Cold air aloft combined with an upper level disturbance to form thunderstorms that produced a few funnel clouds across central and northeast Wisconsin.
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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.
Cold air aloft combined with an upper level disturbance to form thunderstorms that produced a few funnel clouds across central and northeast Wisconsin.
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 May 8, 5:34 AM CST, 4 hours 36 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREEN BAY WI 634 AM CDT TUE MAY 8 2012 UPDATED AVIATION PORTION FOR 12Z TAF ISSUANCE .SHORT TERM...TODAY/TONIGHT/WEDNESDAY. UPPER LOW OVER FAR NORTHERN MINNESOTA EARLY THIS MORNING PROGGED TO DROP OVER THE STATE TODAY IN THIS EVENING. AFTER A QUIET EARLY MORNING OVER MOST LOCATIONS...CLOUDS AND SHOWERS WILL BE SPREADING SOUTHEASTWARD OVER THE STATE DURING THE DAY. ANTICIPATE SHOWER ACTIVITY WORK BEGIN TO WORK OVER EAST CENTRAL WISCONSIN DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS SO HAVE HIGHER MAX TEMPS THERE. A FEW SHOWERS WERE ALREADY SHOWING UP OVER FAR NORTHERN WISCONSIN NEAR THE SURFACE BOUNDARY...WHICH WILL SLOWLY PIVOT SOUTH TODAY. ISOLATED TSRA NOTED OVER SOUTHERN CANADA ON MONDAY IN THE CENTER OF THE LOW...AND ANTICIPATE SIMILAR RESULTS TODAY AS THE COOL H5 TEMPS SETTLE OVER THE STATE BY THIS AFTERNOON. BEST LAPSE RATES AND TOTAL TOTAL NUMBERS ALSO THIS AFTERNOON OVER MOST LOCATIONS AND THEN INTO THIS EVENING OVER CENTRAL AND EAST CENTRAL WISCONSIN. NAM PROGS A SURFACE LOW OVER NORTHEAST WISCONSIN AROUND 18Z TODAY...HOWEVER THE MAIN UPPER LOW SYSTEM IS OVER EASTERN MINNESOTA AND NORTHWEST WISCONSIN. IN ADDITION THE COLDEST AIR CORE ALSO IS PROGGED TO DROP OVER WESTERN WISCONSIN FOR POSSIBLE FUNNEL CLOUD ACTIVITY AND HAIL. SHOWERS ALREADY ON THE RADAR OVER NORTHERN MINNESOTA SO WILL UP POPS TODAY OVER MOST LOCATIONS. THE 00Z ECMWF QPF PROGS CAME IN RATHER MINIMAL OVER EAST CENTRAL WISCONSIN THIS AFTERNOON. UPPER LOW AND DRIER AIR FILTERING INTO THE STATE FROM THE NORTH IN THE UPPER LOWS WAKE TONIGHT WILL DIMINISH AND THEN END SHOWER ACTIVITY FROM NORTH TO SOUTH. COOLER DRIER AIR ON NORTHERLY WINDS ON TAP FOR WEDNESDAY AS A SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM SETTLES INTO THE STATE. .LONG TERM...WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH NEXT MONDAY. ONLY A COUPLE CONCERNS TO DEAL WITH IN THE EXTENDED...NAMELY A COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE LATE FRIDAY INTO FRIDAY NIGHT...AND THE PROGRESSION OF AN UPPER TROUGH DUE TO SETTLE OVER THE AREA THIS WEEKEND. THE ECMWF/GFS HAVE A SIMILAR TIMING TO THE FRONT LATE THIS WEEKEND...BUT THE GFS ENSEMBLE IS QUITE A BIT FASTER. THE UPPER AIR PATTERN IS RATHER BUCKLED ACROSS NORTH AMERICA DURING THIS TIME...SO FIGURE ON GOING WITH THE SLOWER OPERATIONAL MODEL SOLUTIONS. AS A RESULT...WILL GO WITH A SLOWER TIMING FOR THE UPPER TROUGH AS IT SETTLES OVERHEAD. A BLEND OF THE GFS/ECMWF SHOULD SUFFICE FOR MOST OF THIS FORECAST. WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT...PRETTY QUIET DURING THIS PERIOD. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BE CENTERED OVER THE AREA WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY...BEFORE SHIFTING OFF TO THE SOUTHEAST THURSDAY NIGHT. MID AND HIGH CLOUDS WILL BE SPILLING OVER THE UPPER RIDGE POSITIONED TO OUR WEST AND FILTER OVERHEAD FOR MUCH OF WEDNESDAY NIGHT. WILL RAISE SKY CONDITIONS TO PARTLY CLOUDY AS SOUNDINGS LOOK FAIRLY SATURATED ABOVE 15KFT. SOME OF THESE CLOUDS WILL LIKELY LINGER INTO THURSDAY...BUT SATURATION LOOK LESS...SO WILL GO WITH MOSTLY SUNNY SKY CONDITIONS. THE COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE NORTHERN MISSISSIPPI VALLEY THURSDAY NIGHT...BUT WILL BE TOO FAR AWAY FOR MUCH OF AN IMPACT. SHOULD SEE A MOSTLY CLEAR NIGHT AS THE MID AND HIGH CLOUDS WILL LIKELY BE TO OUR WEST AND NORTH. 925MB TEMPS 12-14C CALL FOR HIGHS IN THE MID 60S TO LOW 70S AND WILL RAISE TEMPS UP SOME. LOWS IN THE UPPER 30S THROUGH THE 40S. REST OF THE FORECAST...COLD FRONT OVER THE NORTHERN MISSISSIPPI VALLEY WILL SAG INTO NORTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN LATE IN THE AFTERNOON ON FRIDAY. WILL HAVE SOUTH WINDS AHEAD OF THE FRONT WITH TEMPS WARMING INTO THE 70S. UPPER LEVEL DYNAMICS WILL RESIDE BEHIND THE FRONT...AND THERE IS VERY LITTLE INSTABILITY ALONG THE FRONT BESIDES. AS A RESULT...NOT EXPECTING MUCH PRECIP ALONG THE FRONT...OTHER THAN MAYBE A SCT LINE OF SHOWERS. WILL BACK OFF SHOWER CHANCES A BIT. THE FRONT MOVE ACROSS THE AREA FRIDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY SATURDAY MORNING. LOW POP CHANCES LOOK GOOD HERE. DRIER AIR WILL ARRIVE BEHIND THE FRONT SATURDAY INTO SATURDAY NIGHT. HOWEVER...THE UPPER TROUGH WILL SETTLE OVER THE AREA SUNDAY INTO MONDAY. WOULDNT BE SURPRISED TO SEE SHOWER CHANCES ADDED FOR THIS PERIOD DOWN THE ROAD...BUT WILL STICK WITH A DRY FORECAST. TEMPS WILL BE FAIRLY SEASONABLE OVER THE PERIOD. && .AVIATION...PATCHY MVFR VSBYS DUE TO GROUND FOG MAY LINGER TO AROUND 14Z OTHERWISE EXPECT VFR CIGS TO DEVELOP EARLY THIS MORNING THEN LOWER TO MVFR CIGS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING AS SHOWERS BECOME MORE NUMEROUS. MVFR CIGS WITH ISOLATED IFR CIGS WILL LINGER TONIGHT WHILE SHOWERS GRADUALLY DIMINISH FROM NORTH TO SOUTH. TDH && .GRB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREEN BAY WI 600 AM CDT TUE MAY 8 2012 WIZ005-010>013-018>022-030-031-035>040-045-048>050-073-074-091100- 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- 600 AM CDT TUE MAY 8 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED...BUT SOME OF THE STORMS COULD PRODUCE SMALL HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY PATCHY FROST IS POSSIBLE ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT. THERE IS A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS FRIDAY NIGHT...SEVERE STORMS ARE NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED TODAY OR TONIGHT. LMZ521-522-541>543-091100- THE BAY OF GREEN BAY SOUTH OF A LINE FROM CEDAR RIVER MI TO ROCK ISLAND PASSAGE-LAKE MICHIGAN FROM WASHINGTON ISLAND TO SHEBOYGAN- 600 AM CDT TUE MAY 8 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST LAKE MICHIGAN AND THE WATERS OF GREEN BAY. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED...BUT SOME OF THE STORMS COULD PRODUCE SMALL HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY THERE IS A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS FRIDAY NIGHT...SEVERE STORMS ARE NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. TH/MPC
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREEN BAY WI
1044 AM CDT TUE MAY 08 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1040 AM HAIL PRESQUE ISLE 46.25N 89.73W
05/08/2012 E0.25 INCH VILAS WI TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
BERSCHSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREEN BAY WI 1049 AM CDT TUE MAY 8 2012 WIZ005-010>013-018>022-073-074-081730- VILAS-ONEIDA-FOREST-FLORENCE-NORTHERN MARINETTE-LINCOLN-LANGLADE- MENOMINEE-NORTHERN OCONTO-DOOR-SOUTHERN MARINETTE-SOUTHERN OCONTO- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...EAGLE RIVER...RHINELANDER...CRANDON... TOMAHAWK...ANTIGO...KESHENA...STURGEON BAY...CRIVITZ 1049 AM CDT TUE MAY 8 2012 SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP ACROSS NORTHERN WISCONSIN LATE THIS MORNING AND INTO THE AFTERNOON. THE STRONGEST ACTIVITY COULD PRODUCE BRIEF HEAVY RAIN AND SMALL HAIL. WIZ030-031-035>040-045-048>050-081730- MARATHON-SHAWANO-WOOD-PORTAGE-WAUPACA-OUTAGAMIE-BROWN-KEWAUNEE- WAUSHARA-WINNEBAGO-CALUMET-MANITOWOC- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...WAUSAU...WISCONSIN RAPIDS... STEVENS POINT...APPLETON...GREEN BAY...ALGOMA...WAUTOMA... OSHKOSH...CHILTON...TWO RIVERS 1049 AM CDT TUE MAY 8 2012 CLOUDS WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE ACROSS CENTRAL AND EAST CENTRAL WISCONSIN LATE THIS MORNING...WITH SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING BY EARLY AFTERNOON. THE STRONGEST ACTIVITY COULD PRODUCE BRIEF HEAVY RAIN AND SMALL HAIL. BERSCH
The Green Bay radar (KGRB), 102 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 16:08 UTC.
3 funnel cloud. Local standard time, as filed.
A funnel cloud was reported by the Wisconsin DNR near the intersection of County Road C and Glendale Road, west of Wausaukee.
A storm chaser spotted a funnel cloud, that nearly touched the ground, south of Wausaukee.
A funnel cloud was spotted in western Marathon County.
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: 382487, 382489, 382488.