A small tornado crossed the Mississippi River from Iowa hitting a campground just north of Bagley (Grant County). This tornado was part of a larger severe weather outbreak that occurred across much of western Wisconsin during the afternoon and evening of May 29th.
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 small tornado crossed the Mississippi River from Iowa hitting a campground just north of Bagley (Grant County). This tornado was part of a larger severe weather outbreak that occurred across much of western Wisconsin during the afternoon and evening of May 29th. These storms developed in a warm and moist airmass behind a warm front that was moving north across the Upper Midwest. In addition to the tornado, a pole barn and other structures were damaged near Whitehall (Trempealeau County) and structural damage to buildings also occurred near Richland Center (Richland 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 29, 2:08 PM CST, 52 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
308 PM CDT WED MAY 29 2013
.SHORT TERM...(TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY)
ISSUED AT 308 PM CDT WED MAY 29 2013
MAIN CONCERN IS SEVERE POTENTIAL GOING INTO THIS EVENING AND HEAVY
RAINFALL POTENTIAL THROUGH THURSDAY.
WATER VAPOR IMAGERY/RAP 500MB ANALYSIS SHOWS A DEEPENING TROUGH OF
LOW PRESSURE ACROSS THE CENTRAL ROCKIES INTO THE SOUTHERN PLAINS.
THIS IN TURN WAS DRIVING AN INCREASINGLY MOIST/UNSTABLE SOUTHERLY
SURFACE FLOW FROM THE PLAINS INTO THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY
REGION. AT THE SURFACE LOW PRESSURE WAS LOCATED OVER SOUTHEAST CO
WITH A WARM FRONT EXTENDING NORTHEAST THROUGH IA INTO SOUTHERN WI.
CONVECTION/SOME STRONG TO SEVERE WAS FIRING ALONG/AHEAD OF THIS WARM
FRONT ON THE NOSE OF INCREASING 925-85OMB MOISTURE
TRANSPORT/INCREASING CAPE POOL. DEW POINTS ACROSS OUR AREA THIS
AFTERNOON WERE IN THE MID/UPPER 60S WITH AROUND 70 ACROSS EASTERN
IA.
LOOK FOR ONGOING SHOWER/THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY THIS EVENING AS THE
WARM FRONT/NOSE OF RATHER INTENSE MOISTURE TRANSPORT CONTINUES TO PUSH NORTH
ACROSS THE AREA. RAP SHOWING 0-1KM MLCAPE IN THE 3000-3500J/KG WITH
INCREASING 0-3KM BULK SHEAR IN THE 25-35KT RANGE BETWEEN 4 PM AND 8
PM ACROSS PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST IA/SOUTHWEST WI. CAPE/BULK SHEAR AND
ENHANCED 0-1KM EHI VALUES WOULD FAVOR TORNADOGENESIS ALONG THE WARM
FRONT AS IT PUSHES THROUGH NORTHEAST IA/SOUTHWEST WI. WILL HAVE TO
KEEP AN EYE ON LARGE HAIL/DAMAGING WIND/TORNADIC POTENTIAL GOING INTO
EVENING. CAPE STARTS DWINDLING AFTER SUNSET...HOWEVER...MODELS
CONTINUE TO SHOW FETCH OF STRONG 925-850MB MOISTURE TRANSPORT
ADVECTING INTO OUR AREA OVERNIGHT INTO THURSDAY. THIS WILL BE AHEAD
OF A COLD FRONT PUSHING EASTWARD INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS.
PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES INCREASE INTO THE 1.5 TO 1.7IN RANGE. WITH
THIS IN MIND THERE WILL BE THE POTENTIAL WILL BE THERE FOR SOME
HEAVY RAINFALL. HAVE ISSUED A FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF THE
AREA THIS EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY TO COVER THIS. SEE THE HYDROLOGY
SECTION BELOW FOR FURTHER DETAILS.
.LONG TERM...(THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY)
ISSUED AT 308 PM CDT WED MAY 29 2013
MAIN AXIS OF MOISTURE TRANSPORT/ENHANCED PRECIPITABLE WATER SHIFTS
EAST OF THE AREA THURSDAY NIGHT WITH A COLD FRONT LAGGING ACROSS
CENTRAL MN INTO EASTERN NEBRASKA/CENTRAL KS. SO...EXPECTING HEAVIER
RAINFALL TO TAPER OFF IN THE EVENING/OVERNIGHT FROM WEST TO EAST.
THE COLD FRONT WILL CONTINUE TO PUSH SLOWLY EAST INTO THE AREA
FRIDAY WITH INCREASING MOISTURE TRANSPORT INTO FAR SOUTHERN WI
DURING THE AFTERNOON. HAVE TAILORED SHRA/TS CHANCES WITH LIKELY
ACROSS THE SOUTH...TAPERING TO 40-50 POPS ACROSS THE NORTHWEST.
FOR FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY...LOOK FOR A MID-LEVEL CLOSED LOW TO
MAKE ITS WAY ACROSS THE AREA FOR SCATTERED SHOWERS AND COOLING
TEMPERATURES.
SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY LOOKS DRY AND COOL AS A RIDGE OF HIGH
PRESSURE BUILDS IN FROM THE PLAINS.
SHOWER/THUNDERSTORM CHANCES RETURN TO THE AREA MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH
WEDNESDAY AS ANOTHER CLOSED MID-LEVEL LOW SYSTEM DROPS ACROSS THE
NORTHERN PLAINS INTO THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER REGION. THIS SYSTEM
WILL ALSO RESULT IN BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES THROUGH THIS PERIOD.
&&
.AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z THURSDAY AFTERNOON) ISSUED
AT 1233 PM CDT WED MAY 29 2013
THE WARM FRONT HAS PUSHED NORTH OF THE TAF SITES...WITH A WARM...
MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIRMASS OVERSPREADING SOUTHERN MN/WESTERN WI.
CLOUDS ALONG/SOUTH OF THE FRONT HAVE GENERALLY CLEARED OUT/BECOME
SCATTERED WITH THE MAIN FOCUS FOR SHRA/TSRA REMAINING WEST OF THE
AREA EARLY THIS AFTERNOON...PROVIDING A PERIOD OF IMPROVED VFR
CONDITIONS THRU MID TO LATE AFTERNOON.
MAIN FORCING/LIFT AND DEEPER MOISTURE CONTINUE TO SPREAD NORTHEAST
AND EAST ACROSS THE AREA LATER THIS AFTERNOON THRU TONIGHT INTO
THURSDAY. SHRA/TSRA CHANCES/TIMING IN THE SUMMERY AIRMASS OVER-
SPREADING THE AREA REMAIN PROBLEMATIC AFTER THE 20-23Z TIME-FRAME
THIS AFTERNOON THRU THU. APPEARS ONE ROUND OF SHRA/TSRA TO MOVE
ACROSS THE TAF SITES IN THE 20-03Z TIME PERIOD LATER TODAY.
CONFIDENCE MODERATE ON THIS ROUND. ANOTHER ROUND OF SHRA/TSRA LOOKS
TO MOVE ACROSS THE TAF SITES LATER TONIGHT/THU MORNING. GIVEN A WIDE
VARIETY OF SMALL SCALE TRIGGERS AND MODEL SOLUTIONS...CONFIDENCE
LOWER LATER TONIGHT/THU. OPTED NOT TO SPREAD EXTENSIVE PERIODS OF
TSRA/CB IN THE TAFS FOR NOW GIVEN MDT CONFIDENCE AT BEST. WILL JUST
HAVE TO PLAN ON SOME AMD/UPDATES ONCE TIMING/COVERAGE OF THE ROUNDS
OF CONVECTION BECOME CLEARER.
&&
.HYDROLOGY...TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY
ISSUED AT 1233 PM CDT WED MAY 29 2013
PERIODS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS MUCH OF THE
REGION THROUGH FRIDAY. THE HEAVIEST RAIN IS EXPECTED TO FALL FROM
THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY. TOTAL RAINFALL FROM TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY
COULD RANGE FROM 1 TO 3 INCHES WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS
POSSIBLE. THIS COULD LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING AS WELL AS RISES AND
POSSIBLE FLOODING ON AREA RIVERS. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH HAS BEEN
ISSUED FOR A PORTION OF NORTHEAST IA/SOUTHEAST MN FOR TONIGHT/THU.
THIS IS LIKELY TO BE EXPANDED WITH LATER FORECAST ISSUANCES AS
DETAILS OF TIMING/LOCATION OF THE CONTINUED HEAVY RAIN THREAT
BECOME CLEARER. PORTIONS OF ANY ADDITIONAL WATCH MAY NEED TO GO
INTO THU EVENING...ESPECIALLY IN THE WI PORTION OF THE FCST AREA.
&&
.ARX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WI...NONE.
MN...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FROM 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY
EVENING FOR MNZ094-095.
IA...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FROM 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING THROUGH
THURSDAY EVENING FOR IAZ008>010-018-019-029.
&&
SHORT TERM...DAS
LONG TERM....DAS
AVIATION.....RRS
HYDROLOGY....DASHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI 1205 PM CDT WED MAY 29 2013 IAZ011-030-MNZ079-086>088-096-WIZ017-029-032>034-041>044-053>055- 061-301101- ADAMS-ALLAMAKEE-BUFFALO-CLARK-CLAYTON-CRAWFORD-DODGE-GRANT-HOUSTON- JACKSON-JUNEAU-LA CROSSE-MONROE-OLMSTED-RICHLAND-TAYLOR-TREMPEALEAU- VERNON-WABASHA-WINONA- 1205 PM CDT WED MAY 29 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PARTS OF SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA...NORTHEAST IOWA AND SOUTHWEST INTO CENTRAL WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP IN A MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIRMASS OVER THE AREA LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE THROUGH TONIGHT. A FEW STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS ARE POSSIBLE LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...MAINLY BETWEEN 4 PM AND 10 PM. IF SEVERE STORMS DEVELOP... LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS...ALONG WITH LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS...ARE THE MAIN THREATS. AN ISOLATED TORNADO CANNOT BE RULED OUT DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING HOURS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED FOR THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY. STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS ARE POSSIBLE THURSDAY...MAINLY DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING HOURS. LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS ARE THE MAIN THREATS. THE THREAT FOR LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS COULD CONTINUE INTO FRIDAY. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS REMAIN POSSIBLE SATURDAY AFTERNOON. SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED WITH ANY OF THESE STORMS. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL TOTALS BY THE END OF THE WEEK WILL RANGE FROM 1 TO 3 INCHES. THIS COULD RESULT IN RISES AND POSSIBLE FLOODING ON AREA RIVERS. THUNDERSTORM CHANCES RETURN TUESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... LOCALIZED SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...AND AGAIN THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. RAINFALL REPORTS ARE ALWAYS APPRECIATED. .EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATION... NO WEBINAR IS SCHEDULED. IAZ008>010-018-019-029-MNZ094-095-301101- CHICKASAW-FAYETTE-FILLMORE-FLOYD-HOWARD-MITCHELL-MOWER-WINNESHIEK- 1205 PM CDT WED MAY 29 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PARTS OF SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA AND NORTHEAST IOWA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR TONIGHT. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP IN A MOIST AND UNSTABLE AIRMASS OVER THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON...THEN ARE EXPECTED TO BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY RAIN TONIGHT. A FEW STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS ARE POSSIBLE LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...MAINLY BETWEEN 2 PM AND 9 PM. IF SEVERE STORMS DEVELOP...FLASH FLOODING...LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS ARE THE MAIN THREATS. AN ISOLATED TORNADO CANNOT BE RULED OUT DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING HOURS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH CONTINUES THROUGH THURSDAY. NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED FOR THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY. STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS ARE POSSIBLE THURSDAY...MAINLY DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING HOURS. LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND FLASH FLOODING ARE THE MAIN THREATS. THE THREAT FOR FLOODING COULD CONTINUE INTO FRIDAY. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS REMAIN POSSIBLE SATURDAY AFTERNOON. SEVERE WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED WITH ANY OF THESE STORMS. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL TOTALS BY THE END OF THE WEEK WILL RANGE FROM 1 TO 3 INCHES. THIS COULD RESULT IN RISES AND POSSIBLE FLOODING ON AREA RIVERS. THUNDERSTORM CHANCES RETURN TUESDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... LOCALIZED SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING...AND AGAIN THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. RAINFALL REPORTS ARE ALWAYS APPRECIATED. .EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATION... NO WEBINAR IS SCHEDULED. RIECK/RRS
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
317 PM CDT WED MAY 29 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0314 PM TSTM WND GST PRESTON 43.67N 92.08W
05/29/2013 M58 MPH FILLMORE MN AWOS
&&
MWPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
334 PM CDT WED MAY 29 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0333 PM HEAVY RAIN SPRING VALLEY 43.69N 92.39W
05/29/2013 M1.80 INCH FILLMORE MN EMERGENCY MNGR
&&
SHEAPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
342 PM CDT WED MAY 29 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0341 PM HAIL ALTURA 44.07N 91.94W
05/29/2013 E0.75 INCH WINONA MN TRAINED SPOTTER
0341 PM TSTM WND GST ALTURA 44.07N 91.94W
05/29/2013 E50 MPH WINONA MN LAW ENFORCEMENT
&&
SHEAPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
349 PM CDT WED MAY 29 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0348 PM TSTM WND GST DOVER 43.97N 92.13W
05/29/2013 M38 MPH OLMSTED MN FIRE DEPT/RESCUE
ALSO 0.63 INCHES OF RAIN
&&
SHEAPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
350 PM CDT WED MAY 29 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0348 PM TSTM WND GST WINONA 44.05N 91.66W
05/29/2013 E50 MPH WINONA MN AMATEUR RADIO
0350 PM TSTM WND GST COCHRANE 44.23N 91.84W
05/29/2013 E50 MPH BUFFALO WI AMATEUR RADIO
&&
SHEAPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
400 PM CDT WED MAY 29 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0355 PM TSTM WND GST WINONA 44.05N 91.66W
05/29/2013 M47 MPH WINONA MN AWOS
&&
MWThe La Crosse radar (KARX), 44 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:02 UTC.
10 thunderstorm wind, 3 hail, 3 heavy rain, 1 flood, 1 tornado, 1 funnel cloud, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Trees were blown down near County Road F south of Arcadia.
Just south of Whitehall, a pole barn was blown down, other large structures were damaged and numerous tree limbs were blown onto the highway.
Southeast of the city of La Crosse, 2.3 inches of rain fell.
Quarter sized hail fell in Merrillan.
In West Salem, 1.79 inches of rain fell in 45 minutes.
In West Salem, a total of 2.69 inches of rain fell.
Heavy rain caused street flooding to occur in the city of La Crosse and also caused some manhole covers to pop off.
Trees and power lines were blown down in Prairie du Chien.
A small tornado crossed the Mississippi River from Clayton County going through a campground north of Bagley before dissipating.
A 60 mph wind gust occurred in Mt. Hope.
A 58 mph wind gust occurred in Mt. Sterling.
Buildings and trees were damaged along County Road SS southeast of Viroqua. Another shed near Viroqua was also damaged.
A funnel cloud was sighted southwest of Muscoda.
South of Richland Center, buildings and trees were damaged.
Trees and power lines were blown down in Wonewoc.
A wind gust of 65 mph occurred south of Necedah.
Trees were blown down along County Road G and State Highway 23 southeast of Plainville.
Heavy rain caused water to spread over several roads in Bagley as the drainage system was not able to keep up the rain. Streams in the area were running very high.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Wisconsin in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Wisconsin, 2013Warnings 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: 449390, 449599, 455495, 449629, 449602, 449625, 449630, 449605, 449608, 449614, 449613, 449624, 450495, 449615, 449616, 449617, 449618, 449620, 449621, 449622.