Three people were killed in a Trempealeau County car crashed that occurred during the morning of August 18th. The crash happened during a thunderstorm that was producing heavy rain at the time.
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.
Three people were killed in a Trempealeau County car crashed that occurred during the morning of August 18th. The crash happened during a thunderstorm that was producing heavy rain at the time. Other thunderstorms developed across central Wisconsin during the evening of August 18th along a nearly stationary front. Quarter sized hail fell in Necedah (Juneau County) with one of the stronger storms.
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 Aug 18, 5:27 AM CST, 1 hour 11 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI 627 AM CDT MON AUG 18 2014 .SHORT TERM...(TODAY AND TONIGHT) ISSUED AT 324 AM CDT MON AUG 18 2014 CURRENTLY AS OF 08Z...WATER VAPOR LOOP AND RAP 500MB HEIGHT ANALYSIS SHOWED TROUGHING FROM LAKE WINNIPEG INTO THE DAKOTAS AND RIDGING OVER MICHIGAN. BETWEEN THESE TWO FEATURES...THERE WERE SHORTWAVES NEAR LA CROSSE AND IN SOUTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA. DPVA FROM THE FORMER SHORTWAVE...COMBINED WITH A ZONE OF 850MB MOISTURE TRANSPORT WHICH EXTENDED FROM NORTH CENTRAL IA INTO NORTH CENTRAL WI...HAS RESULTED IN SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS CONVECTION OVER THE NORTHWEST HALF OF THE FORECAST AREA. PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES FROM THE RAP SHOW VALUES OF 1.5-1.8 INCHES IN GENERAL...HIGHEST WITHIN THE CONVECTION. THESE HIGH VALUES HAS ALLOWED CONVECTION TO HAVE HEAVY RAINFALL RATES... WITH UPWARDS OF 2 INCHES PER HOUR FROM THE ONE THAT WENT THROUGH THE ROCHESTER AREA LATE LAST EVENING. TO THE WEST...ANOTHER ZONE OF 1.5- 1.8 INCH PRECIPITABLE WATER WAS PRESENT OVER FAR WESTERN MN...AHEAD OF THE DAKOTAS UPPER TROUGH AND SOUTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA SHORTWAVE. DPVA FROM THESE FEATURES ACTING ON THE MOISTURE RESULTING IN ISOLATED SHOWER AND STORM ACTIVITY IN FAR WESTERN MN TOO. THE UPPER TROUGH FROM LAKE WINNIPEG INTO THE DAKOTAS REMAINS ON TRACK TO MOVE INTO THE FORECAST AREA TONIGHT. PRETTY MUCH ALL DAY TODAY THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS THE FORECAST AREA IS UNDER FALLING 500MB HEIGHTS. COMBINE THIS WITH A SERIES OF SHORTWAVES COMING THROUGH FROM THE TROUGH SUCH AS THAT ONE IN SOUTHEAST SOUTH DAKOTA...THE 1.5-1.8 INCH PRECIPITABLE WATER AIRMASS IN PLACE...AND DAYTIME HEATING TO ADD EVEN MORE INSTABILITY...RESULTS IN A VERY FAVORABLE SETUP FOR CONVECTION. THE MAJORITY OF THE FORECAST AREA SHOULD SEE RAIN OVER THE NEXT 18 HOURS...WITH CORRIDORS OF HEAVIER RAIN POSSIBLE DUE TO THE HIGH PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES. SPECIFICALLY TIMING THE WET AND DRY PERIODS IS VERY PROBLEMATIC... BUT IN GENERAL IT SEEMS AS IF THERE COULD BE A DRY PERIOD AROUND MID- MORNING. THIS WOULD CORRELATE WITH THE WEAKENING OF THE LOW LEVEL JET AND A PERIOD OF SUBSIDENCE BETWEEN THE DEPARTING LA CROSSE SHORTWAVE AND THE OTHER SHORTWAVE COMING IN FROM THE SIOUX FALLS. WE\LL SEE. THE AFTERNOON INTO THE EARLY EVENING HOURS CERTAINLY BODE WELL FOR CONVECTION WITH THE DAYTIME INSTABILITY HELP...THUS HIGHEST CHANCES ARE CENTERED THEN. EVEN DURING THIS TIME FRAME...THERE COULD BE 2-3 HOUR BREAKS BETWEEN ROUNDS OF CONVECTION. ANOTHER SPECIFIC NOTE...IT WOULD APPEAR THE SOUTHEAST END OF THE FORECAST AREA MAY NOT GET HIT WITH MUCH CONVECTION UNTIL LATE AFTERNOON OR THE EVENING HOURS. LOOK FOR THE CONVECTION TO PUSH OFF TO THE EAST LATE THIS EVENING THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS...DUE TO A COMBINATION OF SUBSIDENCE WORKING IN FROM THE WEST WITH THE TROUGH MOVING IN PLACE...AS WELL AS LOSS OF DAYTIME HEATING DIMINISHING INSTABILITY. A COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE LOOKS TO OCCUR AS WELL TONIGHT TO AID IN THE DIMINISHING TREND. REGARDING SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL...LOOKING AT SHEAR...WE MAY NEED TO WATCH THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. AT 00Z...THE 0- 3KM SHEAR CLIMBS TO 25 KT AROUND I-90 AND 30-35 KT IN NORTHEAST IOWA. IF CONVECTION EXISTS INTO THESE REGIONS...THEY MAY HAVE SOME SEVERE WIND POTENTIAL. OTHERWISE...WARM CLOUD DEPTHS UPWARDS OF 3000-3500 METERS WILL RESULT IN HEAVY RAIN AS THE MAIN CONCERN. HAVE NOT ISSUED ANY FLASH FLOOD WATCH GIVEN ANTECEDENT DRY CONDITIONS...HOWEVER...LOCALIZED FLOOD ADVISORIES OR WARNINGS MAY BE NEEDED...ESPECIALLY IN URBAN AREAS WHICH CANNOT HANDLE HIGHER RAINFALL RATES. THE CONVECTION AROUND TODAY MAKES FOR A TRICKY HIGH TEMPERATURE FORECAST. 925MB TEMPS CLIMBING TO 19-22C ON AN INCREASING SOUTHWEST WIND COULD ALLOW FOR HIGHS OF 80-85 UNDER THE FULL SUN. HOWEVER...HAVE TO HOLD THESE BACK AS MUCH AS 5 DEGREES OR SO TO ACCOUNT FOR CONVECTION. WARMEST READINGS ARE LIKELY IN THE SOUTHEAST END WITH THE LONGEST DRY PERIOD EXPECTED. LOWS TONIGHT EXPECTED ON THE MILD SIDE AGAIN WITH THE COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE MAKING THE BIGGER IMPACT TO LOWERING TEMPERATURES. WITH THE PRECIPITATION ENDING DURING THE NIGHT TIME HOURS...FOG POTENTIAL NEEDS TO BE CONSIDERED. HOWEVER...IT APPEARS THERE SHOULD BE A DECENT WEST TO NORTHWEST BREEZE IN THE WAKE OF THE COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE TO KEEP THE AIR MIXED...PREVENTING FOG FORMATION. .LONG TERM...(TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY) ISSUED AT 324 AM CDT MON AUG 18 2014 TUESDAY INTO TUESDAY NIGHT...MODELS TAKE THEIR SWEET TIME IN GETTING THE UPPER TROUGH OUT OF THE REGION. HOWEVER...IT DOES LOOK TO GET A DECENT PUSH EAST LATE TUESDAY NIGHT...RESPONDING TO UPPER RIDGING BEING FORCED TO BUILD UP OVER THE DAKOTAS INTO MN. WHAT\S INTERESTING DURING THIS TIME PERIOD IS SUGGESTIONS OF A SECONDARY COLD FRONT DROPPING SOUTH THROUGH THE AREA DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING...CONNECTED WITH ANOTHER SHORTWAVE COMING THROUGH THE TROUGH. HAVE MAINTAINED SOME PRECIPITATION CHANCES...HIGHEST OVER NORTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN UNDER THE COOLER AIR ALOFT AND HIGHEST PRECIPITABLE WATER. MUCH OF THE PRECIPITATION SHOULD END BY LATE EVENING WITH LOSS OF DAYTIME HEATING AND UPPER TROUGH BEGINNING TO PULL AWAY. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THE RAINFALL RATES ON TUESDAY DO NOT LOOK NEARLY AS HIGH TODAY...A RESULT OF THE PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES ONLY IN THE 1-1.5 RANGE. LATE TUESDAY NIGHT...WE SHOULD GET A SURFACE RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE TO BUILD INTO THE WESTERN 2/3 OF THE REGION. SKIES SHOULD CLEAR AND WINDS WILL RELAX WITH THE RIDGE COMING IN...SETTING UP CONDITIONS FAVORABLE FOR SOME FOG TO FORM. DETAILS ON THE EXPANSE AND THICKNESS OF THE FOG WILL DEPEND EXACTLY ON THE TIMING OF THE RIDGE COMING IN. DESPITE THE COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE...925MB TEMPS ARE PROGGED PRETTY SIMILAR ON TUESDAY TO TODAY. THE SOUTHERN FORECAST AREA SHOULD BE WARMEST GIVEN BETTER MIXING POTENTIAL. FOR WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY...MODELS BRING THAT UPPER RIDGING OVER MN INTO THE FORECAST AREA. IT WOULD APPEAR ENOUGH SUBSIDENCE SHOULD BE IN PLACE PRIOR TO THE RIDGE BUILDING IN TO YIELD A DRY DAY WEDNESDAY. ADDITIONALLY...THE MAIN WARM FRONTAL BOUNDARY LOOKS TO BE WELL TO THE SOUTH...ONLY NEAR THE MISSOURI/IOWA BORDER AT 00Z THURSDAY. HOWEVER...THIS BOUNDARY LOOKS TO SURGE NORTHWARD TOWARDS THE FORECAST AREA WEDNESDAY NIGHT...AND POSSIBLY COMPLETELY THROUGH ON THURSDAY. A DECENT PUSH OF 850MB MOISTURE TRANSPORT INTO THE BOUNDARY WILL INITIATE ELEVATED CONVECTION OVER THE SOUTHWEST 2/3 OF THE AREA. AGAIN HEAVY RAIN LOOKS TO BE A BIG CONCERN AS PRECIPITABLE WATER CLIMBS BACK UP TOWARDS 2 INCHES...ALONG WITH A FEED OF INSTABILITY INTO THE CONVECTION FROM THE LOW LEVEL JET...AND POTENTIAL TO BE IN THE RIGHT ENTRANCE REGION OF A JET STREAK OVER LOWER MICHIGAN. RIGHT NOW IT APPEARS THE BOUNDARY SHOULD CONTINUE TO LIFT NORTHWARD...HELPING TO PREVENT A WIDER FLASH FLOOD THREAT...BUT NEEDS TO BE WATCHED CLOSELY. ADDITIONALLY...CANNOT RULE OUT SOME SEVERE WIND POTENTIAL FROM THE CONVECTION. CONVECTION SHOULD DIMINISH LATE THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH THE AFTERNOON HOURS WITH THE WEAKENING OF THE LOW LEVEL JET...AND AS CAPPING COMES IN ALOFT. TEMPERATURES AFTER HOVERING IN THE MID 70S TO LOW 80S THROUGH WEDNESDAY COULD MAKE A MAJOR BOOST ON THURSDAY. THERE IS POTENTIAL ACCORDING TO THE 18.00Z ECMWF FOR LOCATIONS ALONG/WEST OF THE MS RIVER TO GET CLOSE TO 90...ALL DEPENDING ON SUN AND WARM FRONTAL BOUNDARY TRACK. FOR THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH THE WEEKEND...THE 500MB PATTERN FEATURES UPPER RIDGING TO BEGIN THE PERIOD OVER THE AREA WHILE TROUGHING EXISTS ACROSS THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. MODELS ARE IN BETTER AGREEMENT TODAY THAN YESTERDAY HANDLING THIS TROUGH...AND IT APPEARS SOME OF THIS TROUGH WILL PUSH EAST INTO THE WEEKEND AND HELP SHIFT THE RIDGE EASTWARD. THIS TRANSLATES INTO A STORM SYSTEM TO AFFECT THE REGION FOR FRIDAY THROUGH THE WEEKEND. THE ASSOCIATED WARM FRONT LOOKS TO LIFT INTO THE REGION ON FRIDAY...WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT CONVECT DEPENDING ON CAPPING. A COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE COULD OCCUR ON SATURDAY...FOLLOWED BY A LOW RIDING UP ALONG THE FRONT ON SUNDAY. CONVECTION IS EASILY POSSIBLE ON BOTH OF THESE FEATURES. THEREFORE...CHANCES OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS LITTER MUCH OF THE EXTENDED. PRIOR TO THE COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE...925MB TEMPS LOOK TO RANGE FROM 22-26C...SUPPORTIVE OF 80S TO POSSIBLY 90...DEPENDING ON AMOUNT OF SUN. AIRMASS APPEARS HUMID TOO. COOLER AIR THEN FILTERS IN FOR SUNDAY. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z TUESDAY MORNING) ISSUED AT 627 AM CDT MON AUG 18 2014 PERIODS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED AT THE TAF SITES FROM LATE THIS MORNING INTO THE AFTERNOON HOURS. IFR CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE IN THE HEAVIER ACTIVITY THIS AFTERNOON. HAVE TRIED TO TIME THE PERIODS OF HIGHEST CONFIDENCE FOR THE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY AT THE TAF SITES BUT GIVEN THE UNSTABLE AIRMASS OVER THE REGION AND THE BROAD FORCING MOVING IN...THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL LIKELY BECOME WIDESPREAD AND TIMING THE STORMS THROUGH THE TAF SITES WILL BE CHALLENGING ESPECIALLY LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING. CONDITIONS SHOULD GRADUALLY IMPROVE TO VFR LATE THIS EVENING INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. FORECAST GUIDANCE IS HINTING AT SOME FOG TONIGHT BUT LOOKING AT THE FORECAST SOUNDINGS...THE WEST/NORTHWEST FLOW JUST ABOVE THE SURFACE SHOULD PROMOTE ENOUGH MIXING TO LIMIT FOG DEVELOPMENT. && .ARX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WI...NONE. MN...NONE. IA...NONE. && SHORT TERM...AJ LONG TERM...AJ AVIATION...WETENKAMP
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI 415 AM CDT MON AUG 18 2014 IAZ008>011-018-019-029-030-MNZ079-086>088-094>096-WIZ017-029- 032>034-041>044-053>055-061-191200- MITCHELL-HOWARD-WINNESHIEK-ALLAMAKEE-FLOYD-CHICKASAW-FAYETTE- CLAYTON-WABASHA-DODGE-OLMSTED-WINONA-MOWER-FILLMORE-HOUSTON- TAYLOR-CLARK-BUFFALO-TREMPEALEAU-JACKSON-LA CROSSE-MONROE-JUNEAU- ADAMS-VERNON-CRAWFORD-RICHLAND-GRANT- 415 AM CDT MON AUG 18 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST IOWA...SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA...AND SOUTHWEST INTO CENTRAL WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT ROUNDS OF THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THIS EVENING... DIMINISHING AFTER MIDNIGHT. PLAN ON THE STRONGEST AND MOST WIDESPREAD THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE STRONGER STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HEAVY RAINFALL...WHICH COULD RESULT IN LOCALIZED FLOODING...ESPECIALLY IN URBAN AREAS. IN ADDITION...A FEW STORMS ALONG AND SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 90 COULD PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUES INTO TUESDAY WITH LIGHTNING THE MAIN HAZARD. AREAS OF FOG COULD DEVELOP WEDNESDAY MORNING...REDUCING VISIBILITIES TO AS LOW AS 1/4 MILE IN SPOTS. MORE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THE WEEKEND. IT IS TOO EARLY TO DISCERN THE SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL WITH THE STORMS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED THROUGH WEDNESDAY. HOWEVER...WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR ISOLATED SEVERE WEATHER...ANY FLOODING...RAINFALL AMOUNTS AND WIND REPORTS FROM THE STORMS WOULD BE APPRECIATED. .EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATION... NO WEBINAR IS SCHEDULED. AJ
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
229 AM CDT MON AUG 18 2014
IAZ008-180815-
MITCHELL-
229 AM CDT MON AUG 18 2014
...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAINFALL OVER MITCHELL COUNTY...
AT 222 AM CDT...RADAR SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING HEAVY RAINFALL
OVER MITCHELL COUNTY. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE
THROUGH 330 AM WHICH COULD LEAD TO PONDING OF WATER AND POSSIBLY
LOCALIZED FLOODING.
WINDS IN EXCESS OF 30 MPH ARE ALSO POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
OSAGE...ST. ANSGAR...RICEVILLE...LYLE...STACYVILLE...MITCHELL...
MCINTIRE...CARPENTER...BAILEY...AND TOETERVILLE.
TORRENTIAL RAINFALL IS ALSO OCCURRING WITH THESE STORMS...AND MAY
CAUSE LOCALIZED FLOODING. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE THROUGH FLOODED
ROADWAYS.
LAT...LON 4349 9303 4350 9299 4350 9256 4323 9255
4324 9302
TIME...MOT...LOC 0722Z 272DEG 14KT 4332 9280
WETENKAMPPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
249 AM CDT MON AUG 18 2014
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0243 AM HEAVY RAIN ST. ANSGAR 43.38N 92.92W
08/18/2014 M1.85 INCH MITCHELL IA TRAINED SPOTTER
RAINFALL SINCE 130 AM. DITCHES FULL OF WATER.
&&
WETENKAMPSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI 314 AM CDT MON AUG 18 2014 IAZ008-180900- MITCHELL- 314 AM CDT MON AUG 18 2014 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAINFALL OVER MITCHELL COUNTY... AT 307 AM CDT...RADAR INDICATED THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAINFALL ACROSS MITCHELL COUNTY. STORM SPOTTERS IN ST. ANSGAR REPORTED 1.85 INCHES OF RAIN IN ONE HOUR. THIS HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CAUSE PONDING OF WATER AND POSSIBLY LOCALIZED FLOODING. SMALL STREAMS WILL ALSO SEE RISES AND MINOR FLOODING IS POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY ALONG WILLOW CREEK SOUTHWEST OF ST. ANSGAR. THE HEAVY RAINFALL WILL TAPER OFF THROUGH 4 AM. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... OSAGE...ST. ANSGAR...RICEVILLE...STACYVILLE...MITCHELL...CARPENTER... ORCHARD...AND TOETERVILLE. TORRENTIAL RAINFALL IS ALSO OCCURRING WITH THESE STORMS...AND MAY CAUSE LOCALIZED FLOODING. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE THROUGH FLOODED ROADWAYS. LAT...LON 4346 9302 4342 9255 4321 9255 4321 9302 TIME...MOT...LOC 0807Z 264DEG 17KT 4325 9258 WETENKAMP
The La Crosse radar (KARX), 50 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 12:40 UTC.
1 heavy rain, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Three people were killed in a two car crash that occurred in heavy rain from a thunderstorm. Two other people suffered injuries in the crash. The accident occurred on State Highway 95 east of Arcadia.
Quarter sized hail fell in Necedah.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heavy Rain, Trempealeau | 2014-08-18 | 57 | Female | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Indirect |
| Heavy Rain, Trempealeau | 2014-08-18 | 34 | Male | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Indirect |
| Heavy Rain, Trempealeau | 2014-08-18 | 14 | Male | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Indirect |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Wisconsin in 2014Every state in 2014This day in weather historyWarnings in Wisconsin, August 2014
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: 536655, 535218.