A line of severe thunderstorms moved along a stationary front and produced damaging winds and large hail across southwest and central Wisconsin in the morning hours of May 3rd. A National Weather Service employee reported a couple of trees knocked down in Holmen (La Crosse).
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.
A line of severe thunderstorms moved along a stationary front and produced damaging winds and large hail across southwest and central Wisconsin in the morning hours of May 3rd. A National Weather Service employee reported a couple of trees knocked down in Holmen (La Crosse). One inch diameter size hail fell in Big Flats (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 3, 5:30 AM CST, 52 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI 630 AM CDT THU MAY 3 2012 .SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT 346 AM CDT THU MAY 3 2012 FORECAST CONCERNS FOR TODAY ARE CENTERED ON SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. FOCUS THEN TURNS TO SHOWER/THUNDERSTORM CHANCES FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH THIS WEEKEND. CURRENT RADAR IMAGERY SHOWED A CLUSTER OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS ADAMS AND JUNEAU COUNTIES EARLY THIS MORNING...PRODUCING BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS. AT 330 AM RADAR SHOWED A LINE OF STRONG TO SEVER THUNDERSTORMS PUSHING INTO FAR NORTHWEST WISCONSIN...BURNETT AND POLK COUNTIES...MOVING EAST. WILL HAVE TO KEEP A CLOSE WATCH ON THIS LINE OF STORMS THIS MORNING SINCE THEY HAVE TO POTENTIAL TO IMPACT CLARK AND TAYLOR COUNTY BETWEEN 6 AM AND 7 AM. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE ONGOING EARLY THIS MORNING. ANOTHER ROUND OF STRONG TO POTENTIALLY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON....ESPECIALLY ACROSS NORTHEAST IOWA INTO FAR SOUTHWEST WISCONSIN. AN UNSTABLE AIRMASS WILL REMAIN IN PLACE ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA TODAY...WITH MUCAPE VALUES OF 1500 TO 2000 J/KG. 0-6 KM BULK SHEAR VALUES WILL RANGE FROM 35 TO 40 KTS THROUGH THE MID AFTERNOON HOURS...THEN START TO WANE IN THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS AS MID LEVEL WINDS DECREASE. THERE THE POTENTIAL FOR A FEW STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TODAY WITH THE MAIN THREATS BEING LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND HEAVY RAINFALL. AN OUTFLOW/FRONTAL BOUNDARY JUST NORTH OF THE INTERSTATE 90 CORRIDOR WILL SHIFT SOUTH INTO NORTHEAST IOWA AND FAR SOUTHWEST WISCONSIN THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING. THIS BOUNDARY WILL BE TH FOCUS FOR THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING...WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR SEEING A FEW ROUNDS OF STORMS ALONG IT. THIS MAY LEAD TO HEAVY RAIN CONCERNS ACROSS PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST IOWA AND FAR SOUTHWEST WISCONSIN WITH PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES AROUND 200 PERCENT OF NORMAL...WARM CLOUD DEPTHS OF 3500 METERS. WILL HAVE TO KEEP A CLOSE WATCH ON THE PROGRESSION OF THE BOUNDARY TODAY. IF CONVECTION FIRES THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA INTO WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN...THE BOUNDARY MAY END UP BEING PUSHED SOUTH OF THE FORECAST AREA. THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD MOVE SOUTH AND EAST OF THE FORECAST AREA LATE IN THE EVENING WITH A BREAK IN PRECIPITATION CHANCES FOR MUCH OF THE FORECAST AREA FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH MIDDAY FRIDAY. A SHORTWAVE TROUGH IS EXPECTED TO MOVE ACROSS SOUTH DAKOTA AND PUSH INTO CENTRAL/SOUTHERN MINNESOTA FRIDAY AFTERNOON. THIS FEATURE LOOKS TO MOVE EAST INTO THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY FRIDAY AFTERNOON INTO FRIDAY NIGHT BRINGING A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO THE AREA...SOME WHICH COULD POSSIBLY BE SEVERE. 0-6 KM BULK SHEAR OF 40 TO 50 KTS...AND 0-3KM MUCAPE VALUES OF NEARLY 3000 J/KG WILL MORE MORE THAN SUFFICIENT TO SUPPORT SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. SUPERCELLS WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS APPEAR POSSIBLE BUT THERE ARE STILL SOME DETAILS THAT NEED TO BE WORKED OUT. ONE OF THE MAIN CONCERNS IS HOW MUCH CLOUD COVER WILL BE AROUND THE REGION WHICH WILL GREATLY IMPACT THE AMOUNT OF INSTABILITY. PLAN ON HIGHS ON FRIDAY RANGING FROM THE UPPER 60S ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN TO THE UPPER 70S TO AROUND 80 ACROSS NORTHEAST IOWA. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WILL CONTINUE THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT. THE ACTIVE PATTERN IS EXPECTED TO PERSIST SATURDAY INTO SATURDAY NIGHT WITH CONTINUED CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. THE EASTERN EXTENT OF THE SHOWER/THUNDERSTORM CHANCES IS IN QUESTION AS HIGH PRESSURE TRIES TO BUILD SOUTH OUT OF ONTARIO...THROUGH UPPER MICHIGAN INTO CENTRAL WISCONSIN. THE HIGH MAKES A STRONG PUSH SATURDAY INTO SUNDAY..WITH DEWPOINTS FALLING INTO THE MID 30S...POSSIBLY LOWER...ACROSS NORTHERN WISCONSIN. WILL HAVE TO KEEP A CLOSE WATCH ON THIS LOW LEVEL DRY AIR AS IT WILL GREATLY IMPACT PRECIPITATION CHANCES. .LONG TERM...SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY 346 AM CDT THU MAY 3 2012 03.00 FORECAST MODELS IN GOOD AGREEMENT ON SUNDAY SHOWING A POTENT TROUGH PUSHING ACROSS THE DAKOTAS EARLY SUNDAY MORNING THEN MOVING INTO THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY REGION SUNDAY AFTERNOON. THIS SYSTEM HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BRING ANOTHER ROUND OF SEVERE WEATHER TO THE REGION...BUT IT IS A LITTLE TOO FAR OUT TO DETERMINE THE EXACT DETAILS AND TIMING. THE TROUGH IS EXPECTED TO PUSH INTO THE REGION MONDAY MORNING INTO TUESDAY BRINGING COOLER TEMPERATURES TO THE AREA ALONG WITH CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND PERHAPS AN ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM. PLAN ON HIGHS IN THE 60S TO AROUND 70S ON SUNDAY...FALLING INTO THE LOWER 60S ON MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. LOOK FOR OVERNIGHT LOW TO FALL INTO THE 40S. && .AVIATION...TODAY AND TONIGHT 630 AM CDT THU MAY 3 2012 WARM MOIST AIR-AMASS WILL REMAIN IN PLACE...WITH SEVERAL BOUNDARIES DRAPED ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA. BIGGEST CHALLENGE IS ON TIMING OF CONVECTION ALONG WITH CORRESPONDING CEILING HEIGHTS. LULL IN CONVECTION OVERNIGHT HAS RESULTED IN SOME LOWER VISIBILITIES WITH FOG...ESPECIALLY AT KRST. A WEAK SHORTWAVE ROTATING THROUGH IOWA WAS PRODUCING MORE CONVECTION IN NORTHEAST IOWA THAT WAS TRACKING TOWARDS KRST AND KLSE. THIS WILL LIKELY ARRIVE THIS MORNING BETWEEN 12Z-15Z AND LAST A FEW HOURS. CEILINGS WILL BE VARIABLE...BUT MAINLY IN THE MVFR RANCE. WITH THE CLOUDS EXPECTED TODAY...CONFIDENCE LOW ON TIMING OF ANY CONVECTION THIS AFTERNOON. DID KEEP TAF SITES MAINLY DRY AFTER THIS INITIAL WAVE GOES THROUGH. CEILINGS LOOK TO RISE INTO THE VFR CATEGORY. SOME CLEARING EXPECTED TONIGHT AND IF THIS DOES OCCUR WILL LIKELY HAVE SOME REDUCED VISIBILITIES IN FOG. DID DROP KLSE DOWN TO 4 SM BR AND KRST T0 2SM BR. && .HYDROLOGY...TODAY INTO TONIGHT 346 PM CDT WED MAY 2 2012 RAINFALL FROM LAST NIGHT THROUGH EARLY THIS MORNING RANGED FROM 1 TO 3 INCHES OVER NORTHERN WABASHA INTO CENTRAL BUFFALO COUNTY. THIS ALONG WITH RAINFALL FROM TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING MAY PRODUCE SOME RIVER RISES. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL IS EXPECTED TODAY WITH SOME LOCATIONS POSSIBLY RECEIVING 1/2 TO 1 INCH...WILL HAVE TO KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON AREA STREAMS AND RIVERS FOR SOME LOCALIZED FLOODING POTENTIAL. HYDROLOGIC STATEMENTS HAVE BEEN ISSUED FOR SEVERAL RIVERS FOR THE RISES THAT EITHER HAVE OCCURRED OR ARE EXPECTED TO OCCUR. PLEASE REFERENCE THE LATEST STATEMENTS /MKERVSARX FGUS83/ FOR THE MOST CURRENT INFORMATION. && .ARX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... 346 AM CDT THU MAY 3 2012 WI...NONE. MN...NONE. IA...NONE. && SHORT TERM...WETENKAMP LONG TERM....WETENKAMP AVIATION...RABERDING HYDROLOGY....WETENKAMP
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI 642 AM CDT THU MAY 3 2012 IAZ008>011-018-019-029-030-MNZ079-086>088-094>096-WIZ017-029-032>034- 041>044-053>055-061-041200- 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- 642 AM CDT THU MAY 3 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA...NORTHEAST IOWA AND SOUTHWEST INTO CENTRAL WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT AN AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTHEAST IOWA WILL MOVE INTO SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA AND PERHAPS WESTERN WISCONSIN THIS MORNING. THESE STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO REDEVELOP LATER TODAY. SOME OF THE STORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE WITH LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND HEAVY RAINFALL THE MAIN THREATS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THE MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIRMASS WILL REMAIN IN PLACE ON FRIDAY. THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ONCE AGAIN...WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. ADDITIONAL CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. IT IS TOO EARLY TO DISCERN IF SEVERE WEATHER COULD OCCUR WITH THESE STORMS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED TODAY AND AGAIN ON FRIDAY. .EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATION... NO WEBINAR IS SCHEDULED. RABERDING/WETENKAMP
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI 638 AM CDT THU MAY 3 2012 MNZ087-088-095-096-WIZ041-053-031245- FILLMORE-HOUSTON-LA CROSSE-OLMSTED-VERNON-WINONA- 638 AM CDT THU MAY 3 2012 AT 634 AM...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FROM 9 MILES SOUTHWEST OF ISINOURS TO 15 MILES SOUTH OF MABEL...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH. WIND GUSTS UP TO 55 TO 60 MPH MAY ACCOMPANY THESE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS. SEVERE WEATHER HAS BEEN REPORTED WITH THESE STORMS. WARNINGS MAY BE NEEDED AS THESE STORMS GET CLOSER LOCATIONS THAT MAY BE AFFECTED INCLUDE... CHATFIELD...MABEL...LANESBORO...SPRING GROVE AND RUSHFORD. RABERDING
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
648 AM CDT THU MAY 03 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0644 AM TSTM WND GST DECORAH 43.31N 91.79W
05/03/2012 E60.00 MPH WINNESHIEK IA 911 CALL CENTER
&&
JLRSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI 653 AM CDT THU MAY 3 2012 IAZ011-MNZ088-096-WIZ032-033-041-042-053-031300- ALLAMAKEE-BUFFALO-HOUSTON-LA CROSSE-MONROE-TREMPEALEAU-VERNON-WINONA- 653 AM CDT THU MAY 3 2012 ...STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS APPROACHING ALLAMAKEE...BUFFALO... HOUSTON...LA CROSSE...MONROE...TREMPEALEAU...VERNON AND WINONA COUNTIES... AT 648 AM...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FROM 31 MILES SOUTHWEST OF PERROT STATE PARK TO 26 MILES SOUTHWEST OF GENOA...MOVING EAST AT 55 MPH. SEVERE WEATHER HAS BEEN REPORTED WITH THESE STORMS WITH 60 MPH WINDS AND 1 INCH HAIL. WARNINGS MAY BE NEEDED AS THESE STORMS GET CLOSER LOCATIONS THAT MAY BE AFFECTED INCLUDE... STODDARD...LA CROSSE...LA CROSSE AIRPORT...FRENCH ISLAND... TREMPEALEAU AND DAKOTA. BE ALERT FOR STORMS THAT MAY PRODUCE LARGE HAIL. MOVE INDOORS AND AWAY FROM WINDOWS IF A WARNING IS ISSUED. PREPARE NOW FOR POSSIBLE STRONG TO DAMAGING THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS. MOVE INDOORS AND AWAY FROM WINDOWS IF A WARNING IS ISSUED. RABERDING
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
712 AM CDT THU MAY 03 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0628 AM TSTM WND DMG HARMONY 43.56N 92.01W
05/03/2012 FILLMORE MN EMERGENCY MNGR
TREES DOWN IN TOWN WITH ESTIMATED WIND GUSTS NEAR 70 MPH.
&&
SHEAPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
713 AM CDT THU MAY 03 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0701 AM TSTM WND DMG BRATSBERG 43.73N 91.77W
05/03/2012 FILLMORE MN LAW ENFORCEMENT
LARGE PINE TREE DOWN BLOCKING STATE HIGHWAY 43.
&&
WETENKAMPSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI 716 AM CDT THU MAY 3 2012 WIZ033-034-042-043-031315- JACKSON-JUNEAU-MONROE-TREMPEALEAU- 716 AM CDT THU MAY 3 2012 ...STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS APPROACHING JACKSON...JUNEAU... MONROE AND TREMPEALEAU COUNTIES... AT 711 AM...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FROM 34 MILES SOUTHWEST OF NORTH CREEK TO 24 MILES SOUTHWEST OF HIGHWAY 33 AND COUNTY Y...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH. SEVERE WEATHER HAS BEEN REPORTED WITH THESE STORMS INCLUDING 60 TO 70 MPH WINDS AND ONE INCH HAIL. WARNINGS MAY BE NEEDED AS THESE STORMS GET CLOSER LOCATIONS THAT MAY BE AFFECTED INCLUDE... SPARTA AND NORTH BEND. BE ALERT FOR STORMS THAT MAY PRODUCE LARGE HAIL. MOVE INDOORS AND AWAY FROM WINDOWS IF A WARNING IS ISSUED. PREPARE NOW FOR POSSIBLE STRONG TO DAMAGING THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS. MOVE INDOORS AND AWAY FROM WINDOWS IF A WARNING IS ISSUED. RABERDING
The La Crosse radar (KARX), 5 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 12:20 UTC.
4 thunderstorm wind, 1 heavy rain, 1 hail, 1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Power lines were blown down in the town of Shelby. More than 440 people were without power when a tree fell on a power line.
In approximately an hour and a half, 2.7 inches of rain fell in Big Flats.
An estimated wind gust of 60 miles per hour occurred in Holmen.
National Weather Service employee reported a couple of trees and six inch diameter branches were blown down north of Holmen.
A picnic table was flipped over and pea size hail fell in Galesville.
Dime to quarter size hail fell in Big Flats.
Lightning struck and caught a house on fire northwest of Melrose. The house was totally destroyed by the fire.
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: 373497, 380984, 373507, 373503, 373505, 373494, 377572.