Thunderstorms developed along and ahead of cold front during the afternoon of May 28th over central Wisconsin. These storms produced isolated reports of large hail and damaging winds near Big Spring (Adams County).
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 developed along and ahead of cold front during the afternoon of May 28th over central Wisconsin. These storms produced isolated reports of large hail and damaging winds near Big Spring (Adams 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 28, 1:16 PM CST, 1 hour 44 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI 216 PM CDT MON MAY 28 2012 .SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT 216 PM CDT MON MAY 28 2012 SLOWLY PROGRESSING UPPER LOW OVER THE DAKOTAS WILL BRING ONE LAST SEVERE WEATHER THREAT THIS AFTERNOON BEFORE PATTERN CHANGE LEADS TO COOLER REGIME. BESIDES CLEAN UP OF STORM ACTIVITY TODAY...MAIN THREAT NEXT FEW DAYS WILL BE LOCATION OF RAIN THREATS WITH SERIES OF SHORT WAVES IN WEST-NORTHWEST FLOW. INITIAL COLD FRONT OR SURFACE TROUGH MOVING THROUGH REGION AS OF 18Z WITH SECONDARY STRONGER COLD FRONT STILL MOVING ACROSS WESTERN MINNESOTA. AHEAD OF THIS INITIAL TROUGH...SURFACE CAPE VALUES OF 1000-1500 J/KG ARE IN PLACE. HIGHER DEEP SHEAR VALUES ARE ENTERING AREA AS WELL BUT LOWER LEVEL SHEAR NOT SUPPORTIVE OF TORNADO THREAT. SHEAR MIGHT BE TOO STRONG TODAY WITH RELATIVELY LIMITED CAPE TO GENERATE PROLONGED UPDRAFTS. COULD SEE SOME SMALL SUPERCELLS WITH WIND AND HAIL THREAT BUT CONFIDENCE IS LOW IN SEVERE POTENTIAL. STORMS ARE FAST MOVING AS WELL SO EXPECT THIS ACTIVITY TO BE EAST SOON AND WATCH WILL LIKELY BE REMOVED WELL BEFORE EXPIRATION. ANOTHER THREAT FOR STORMS IS CLOSER TO SHORT WAVE ACROSS CENTRAL MINNESOTA INTO NORTHERN WISCONSIN GOING INTO THIS EVENING. APPEARS MAIN THREAT WOULD STAY NORTH OF SERVICE AREA BUT HIGHER CAPE VALUES SOUTH COULD BRING SMALL RISK CLOSER TO INTERSTATE 94. EVEN SOME HINTS IN MESOSCALE MODELS OF DEVELOPMENT ALONG SECONDARY COLD FRONT SOUTH INTO IOWA BUT WILL DISREGARD THAT SOLUTION. OVERALL EXPECT WEST WINDS TO QUIET STORM THREAT DOWN THIS EVENING WITH ANY DIURNAL CLOUDS CLEARING OUT PRETTY QUICKLY AND COOLER...DRIER AIR SWEEPING IN. AFTER TONIGHT EVOLUTION OF UPPER SYSTEMS AND SHORT WAVE TROUGHS IN WESTERLY TO NORTHWEST FLOW WILL DICTATE MID WEEK WEATHER WITH COOLER TEMPERATURES AND RAIN THREATS. 28.12Z SHORT TERM MODEL GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO MOVE UPPER LOW EAST INTO NORTHERN GREAT LAKES ON TUESDAY. STILL SEEING HINTS THAT SHORT WAVE ON BACK SIDE OF LOW COULD DROP INTO CYCLONIC FLOW KEEPING MORE CLOUDS ACROSS MAINLY NORTHERN WISCONSIN ALONG WITH SMALL SHOWER THREAT. BY WEDNESDAY FOCUS IS MORE UPSTREAM WHERE STRONGER SHORT WAVE TROUGH IS PROGGED TO CROSS CANADIAN ROCKIES AND DROP INTO MIDWEST. CONTINUE TO SEE MODEL DIFFERENCES WITH ECMWF REMAINING FURTHER NORTH AND MORE PROGRESSIVE WITH FEATURE...WHILE PREFERRED BLEND OF 28.12Z NAM/GFS ARE STRONGER BUT FURTHER SOUTH. LOOKS LIKE MOST OF WEDNESDAY SHOULD BE DRY BUT EXPECT INCREASING CLOUDS AHEAD OF THIS FEATURE WITH RAIN THREAT MOVING INTO THE AREA WEDNESDAY NIGHT. HIGHER RAIN RISK ACROSS IOWA INTO ILLINOIS WHICH COULD LAST INTO THURSDAY NIGHT DEPENDING ON DEVELOPMENT OF UPPER LOW. COLDER AIR MOVING IN ALONG WITH CLOUDS AND RAIN COULD KEEP THURSDAY TEMPERATURES EVEN COLDER THAN FORECAST SO MAY TRIM A BIT. EITHER WAY CERTAINLY A CHILLY LATE MAY DAY. .LONG TERM...FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY 216 PM CDT MON MAY 28 2012 FORECAST A BIT UNCLEAR IN MEDIUM RANGE AS MEAN UPPER TROUGH TRANSITIONS INTO MEAN RIDGE. UPPER LOW PROGRESS HANDLED A BIT DIFFERENT BETWEEN GUIDANCE BUT COULD HAVE LINGERING SHOWER ACTIVITY AROUND ON FRIDAY...ESPECIALLY IF ECMWF VERIFIES OR IS TRENDING CORRECT. HEIGHTS BEGIN TO BUILD ON SATURDAY SO WARMING TREND LOOKS REASONABLE. UNSURE AT THIS POINT ON OVERALL RAIN THREAT WITH LIKELY WARM AIR ADVECTION TAKING PLACE SO SOME SMALL CHANCES INCLUDED DURING THIS TRANSITION PHASE. ENSEMBLES TEND TO KEEP SMALL RAIN THREAT AROUND BUT IF TREND OF BUILDING...STRONGER RIDGE DEVELOPS LIKE 28.12Z ECMWF IS HINTING...REGIME COULD BE MUCH DRIER AND WARMER THAN CURRENT FORECASTS...ESPECIALLY GOING INTO FOLLOWING WEEK. && .AVIATION...TONIGHT AND TUESDAY 1234 PM CDT MON MAY 28 2012 A COLD FRONT AND UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL MOVE EAST THROUGH WISCONSIN THIS AFTERNOON. THERE WILL BE ENOUGH INSTABILITY FOR SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP MAINLY EAST OF A WISCONSIN RAPIDS TO OELWEIN IOWA LINE. AS A RESULT...TOOK OUT THE MENTION OF VCTS AT THE KLSE TAF. THERE WILL BE ENOUGH SHEAR FOR A FEW OF THUNDERSTORMS TO BECOME SEVERE. THE MAIN SEVERE WEATHER THREATS WILL BE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. AS THE COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE AREA THE WINDS WILL CHANGE FROM SOUTH TO WEST. HOWEVER THERE WILL BE NO CHANGE IN THE WIND SPEED /15 TO 20 KNOTS/. ANOTHER SHORT WAVE TROUGH WILL MOVE ACROSS NORTHERN WISCONSIN LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THIS WILL PROVIDE A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS TAYLOR AND CLARK COUNTIES. THERE MAY BE SOME SMALL HAIL ASSOCIATED WITH A FEW OF THESE STORMS. ON TUESDAY MORNING...STRONGER WINDS FROM ALOFT WILL BE MIXED DOWN TO THE SURFACE AS DIURNAL HEATING OCCURS. WIND GUSTS WILL RANGE FROM 15 TO 30 KNOTS. THE STRONGEST WIND GUSTS WILL BE FOUND ACROSS NORTHEAST IOWA AND SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA. && .HYDROLOGY... 216 PM CDT MON MAY 28 2012 RECENT HEAVY RAINS ACROSS MAINLY CENTRAL MINNESOTA HAVE STARTED THE RISE ON THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. WHILE THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS IS TRYING TO HOLD SOME WATER IN RESERVE UPSTREAM...RIVER LEVELS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE UPWARD TREND THIS WEEK. FROM LA CROSSE NORTHWARD RIVER STAGES COULD REACH FLOOD STAGE OR AT LEAST ACTION/ NO WAKE LEVELS BY LATE WEEK. RIVER FLOOD WARNINGS WILL BE IN PLACE FOR SELECT POINTS. THE GOOD NEWS IS NO BOUTS OF HEAVY OR EXTENDED RAIN ARE FORSEEN IN THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. THOSE WITH INTEREST ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER SHOULD MONITOR FORECAST LEVEL AND CREST FORECASTS CLOSELY THIS WEEK. && .ARX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... 216 PM CDT MON MAY 28 2012 WI...NONE. MN...NONE. IA...NONE. && SHORT TERM...SHEA LONG TERM....SHEA AVIATION.....BOYNE HYDROLOGY....SHEA
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI 104 PM CDT MON MAY 28 2012 IAZ008>011-018-019-029-MNZ079-086>088-094>096-WIZ032-033-041-291200- ALLAMAKEE-BUFFALO-CHICKASAW-DODGE-FAYETTE-FILLMORE-FLOYD-HOUSTON- HOWARD-LA CROSSE-MITCHELL-MOWER-OLMSTED-TREMPEALEAU-WABASHA- WINNESHIEK-WINONA- 104 PM CDT MON MAY 28 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PARTS OF SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA...NORTHEAST IOWA...AND SOUTHWEST INTO CENTRAL WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THROUGH MID AFTERNOON EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. LIGHTNING AND BRIEF HEAVY RAIN WILL BE THE MAIN HAZARDS WITH THE STORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY. AT THIS TIME IS TOO EARLY TO DISCERN THE SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL WITH THESE STORMS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED. .EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATION... NO WEBINAR IS SCHEDULED. IAZ030-WIZ017-029-034-042>044-053>055-061-291200- ADAMS-CLARK-CLAYTON-CRAWFORD-GRANT-JACKSON-JUNEAU-MONROE-RICHLAND- TAYLOR-VERNON- 104 PM CDT MON MAY 28 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PARTS OF NORTHEAST IOWA AND SOUTHWEST INTO CENTRAL WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT THUNDERSTORMS MAY DEVELOP QUICKLY THIS AFTERNOON WITH A THREAT FOR HAIL...DAMAGING WIND...BRIEF HEAVY RAIN AND LIGHTNING. THE HIGHEST RISK OF STORMS EXTENDS FROM EASTERN IOWA INTO SOUTHWEST AND CENTRAL WISCONSIN BEFORE 6PM. ONCE STORMS FORM...THEY WILL MOVE QUICKLY OFF TO THE NORTHEAST. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY. AT THIS TIME IS TOO EARLY TO DISCERN THE SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL WITH THESE STORMS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... LOCALIZED SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED THIS AFTERNOON... ESPECIALLY IN SOUTHWEST OR CENTRAL WISCONSIN. IF ANY HIGH WINDS OR HAIL IS OBSERVED...PLEASE PASS ALONG REPORTS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. .EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATION... NO WEBINAR IS SCHEDULED. AJ/SHEA
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI 151 PM CDT MON MAY 28 2012 WIZ029-034-281945- CLARK-JACKSON- 151 PM CDT MON MAY 28 2012 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED IN SOUTHEAST CLARK AND EASTERN JACKSON COUNTIES THROUGH 245 PM CDT... AT 147 PM...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING OVER EXTREME NORTHWEST MONROE COUNTY. THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH. WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH...SMALL HAIL AND HEAVY RAIN MAY ACCOMPANY THESE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS. LOCATIONS THAT MAY BE AFFECTED INCLUDE... PIGEON CREEK CAMPGROUND...SEVENTEEN FLOWAGE...POTTERS FLOWAGE AND PRAY. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM THIS EVENING FOR NORTHEAST IOWA AND WESTERN WISCONSIN. BOYNE
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI 157 PM CDT MON MAY 28 2012 WIZ043-281930- JUNEAU- 157 PM CDT MON MAY 28 2012 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED IN JUNEAU COUNTY... AT 152 PM...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER THE SPRAGUE MATHER FLOWAGE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH. THIS THUNDERSTORM WILL BE JUST EAST OF BABCOCK BY 215 PM. WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH...SMALL HAIL AND HEAVY RAIN MAY ACCOMPANY THIS STRONG THUNDERSTORM. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM THIS EVENING FOR NORTHEAST IOWA AND WESTERN WISCONSIN. BOYNE
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI 221 PM CDT MON MAY 28 2012 WIZ034-042-043-282015- JACKSON-JUNEAU-MONROE- 221 PM CDT MON MAY 28 2012 AT 220 PM...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR FORT MCCOY...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH. SMALL HAIL AND HEAVY RAIN MAY ACCOMPANY THIS STRONG THUNDERSTORM. LOCATIONS THAT MAY BE AFFECTED INCLUDE... I 94 EXIT 143...KIRBY...JELLYSTONE PARK NEAR WARRENS...WARRENS... VALLEY JUNCTION AND THE REZIN LANDING STRIP. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM MONDAY EVENING FOR NORTHEAST IOWA AND WESTERN WISCONSIN. ZT
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
238 PM CDT MON MAY 28 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0235 PM HAIL 5 WSW WARRENS 44.10N 90.59W
05/28/2012 E0.50 INCH MONROE WI CO-OP OBSERVER
&&
TMSSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI 240 PM CDT MON MAY 28 2012 WIZ034-042>044-282045- ADAMS-JACKSON-JUNEAU-MONROE- 240 PM CDT MON MAY 28 2012 AT 238 PM...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER WARRENS...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH. AT 235 PM...HAIL UP TO 1/2 INCH HAS BEEN REPORTED NEAR WARRENS...ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN WITH THIS STRONG THUNDERSTORM. LOCATIONS THAT MAY BE AFFECTED INCLUDE... BEAR BLUFF TOWNSHIP...MATHER...THE MEADOW VALLEY FLOWAGE...MEADOW VALLEY AND FINLEY. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM MONDAY EVENING FOR NORTHEAST IOWA AND WESTERN WISCONSIN. ZT
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI 341 PM CDT MON MAY 28 2012 WIZ043-044-282145- ADAMS-JUNEAU- 341 PM CDT MON MAY 28 2012 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS APPROACHING SOUTHERN ADAMS AND JUNEAU COUNTIES... AT 339 PM...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 6 MILES SOUTHEAST OF BASS HOLLOW REC AREA...OR NEAR REEDSBURG...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH. SMALL HAIL UP TO 1/2 INCH AND HEAVY RAIN MAY ACCOMPANY THIS THUNDERSTORM. LOCATIONS THAT MAY BE AFFECTED INCLUDE... ARROWHEAD RESORT CAMPGROUND...HOLIDAY SHORES CAMPGROUND...PLAINVILLE...COONS DEEP LAKE CAMPGROUND...AND BROOKS. ZT
The La Crosse radar (KARX), 120 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:57 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Several trees were blown down near the intersection of State Highway 23 and County Road B.
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: 380001, 384737.