A line of thunderstorms developed ahead of a northward advancing warm front during the afternoon of May 11th. Some of these storms produced winds strong enough to blow down a farm building near Potosi (Grant County).
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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 ARX wrote it up.
A line of thunderstorms developed ahead of a northward advancing warm front during the afternoon of May 11th. Some of these storms produced winds strong enough to blow down a farm building near Potosi (Grant 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 11, 11:27 AM CST, 1 hour 53 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI 1227 PM CDT SUN MAY 11 2014 .SHORT TERM...(TODAY THROUGH MONDAY) ISSUED AT 245 AM CDT SUN MAY 11 2014 AXIS OF THE WEST COAST LONG WAVE TROUGH WILL SLIDE OVER THE PLAIN STATES ON MON...SLOWLY EASING ACROSS THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY ON WED. BITS OF UPPER LEVEL ENERGY WILL SPIN OUT OF THE TROUGH...WITH THESE SHORTWAVES TAKING AIM ON THE REGION TODAY AND MONDAY. AT THE SFC...A WARM FRONT CURRENTLY WAS RUNNING FROM KS EASTWARD THROUGH THE MID MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY. THIS IS SLATED TO LIFT NORTHWARD THROUGH THE DAY TODAY AS A SFC LOW TRACKS INTO IA BY 06Z TONIGHT. STRONG LOW LEVEL MOISTURE TRANSPORT POINTS INTO AND ACROSS THE WARM FRONT...DRIVEN BY A 40-50 KT 850 MB JET...AND NOSES INTO NORTHEAST IA/SOUTHWEST WI BY 06Z. THIS RIBBON OF MOISTURE HOLDS AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT THROUGH MONDAY...ALTHOUGH NOT NEARLY AS STRONG AS WHAT IS EXPECTED FOR TONIGHT. INSTABILITY CLIMBS THROUGH THE DAY...WITH 1000-2000 J/KG OF MUCAPE STILL EXPECTED FOR MUCH OF THE LOCAL FORECAST AREA BY TONIGHT. IT STAYS FAIRLY UNSTABLE THROUGH MONDAY...STILL AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT WITH THE WARM FRONT EXPECTED TO BE NORTH...SBCAPES AROUND 1500 J/KG. A LOOK AT THE BUFKIT SOUNDINGS SHOWS THAT MUCH OF THAT CAPE IS OF THE SKINNY VARIETY TONIGHT...MEANING THAT VIGOROUS UPDRAFTS/RAPID DEVELOPMENT ARE NOT SUPPORTED BY THE INSTABILITY. 0-6 KM SHEAR RAMPS UP TO 40-50 KTS BY THIS EVENING...BUT A LOT OF THAT IN THE 0-3 KM LAYER...AROUND 40 KTS OR SO. GOOD TURNING IN THE LOWEST 1 KM PER BUFKIT HODOGRAPH...AND 0-1 KM SHEAR RANGES FROM 20-30 KTS DURING THE NIGHT. SEVERE THREAT HAS CONTINUED TO INCREASE OVER THE PAST COUPLE DAYS...AND 00Z MODELS ARE NO DIFFERENT. THE STRONG LOW LEVEL JET/MOISTURE TRANSPORT WILL BE A SIGNIFICANT FACTOR...ALONG WITH THE POSITIONING OF THE WARM FRONT. WHILE THE INSTABILITY IS NOT OVERLY FAVORABLE...ADD IN THE VERY GOOD SHEAR AND STORM DEVELOPMENT IS SUPPORTED. LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS ARE THREATS...WINDS ESPECIALLY IF THERE IS NO NEAR SFC STABLE LAYER. THE LOW LEVEL CURVATURE/SHEAR ALSO BRINGS A TORNADO THREAT...ESPECIALLY AROUND THE WARM FRONT WHICH WILL SERVE TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL...LOCALIZED VORTICITY. NAM12 SIG TOR PARAMETER AS HIGH AS 2-4 THIS EVENING FOR NORTHEAST IA/SOUTHWEST WI. ITS NOT CLEAR-CUT ON HOW HIGH THE RISK FOR SEVERE WILL BE...OR WHERE IT WILL BE THE GREATEST. POSITIONING OF THE WARM FRONT WILL BE SIGNIFICANT. GFS/NAM TRENDING TOWARD BRINGING THAT FRONT INTO CENTRAL IA INTO NORTHERN ILL...ADVANCING NORTH DURING THE EVENING...NEAR THE I-90 CORRIDOR/SOUTH AROUND 06Z. ITS NOT CERTAIN IT WILL RUN THIS FAST NORTH AS CONVECTION ALONG AND NORTH OF THE BOUNDARY SHOULD SERVE TO TEMPER ITS MOVEMENT. IN ADDITION...THERE WILL BE A THREAT FOR SOME SHOWERS/STORMS THIS AFTERNOON...WELL BEFORE THE EXPECTED CONVECTION OF TONIGHT. THE LOW LEVEL JET IS EXPECTED TO SPARK A THUNDERSTORM COMPLEX OVER THE SOUTHERN PLAINS...WHICH THE HRRR TAKES NORTHEAST TOWARD THE AREA. HOW LONG THE CONVECTION WILL HOLD TOGETHER AS THE LOW LEVEL JET/MOISTURE TRANSPORT TEMPORARILY WEAKENS AT MIDDAY IS IN QUESTION. ITS MCV COULD SERVE AS FORCING MECHANISM LATER IN THE AFTERNOON. IF THE PCPN DOESN/T REACH THE FORECAST AREA...DEBRIS CLOUDS PROBABLY WILL...AND COULD TEMPER THE WARMING AND THUS INSTABILITY SOME NORTH OF THE WARM FRONT. ALL THIS SAID...SEE A SEVERE THREAT TONIGHT...ESPECIALLY ACROSS NORTHEAST IA/SOUTHWEST WI. PROBABLY MORE MID/LATE EVENING. HAIL IS THE TOP THREAT...BUT SIGNIFICANT 0-3 KM SHEAR COULD RESULT IN DAMAGING WINDS IF THERE IS NOT A STRONG STABLE NEAR SFC LAYER. BUFKIT SOUNDINGS SUGGEST THERE PROBABLY WON/T BE. AND...A TORNADO THREAT CANNOT BE RULED OUT. LOW LEVEL CURVATURE AND 0-1 KM SHEAR SUPPORTS IT...AND THE SIG TOR PARAMETER PEGS IT. ESPECIALLY CONCERNED ABOUT ANY STORMS RIDING THE WARM FRONT. THERE ARE CAVEATS TO THE RISK PER WHERE CONVECTION GOES...BOUNDARIES...ETC...BUT ITS A SITUATION THAT NEEDS TO BE MONITORED VERY CLOSELY. EXPECTING WATCHES AND WARNINGS TONIGHT. ALL THAT SAID AND HAVEN/T EVEN TOUCHED ON THE HEAVY RAIN THREAT. MORE ON THAT IN THE HYDROLOGY SECTION BELOW. .LONG TERM...(TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY) ISSUED AT 245 AM CDT SUN MAY 11 2014 GFS/ECMWF PROMISE TO KEEP THE REGION UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH FOR MUCH OF THE NEW WEEK. BITS OF ENERGY WILL MOVE THROUGH THE TROUGH AND BRING A SHOWER THREAT FROM TIME TO TIME...ALTHOUGH WHEN/WHERE THE RAIN CHANCES WILL BE ARE NOT CERTAIN...WITH MODEL VARIANCES KEEPING CONFIDENCE LOW. WILL STAY WITH CONSENSUS SOLUTION FOR CHANCES. TEMPERATURES ARE GOING TO TAKE A TUMBLE DOWNWARD...WITH EC 850 MB TEMP ANOMALIES HOVERING AROUND -1. HIGHS WILL STRUGGLE TO BREAK 60 DEGREES SOME DAYS. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z MONDAY AFTERNOON) ISSUED AT 1227 PM CDT SUN MAY 11 2014 MUCH OF THE NEXT 24 HRS WILL BE DOMINATED BY SHRA/TSRA IN AND AROUND THE AREA. FIRST BAND OF MAINLY -SHRA WILL MOVE ACROSS THE TAF SITES EARLY THIS AFTERNOON WITH LCL MVFR VSBYS IN THE -RA BUT CIGS MOSTLY IN THE 5K-8KT FT RANGE. AREA LOOKS TO GET A BREAK FROM THE SHRA/TSRA FOR THE MID AFTERNOON INTO EARLY EVENING HOURS AS THE MAIN FORCING IS FOCUSED MORE INTO SOUTHERN/EASTERN IA. VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED FOR MUCH OF THE MID AFTERNOON TO EARLY EVENING HOURS. DEEPER MOISTURE AND STRONGER FORCING/LIFT SPREAD BACK INTO THE AREA BY MID EVENING WITH A BROAD AREA OF SHRA/TSRA EXPECTED TO OVERSPREAD THE TAF SITES IN ROUGHLY THE 03Z-12Z TIME-FRAME. MAINLY VFR/MVFR CIGS/VSBYS EXPECTED IN THE SHRA/TSRA WITH IFR CIGS/VSBYS IN +TSRA AND THE HEAVY DOWNPOURS. THESE DO NOT LOOK TO PREVAIL AT THE TAF SITES...BUT 12 TO 18 HRS OUT THEY REMAIN DIFFICULT TO TIME THUS INCLUSION OF A LONGER THAN DESIRED PERIOD TEMPO IFR CONDITIONS LATER TONIGHT. NOT A LOT OF CONFIDENCE IN THE DETAILS FOR MON MORNING BUT APPEARS AREA WILL GET A BREAK FROM THE HEAVIER/STRONGER/MORE WIDESPREAD TSRA. GIVEN THE UNCERTAINTY...FOR NOW CARRIED 5SM -SHRA WITH CB THRU MON MORNING && .HYDROLOGY... ISSUED AT 245 AM CDT SUN MAY 11 2014 SIGNIFICANT LOW LEVEL MOISTURE TRANSPORT KICKS IN TONIGHT...AND WHILE WEAKENING ON MONDAY...WILL CONTINUE TO FUEL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH MON NIGHT. PW/S CLIMB TO AROUND 1.5 INCHES. EXPECT SOME STORMS OVER THE NEXT COUPLE DAYS TO PRODUCE HEAVY RAIN. MODELS DROP 1-2 INCHES LATE TONIGHT INTO TUE FOR MUCH OF THE FORECAST AREA. LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE. THE HEAVIEST RAIN WILL FALL TONIGHT. DON/T EXPECT A WIDESPREAD FLOOD THREAT AT THE MOMENT...BUT THERE COULD BE SOME LOCALIZED IMPACTS. MEANWHILE...MINOR FLOODING/HIGH WATER CONTINUES ALONG PORTIONS OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. THE ADDITIONAL RAINS COULD HAVE IMPACTS ON BOTH TRIBUTARIES AND THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER...SLOWING THE RATES OF FALL...AND/OR PRODUCE ADDITIONAL RISES OR RENEWED FLOODING. CHECK THE LATEST HYDROLOGIC STATEMENTS FOR THE DETAILS. && .ARX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WI...NONE. MN...NONE. IA...NONE. && SHORT TERM...RIECK LONG TERM....RIECK AVIATION.....RRS HYDROLOGY....RIECK
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI 444 AM CDT SUN MAY 11 2014 IAZ008>011-018-019-029-030-MNZ079-086>088-094>096-WIZ032>034- 041>044-053>055-061-121000- MITCHELL-HOWARD-WINNESHIEK-ALLAMAKEE-FLOYD-CHICKASAW-FAYETTE- CLAYTON-WABASHA-DODGE-OLMSTED-WINONA-MOWER-FILLMORE-HOUSTON- BUFFALO-TREMPEALEAU-JACKSON-LA CROSSE-MONROE-JUNEAU-ADAMS-VERNON- CRAWFORD-RICHLAND-GRANT- 444 AM CDT SUN MAY 11 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST IOWA...SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA...AND SOUTHWEST INTO CENTRAL WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THUNDERSTORMS WILL BECOME WIDESPREAD TONIGHT. SOME OF THE STORMS TONIGHT WILL BE STRONG TO SEVERE. LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND ISOLATED TORNADOES ARE THE THREATS. SOME OF THE STORMS WILL ALSO PRODUCE HEAVY RAIN. FLOODING WILL CONTINUE ALONG PORTIONS OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY MORE THUNDERSTORMS ON MONDAY...WITH A FEW STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS POSSIBLE. LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS WOULD BE THE MAIN THREATS. FLOODING WILL CONTINUE ALONG PORTIONS OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SOME SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS LIKELY LATER TODAY. RAINFALL REPORTS ARE APPRECIATED. .EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATION... A WEBINAR IS NOT SCHEDULED. HOWEVER...IF THE SEVERE THREAT INCREASES...ONE COULD BE SCHEDULED FOR LATER TODAY. WIZ017-029-121000- TAYLOR-CLARK- 444 AM CDT SUN MAY 11 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT. A FEW COULD BE STRONG WITH SMALL HAIL...GUSTY WINDS AND HEAVY RAIN POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY THE THREAT FOR THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUES ON MONDAY...WITH A FEW STRONGER STORMS ALSO POSSIBLE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED. RAINFALL REPORTS ARE APPRECIATED. .EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATION... NO WEBINAR IS SCHEDULED.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI 209 PM CDT SUN MAY 11 2014 WIZ061-112015- GRANT- INCLUDING THE CITY OF...PLATTEVILLE 209 PM CDT SUN MAY 11 2014 ...STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS TO MOVE THROUGH GRANT COUNTY... BETWEEN 2 PM AND 3 PM A FEW STRONGER THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE NORTHEAST ACROSS GRANT COUNTY AT 45 MPH. THESE STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF FREQUENT LIGHTNING...BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS...GUSTY WINDS AND SMALL HAIL. MOVE INDOORS OR TO ANOTHER SAFE PLACE IF ONE OF THESE STORMS APPROACHES OR MOVES ACROSS YOUR LOCATION. RRS
The La Crosse radar (KARX), 124 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:19 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Strong thunderstorms winds destroyed a 9,000 square foot metal shed dumping about 20,000 bushels of corn on the ground. The shed was destroyed but the corn was able to be salvaged.
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, May 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: 516621.