Several lines of severe thunderstorms with damaging winds affected South Central Wisconsin during the late evening hours of May 19th, lasting into the early morning hours of May 20th. Some structural damage occurred, with many trees and power lines downed by winds that were sustained for 10 to 20 minutes at a time up to 44 mph (38 knots), and gusting to 60 mph (52 knots).
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 MKX wrote it up.
Several lines of severe thunderstorms with damaging winds affected South Central Wisconsin during the late evening hours of May 19th, lasting into the early morning hours of May 20th. Some structural damage occurred, with many trees and power lines downed by winds that were sustained for 10 to 20 minutes at a time up to 44 mph (38 knots), and gusting to 60 mph (52 knots). The lines of severe storms were moving around 40 knots (46 mph) driven a by a 50-60 knot low-level jet ahead of one of a series of a short-wave impulses that crossed the region. The combination of actual storm speed and the momentum transfer of the strong low-level jet winds being brought down to the surface with the storm precipitation produced the damaging wind gusts.
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 Milwaukee, WI wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 19, 2:48 PM CST, 5 hours 12 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI 348 PM CDT SUN MAY 19 2013 .VERY SHORT TERM...TONIGHT AND MONDAY...FORECAST CONFIDENCE MEDIUM. WATER VAPOR IMAGERY IS SHOWING A SERIES OF SHORT WAVES/VORT MAXES/PERTURBATIONS LINING UP FROM THE PACIFIC NW TO NORTHERN NEW MEXICO/PANHANDLE REGION OF TX/OK THAT WILL BE DIVING INTO AND AROUND THE BASE OF A DEEPENING TROUGH OVER THE DAKOTAS. THESE WILL PROVIDE THE TRIGGERING MECHANISM FOR SUCCESSIVE ROUNDS OF SHOWERS AND STORMS OVER THE NEXT 24 TO 36 HOURS. A CLUSTER OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER SOUTH CENTRAL WI PRODUCING WINDS OF 50 TO 60 MPH IS WEAKENING AS IT MOVES FURTHER EAST INTO THE MORE CAPPED ENVIRONMENT. A COUPLE OF SITES HAVE REPORTED GUSTS OF 35 TO 45 MPH IN THE WAKE OF THIS SMALL TSTORM COMPLEX. NOW KEEPING AN EYE ON CONVECTION IN CENTRAL IOWA THAT IS ASSOCIATED WITH ANOTHER SHORTWAVE TROUGH EXTENDING SE FROM THE MCV NOW OVER SW MN. HRRR AND WRF-ARW MODELS BRING THIS AREA OF CONVECTION INTO SOUTH CENTRAL WI AROUND 23Z. SLIGHT STRENGTHENING OF THE LLJ OVER IL DURING THIS TIME ALONG WITH 850MB WARM AIR ADVECTION AND THIS SHORTWAVE TROUGH...ALONG WITH MIXED LAYER CAPE 1000-1300 J/KG AND SHEAR PARAMETERS /0-3KM SHEAR AROUND 20 KNOTS WILL BE FAVORABLE TO SUPPORT ONGOING SURFACE-BASED CONVECTION LATE THIS AFTERNOON...AND MORE ELEVATED CONVECTION AS IT MOVES TOWARD SOUTHEAST WI. THE SEVERE POTENTIAL IS THERE FOR HAIL AND STRONG WINDS. THERE IS ANOTHER SHORTWAVE ON THE HEELS OF THIS ONE...CURRENTLY OVER SOUTHWEST IOWA. MESOSCALE MODELS SHOW THIS ONE TO BE THE SOURCE OF AN OVERNIGHT CONVECTIVE COMPLEX...LIKELY HITTING SOUTHERN WI BETWEEN 06Z TO 12Z MONDAY...BUT EXACT TIMING IS DEBATABLE. CORFIDI VECTORS WEAKEN OVER SOUTHERN WI DURING THIS TIME...SUGGESTING SLOW-MOVING THUNDERSTORMS AND THE HEAVY RAIN/LOCALIZED FLOODING POTENTIAL. SEVERE HAIL AND WINDS WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE WITH THIS ROUND. THEN IT WILL BE A MATTER OF HOW QUICKLY THE CONVECTIVE DEBRIS CAN CLEAR IN ORDER FOR THE ATMOSPHERE TO RE-DESTABILIZE IN SOUTHERN WI. IT WILL ALSO DEPEND ON WHERE THE EFFECTIVE WARM FRONT SETS UP...WHICH WILL BE BASED ON OVERNIGHT CONVECTION. MODELS ARE SUGGESTING THE WARM FRONT WILL BE UP IN NORTHERN WI BY MONDAY AFTERNOON...BUT SOMETIMES MODELS TEND TO MOVE IT TOO FAR TO THE NORTH. WILL NEED TO MONITOR THIS TREND. THE CRAVEN-WIEDENFELD AGGREGATE SEVERE PARAMETER /CWASP/ IS BASICALLY A SCORING/RATING SYSTEM FOR SEVERE WEATHER PARAMETERS. A VALUE OVER 80 CORRESPONDS WITH A GOOD CHANCE FOR SEVERE WEATHER IN THAT AREA. WE CONTINUE TO SEE VALUES IN THE 80S OVER SOUTHERN WI 18Z MONDAY TO 06Z TUESDAY. IF THE ATMOSPHERE CAN RECOVER FROM ANY OVERNIGHT CONVECTION IN TIME...THEN SURFACE-BASED SEVERE STORMS WILL BE LIKELY. LARGE HAIL...STRONG WINDS AND TORNADOES WOULD ALL BE POSSIBLE. STAY TUNED TO THE FORECAST. .SHORT TERM...MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY. MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY...FORECAST CONFIDENCE MEDIUM. TIMING CONTINUES TO BE EVERYTHING WITH THE SERIES OF SHORT WAVES/VORT MAXES/PERTURBATIONS...ROUNDING THE BASE OF THE CLOSED LOW CENTERED NEAR THE DAKOTAS/MINNESOTA BORDER AND LIFTING NORTH THROUGH THE REGION...THAT WILL BE THE TRIGGERING MECHANISMS FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. ONGOING CONVECTION WILL BE TAPERING OFF...WITH INCREASING CONVERGENCE AHEAD OF NEXT 850 MB SPEED MAX ASSOCIATED WITH ANOTHER SHORT WAVE APPROACHING BETWEEN 06Z AND 12Z TUESDAY. WHILE BETTER POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE APPEARS TIED TO STRONGER FORCING FOCUSING TO THE SOUTHWEST...STILL LIKELY TO SEE THUNDER...WITH ELEVATED CAPE BETWEEN 600 AND 1000 J/KG. CWASP FOR ALL MODELS SHIFTS HIGHER PERCENTAGES TO THE SOUTH FOR TUESDAY...BUT GFS/GEM AND TO SOME EXTENT THE ECMWF STILL HAVE HIGH ENOUGH VALUES TO CONTINUE PROBABILITY OF SEVERE INTO TUESDAY. TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY...FORECAST CONFIDENCE MEDIUM. THREAT FOR WIDESPREAD THUNDERSTORMS TAPERS OFF OVERNIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY AS FOCUS OF LOW-LEVEL JET SHIFTS SOUTHEAST AS CLOSED SYSTEM SHIFTS TO THE EAST TOWARD WISCONSIN...AND CONVECTIVE PARAMETERS DIMINISH. A BLENDED SOLUTION TO BALANCE TIMING DIFFERENCES KEEPS LIKELY THUNDER IN THE EASTERN CWA...MAINLY IN THE MORNING...WITH CHANCES FOR SHOWERS IN THE WEST. .LONG TERM...WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY. FORECAST CONFIDENCE ALL THE MODELS SHIFT THE SURFACE LOW FAR ENOUGH EAST BY WEDNESDAY NIGHT FOR COOL NORTHERLY WINDS TO PUSH IN. WILL HAVE TO KEEP CHANCES OF SHOWERS IN THE FORECAST UNTIL 500 MB TROUGH CLEARS SOUTHERN WISCONSIN THURSDAY EVENING. RIDGING BUILDS IN WITH OMEGA BLOCK SETTING UP BRINGING DRY WEATHER AND BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES INTO SATURDAY. THE CHANCE FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS RETURNS FOR SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY WITH WARM AIR TRYING TO PUSH INTO THE WESTERN GREAT LAKES AS EASTERN LOW SHIFTS AWAY AND SHORT WAVE ENERGY EJECTING FROM WESTERN TROUGH BREAKS DOWN RIDGE. && .AVIATION/00Z TAFS/... THUNDERSTORMS IN SOUTH CENTRAL WI WILL DRIFT NORTHEAST AND DISSIPATE LATE THIS AFTERNOON. ANOTHER BROKEN LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTHEAST IOWA ARE EXPECTED TO TRACK INTO SOUTH CENTRAL WI AROUND 23Z PER MESOSCALE MODELS. THEN ANOTHER ROUND OF CONVECTION IS LOOKING MORE LIKELY FOR AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT...WHICH WOULD PROBABLY CLEAR SOUTHEAST WI EARLY MONDAY MORNING. THUNDERSTORMS WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL FOR STRONG WINDS AND HAIL TONIGHT. BEST CHANCE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH A WIND/HAIL/TORNADO THREAT IS LOOKING LIKE MONDAY AFTERNOON. SEE THE DISCUSSION ABOVE FOR DETAILS. && .MKX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WI...NONE. LM...NONE. && TONIGHT/MONDAY AND AVIATION/MARINE...MRC MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY...REM
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI 353 PM CDT SUN MAY 19 2013 WIZ046-047-051-052-056>060-062>072-202100- MARQUETTE-GREEN LAKE-FOND DU LAC-SHEBOYGAN-SAUK-COLUMBIA-DODGE- WASHINGTON-OZAUKEE-IOWA-DANE-JEFFERSON-WAUKESHA-MILWAUKEE- LAFAYETTE-GREEN-ROCK-WALWORTH-RACINE-KENOSHA- 353 PM CDT SUN MAY 19 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF EAST CENTRAL WISCONSIN...SOUTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN AND SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER SOUTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN...MAINLY ALONG AND WEST OF A WISCONSIN DELLS...TO MONROE LINE. DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL AND TORNADOES ARE POSSIBLE. PERIODS OF THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED OVER SOUTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN TONIGHT...WITH A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS IN SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN. HEAVY FLOODING RAINFALL MAY ACCOMPANY THE THUNDERSTORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SUNDAY STRENGTHENING LOW PRESSURE IN THE NORTHERN PLAINS WILL MOVE SLOWLY EAST THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK. INCREASING WINDS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS LOW PRESSURE AREA WILL CONTRIBUTE TO INCREASING MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY DURING THIS PERIOD. PERIODS OF THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED FROM MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE STRONG TO SEVERE MONDAY AND TUESDAY. DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL AND TORNADOES WILL ALL BE POSSIBLE. IN ADDITION...THE REPEATED BOUTS OF THUNDERSTORMS MAY PRODUCE FLOODING RAINFALL. STAY ABREAST OF THE LATEST FORECASTS FOR THE AREA FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS SHOULD PREPARE FOR POSSIBLE ACTIVATION TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY. LMZ643>646-202100- SHEBOYGAN TO PORT WASHINGTON WI- PORT WASHINGTON TO NORTH POINT LIGHT WI- NORTH POINT LIGHT TO WIND POINT WI- WIND POINT WI TO WINTHROP HARBOR IL- 353 PM CDT SUN MAY 19 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF LAKE MICHIGAN. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY TONIGHT...MAINLY AFTER MIDNIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SUNDAY THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY AT TIMES MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY AS SLOW MOVING LOW PRESSURE MOVES ACROSS THE WESTERN GREAT LAKES. SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE STRONG TO SEVERE. REM WWW.WEATHER.GOV/MKX
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
422 PM CDT SUN MAY 19 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0318 PM TSTM WND DMG MADISON 43.08N 89.38W
05/19/2013 DANE WI 911 CALL CENTER
CITY OF MADISON HAD ABOUT 10 REPORTS OF TREES DOWN. TIME
RADAR ESTIMATED.
&&
MEBPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
424 PM CDT SUN MAY 19 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0303 PM TSTM WND DMG EVANSVILLE 42.78N 89.30W
05/19/2013 ROCK WI 911 CALL CENTER
ONE REPORT OF WIRES DOWN IN EVANSVILLE. TIME RADAR
ESTIMATED.
&&
MEBPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
438 PM CDT SUN MAY 19 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0238 PM TSTM WND DMG 3 ENE ARGYLE 42.72N 89.81W
05/19/2013 GREEN WI TRAINED SPOTTER
TREES DOWN IN THE ADAMS TOWNSHIP. TIME RADAR ESTIMATED.
0238 PM TSTM WND DMG JORDON CENTER 42.66N 89.77W
05/19/2013 GREEN WI LAW ENFORCEMENT
POWER POLE AND TREES DOWN IN THE JORDON TOWNSHIP. TIME
RADAR ESTIMATED.
&&
MEBSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI 741 PM CDT SUN MAY 19 2013 WIZ067-200115- LAFAYETTE- 741 PM CDT SUN MAY 19 2013 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM MOVING INTO WESTERN LAFAYETTE COUNTY... AT 734 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER NORTHWESTERN JO DAVIESS COUNTY...MOVING NORTH AT 35 MPH. PENNY SIZE HAIL...WINDS GREATER THAN 40 MPH...OCCASIONAL CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. * THE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR... BENTON BY 750 PM CDT... BELMONT BY 810 PM CDT... GUSTY WINDS MAY CAUSE SMALL OBJECTS SUCH AS TRASH BINS TO BLOW AROUND. STAY AWAY FROM HIGH OBJECTS OUTDOORS SUCH AS TREES. SEEK SHELTER IN A STURDY STRUCTURE UNTIL THIS STORM HAS PASSED. CRAVEN
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI 820 PM CDT SUN MAY 19 2013 WIZ062-200215- IOWA- 820 PM CDT SUN MAY 19 2013 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM MOVING INTO FAR WESTERN IOWA COUNTY... AT 815 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER EAST CENTRAL GRANT COUNTY...MOVING NORTH AT 40 MPH. ONE HALF INCH DIAMETER HAIL...WINDS UP TO 50 MPH...OCCASIONAL CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. * THE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR... BLACKHAWK LAKE RECREATION AREA BY 830 PM CDT... GUSTY WINDS MAY CAUSE SMALL BRANCHES TO BE BLOWN DOWN...AND LOOSE OBJECTS TO BLOW AROUND. STAY AWAY FROM HIGH OBJECTS OUTDOORS SUCH AS TREES. SEEK SHELTER IN A STURDY STRUCTURE UNTIL THIS STORM HAS PASSED. CRAVEN
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI 833 PM CDT SUN MAY 19 2013 WIZ067-200200- LAFAYETTE- 833 PM CDT SUN MAY 19 2013 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORM MOVING INTO CENTRAL LAFAYETTE COUNTY... AT 827 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A RAPIDLY DEVELOPING THUNDERSTORM 6 MILES SOUTH OF DARLINGTON...MOVING NORTH AT 30 MPH. NICKEL SIZE HAIL...WINDS UP TO 50 MPH...OCCASIONAL CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...BRIEF MODERATE DOWNPOURS...ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. * THE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR... YELLOWSTONE LAKE STATE PARK BY 855 PM CDT... GUSTY WINDS MAY CAUSE SMALL BRANCHES TO BE BLOWN DOWN...AND LOOSE OBJECTS TO BLOW AROUND. STAY AWAY FROM HIGH OBJECTS OUTDOORS SUCH AS TREES. SEEK SHELTER IN A STURDY STRUCTURE UNTIL THIS STORM HAS PASSED. CRAVEN
The Milwaukee radar (KMKX), 59 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 02:00 UTC.
8 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Law enforcement officials reported many trees and power lines downed by powerful thunderstorm winds that gusted to an estimated 75 mph (65 knots) along a path from 5 miles east of Beloit to Afton. One tree went through the roof of a home 3 miles northwest of Beloit.
Rock County Highway Department workers reported the intersection of State Highway 11 and State Highway 213 in Orfordville was closed due to trees and power lines downed by powerful thunderstorm winds that gusted to an estimated 75 mph (65 knots).
The Lone Rock Airport (KLNR) ASOS recorded a thunderstorm wind gust of 60 mph (52 knots).
A trained spotter reported trees downed by powerful thunderstorm winds that gusted to an estimated 65 mph (56 knots) about 3 miles south-southwest of Lone Rock. One of the downed trees blocked State Highway 130 for a time.
Law enforcement officials reported trees downed by powerful thunderstorm winds that gusted to an estimated 65 mph (56 knots) in Spring Green. One building was damaged by a falling tree.
Law enforcement officials reported trees downed by powerful thunderstorm winds that gusted to an estimated 65 mph (56 knots) along a path from Reedsburg to 3 miles wesdt of Lake Delton.
A mesonet site located at Lodi Middle School recorded a 60 mph (52 knot) thunderstorm wind gust.
Law enforcement officials reported trees and power lines downed by powerful thunderstorm winds that gusted to an estimated 65 mph (56 knots) along a path from 1 mile northeast of Oxford to 2 miles south of Westfield.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Wisconsin in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Wisconsin, May 2013
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: 452393, 452394, 452395, 452400, 452401, 452412, 452404, 452402.