENTRAL U.S. LOW LEVEL RESPONSE HAS BEEN STRONG WITH MOISTURE AND WARMER AIR SURGING NORTHWARD FROM TEXAS INTO SOUTHERN IOWA. ASSOCIATED WITH THIS...SURFACE WARM FRONT CONTINUES TO PUSH NORTH APPROACHING INTERSTATE 80 AS OF 19Z. 850 MB MOISTURE TRANSPORT SHOULD BE PEAKING THIS AFTERNOON AND THEN BEGINS TO REFOCUS WEST AND NORTH AS UPPER TROUGH TO THE WEST CONTINUES TO BECOME MORE NEGATIVELY TILTED. ALTHOUGH SHORT TERM GUIDANCE REALLY STRUGGLED TODAY WITH CONVECTION DETAILS...IT CONTINUES TREND OF MID LAYER WARMING TONIGHT AS CAP CONTINUES TO BUILD IN FROM THE SOUTHWEST. DEPENDING ON WHERE NEXT MCS FORMS TONIGHT...EXPECT RAIN THREAT TO CONTINUE SHIFTING NORTH AND COULD BE MORE LIMITED TO AREAS ALONG AND NORTH OF INTERSTATE 94 BY LATE EVENING. THESE TYPES OF SCENARIOS RARELY TRANSITION THAT SMOOTHLY THOUGH SO THAT BEARS WATCHING AND UNTIL MORE DEFINITIVE PUSH OF WARM FRONT OCCURS...COULD NOT COMPLETELY RULE OUT A THUNDERSTORM THREAT. BY TOMORROW CONFIDENCE IN A CAP GROWS AND EXCEPT FOR CONTINUED STORM TRACK THREAT IN NORTHERN WISCONSIN...AGREE THAT BULK OF AREA SHOULD BE QUIET. 850 MB TEMPERATURE ANOMOLIES OF +2 TO +2.5 SUPPORT IDEA OF NEAR RECORD OR RECORD HIGHS IN SOME AREAS. STRONG CONVECTION EXPECTED TO FIRE ALONG COLD FRONT TO THE WEST DURING THE AFTERNOON BUT EXPECT BULK OF THAT ACTIVITY TO REMAIN WEST/NORTHWEST OF AREA. AS UPPER LOW EJECTS OUT OF SOUTHWEST TROUGH...GOOD AGREEMENT BETWEEN 26.12Z NAM/GFS OF SYSTEM DEEPENING AND/OR SLOWING BEFORE WESTERLIES PUSH IT EAST MONDAY. CONVECTION TO THE WEST SUNDAY NIGHT COULD HELP PUSH COLD FRONT CLOSER TO OUR AREA BUT IT WILL BE THE UPPER LOW WHICH WILL INCREASE THE SPEED RAPIDLY EAST GOING INTO MEMORIAL DAY. MODEL TRENDS HAVE BEEN SLOWING THIS FEATURE SO A BIT UNCLEAR ON EXACT PLACEMENT OF FRONT BUT ASSUMING IT WILL BE CROSSING MISSISSIPPI RIVER AROUND MIDDAY SO ANY SEVERE WEATHER THREAT WOULD BE LIMITED WEST OF THERE DURING MORNING. HIGHER RISK OF SEVERE INTO WISCONSIN AND AREAS SOUTH AS FRONT MAKES STRONG MOVEMENT ON MONDAY AFTERNOON. .LONG TERM...WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY 228 PM CDT SAT MAY 26 2012 BLOCKING PATTERN ESTABLISHES OVER EASTERN CANADA IN LATER PERIODS WITH MEAN TROUGH AND RIDGING ALONG WESTERN U.S. THIS KEEPS US IN NORTHWEST FLOW FOR THE MOST PART. LINGERING TROUGH OVER ONTARIO COULD GENERATE SOME LIGHT SHOWER ACTIVITY ON WEDNESDAY BUT BULK OF THAT EXPECTED TO REMAIN OVER NORTHERN WISCONSIN WITH COOL HIGH TEMPERATURES. MEANWHILE SHORT WAVE DROPPING OUT OF WESTERN CANADA BY WEDNESDAY NIGHT/THURSDAY COULD GENERATE ENOUGH LIFT ALONG FRONT TO THE SOUTH FOR SHOWER/THUNDER STORM RISK. AFTER THAT CONFIDENCE IS LOW IN DETAILS BUT GENERALLY MEDIUM RANGE GUIDANCE SUGGESTS LESS FEATURES TO FOCUS ON AND PERHAPS QUIET PERIOD GOING INTO NEXT WEEKEND WITH GRADUAL HEIGHT RISES AND RIDGE BUILDING. && .AVIATION...TODAY AND TONIGHT 1257 PM CDT SAT MAY 26 2012 LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS MOVING THROUGH THE AREA EXPECTED TO IMPACT KLSE EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. IFR CONDITIONS FOR A SHORT PERIOD ARE EXPECTED WITH THE LINE OF STORMS. ONCE THIS ACTIVITY CLEARS THE AREA...VFR CONDITIONS SHOULD PREVAIL FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE PERIOD. WARM FRONT NOW OVER SOUTHERN IOWA WILL CONTINUE TO LIFT NORTH. AS IT DOES...WARM AIR ALOFT AND AT THE SURFACE WILL BUILD IN TO SHUT OFF THE POTENTIAL FOR ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT. SKIES ARE EXPECTED TO SCATTER OUT BY LATE AFTERNOON OR EARLY EVENING AND REMAIN THAT WAY THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING. THE WINDS WILL INCREASE SUNDAY MORNING WITH SUSTAINED SPEEDS AROUND 15 KNOTS. GUSTS TO AROUND 25 KNOTS WILL DEVELOP BY 15Z AT KRST. DID NOT INCLUDE ANY GUSTS AT KLSE BUT EXPECT THESE TO DEVELOP AROUND 18Z OR SO. && .ARX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... 228 PM CDT SAT MAY 26 2012 WI...NONE. MN...NONE. IA...NONE. && SHORT TERM....SHEA LONG TERM.....SHEA AVIATION......04
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI 1215 PM CDT SAT MAY 26 2012 IAZ008>011-018-019-029-030-MNZ079-086>088-094>096-WIZ017-029-032>034- 041>044-053>055-061-271100- 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- 1215 PM CDT SAT MAY 26 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PARTS OF SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA...NORTHEAST IOWA...AND SOUTHWEST INTO CENTRAL WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE MOVING THROUGH THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON. SOME STORMS COULD REACH SEVERE LIMITS WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF LARGE HAIL...GUSTY WINDS...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND ABOUT 30 MINUTES OF HEAVY RAIN. ANY SEVERE WEATHER THREAT APPEARS TO BE ACROSS SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA AND FAR NORTHEAST IOWA BEFORE 3 PM AND INTO WESTERN WISCONSIN FROM 2 TO 5 PM. ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE TONIGHT ALONG AND NORTH OF INTERSTATE 94. GUSTY WINDS...HEAVY RAIN AND LIGHTNING WILL BE THE MAIN HAZARDS WITH THESE STORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY. THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WEATHER WITH THESE STORMS...MAINLY WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER SUNDAY NIGHT AND EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER MONDAY AFTERNOON. HOWEVER...IT IS UNCERTAIN AT THIS TIME WHAT TYPES OF SEVERE WEATHER COULD OCCUR. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WHILE WIDESPREAD SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED...REPORTS OF WIND GUSTS OR HAIL WOULD BE APPRECIATED. LOCAL SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED IF THE STRONGER STORMS APPROACH YOUR AREA. .EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATION... NO WEBINAR IS SCHEDULED. 04/SHEA
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
1229 PM CDT SAT MAY 26 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1228 AM HAIL 3 SW ROCHESTER 43.98N 92.52W
05/26/2012 E0.75 INCH OLMSTED MN TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
TMSPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
1237 PM CDT SAT MAY 26 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1223 AM TSTM WND GST 7 S ROCHESTER 43.91N 92.48W
05/26/2012 M69 MPH OLMSTED MN ASOS
ROCHESTER ASOS PK WND 31060/1723
&&
TMSPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
101 PM CDT SAT MAY 26 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1215 AM HEAVY RAIN 2 S CLAREMONT 44.02N 93.00W
05/26/2012 M1.73 INCH DODGE MN PUBLIC
FELL IN 30 MINUTES
&&
TMSSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI 108 PM CDT SAT MAY 26 2012 MNZ088-095-096-WIZ029-032>034-041-042-053-261910- BUFFALO-CLARK-FILLMORE-HOUSTON-JACKSON-LA CROSSE-MONROE- TREMPEALEAU-VERNON-WINONA- 108 PM CDT SAT MAY 26 2012 ...STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO MOVE ACROSS SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA... A CLUSTER OF THUNDERSTORMS WITH A HISTORY OF HAIL...GUSTY WINDS...TORRENTIAL RAINS AND LIGHTNING WAS BETWEEN WABASHA AND PRESTON...EAST OF ROCHESTER MINNESOTA AS OF 1 PM. THESE STORMS WERE TRACKING TOWARDS WINONA AND CALEDONIA IN MINNESOTA AND WILL MOVE INTO WESTERN WISCONSIN AROUND 2PM. MOVE INDOORS AS STORMS APPROACH. AN INCREASED LIGHTNING RISK WILL ACCOMPANY THESE STORMS FROM JUST THE SHOWERS AROUND SO DO NOT TAKE CHANCES. SOME PONDING IN STREETS AND PARKING LOTS IS POSSIBLE. SHEA
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
142 PM CDT SAT MAY 26 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1225 AM HAIL 6 S ROCHESTER 43.93N 92.48W
05/26/2012 E0.50 INCH OLMSTED MN 911 CALL CENTER
2 NE ROCHESTER AIRPORT
&&
TMSPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
148 PM CDT SAT MAY 26 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0100 PM HEAVY RAIN 2 W EYOTA 43.99N 92.27W
05/26/2012 M2.16 INCH OLMSTED MN TRAINED SPOTTER
FELL BETWEEN 1230 AND 1 PM ON WEST SOUTHWEST SIDE OF
CHESTER WOODS. ALSO PEA TO SIZE HAIL FELL.
&&
SHEAThe La Crosse radar (KARX), 6 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:28 UTC.
5 hail, 1 flood, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Locally heavy rain produced some street flooding in the city of La Crosse that included the intersection of U.S. Highways 14/61 (Mormon Coulee Road) and Losey Boulevard.
A semi and trailer were blown over causing State Highway 93 to be closed for about two and half hours north of Elk Creek. The driver of the semi sustained minor injuries but refused medical treatment.
The hail ranged in size from one inch up to golf ball in Big Flats.
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, May 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: 379744, 379747, 379748, 380090, 379751, 379761, 379763.