Hail in Wisconsin, May 7, 2014

Name: Hail in Wisconsin, May 7, 2014
Start: 2014-05-07T22:52
End: 2014-05-07T23:54
Location: Wisconsin

May 7, 2014 · NWS MPX · 2 events in 1 county or zone

A few thunderstorms developed near the Iowa/Minnesota border during the early evening of Wednesday, May 7th. These storms eventually moved into west central Wisconsin near midnight and produced dime size hail.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 2

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS MPX wrote it up.

What forecasters said that day

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 Twin Cities, MN wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 7, 6:12 PM CST, 4 hours 40 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 7, 6:12 PM CST, 4 hours 40 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
712 PM CDT WED MAY 7 2014

.SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY)
ISSUED AT 348 PM CDT WED MAY 7 2014

ACTIVE SHORT TERM WITH 2-3 ROUNDS OF STRONG TO SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS. THE MAIN THREAT
TONIGHT IS LARGE HAIL...HOWEVER...TOMORROW WILL BRING THE TREAT OF
HAIL...WIND AND TORNADOES.

TONIGHT...
MUCH OF WESTERN IOWA AND EASTERN NE HAS WARMED INTO THE UPPER 80S
AND LOWER 90S THIS AFTERNOON...MEANWHILE...MUCH OF SOUTHERN MN
REMAINS IN THE UPPER 60S AND LOWER 70S WITH EAST-SOUTHEAST WINDS.
THE WARM FRONT IS JUST SOUTH OF THE MN/IA BORDER AND THERE IS A NICE
CU FIELD DEVELOPING IN NORTH CENTRAL IA ON THE WARM SIDE OF THE
BOUNDARY. THE WARM LAYER ALOFT IS SUPPRESSING CONVECTION ACROSS
IA/NE...BUT CONVECTION HAS BROKEN OUT ACROSS EASTERN SD AND WESTERN
THIS AFTERNOON ON THE EDGE OF THE WARM LAYER BUT STILL WITHIN AN
AREA OF 1000+ MUCAPE AND NEARLY DRY ADIABATIC 700-500MB LAPSE RATES.
THIS COMBINED WITH 50-60KTS OF DEEP LAYER SHEAR HAS LED TO ROBUST
CONVECTION WITH STRONG UPDRAFTS AND REPORTS OF HAIL AS LARGE AS
BASEBALLS NEAR THE MN/SD STATE LINE. THIS ACTIVITY WILL CONTINUE
MOVING NORTHEAST...BUT WEAKEN THE FARTHER NORTH-NORTHEAST IT GETS AS
IT RUNS OUT OF ELEVATED INSTABILITY.

FARTHER EAST...IN EASTERN MINNESOTA AND WISCONSIN...THE WEATHER WILL
LIKELY REMAIN TRANQUIL THROUGH THE EARLY EVENING. THE NORTHWARD
SURGING WARM FRONT AND ISENTROPIC LIFT SHOULD PROMOTE CONVECTIVE
INITIATION CLOSER TO SUNSET OR SHORTLY THEREAFTER. THE 0-6KM BULK
SHEAR AND EFFECTIVE SHEAR WILL DECREASE THE FARTHER EAST YOU GO IN
MN. THIS MAY SOMEWHAT LIMIT THE SEVERITY OF STORMS LATE THIS EVENING
IN AREAS FARTHER EAST...BUT NONETHELESS...THE ELEVATED INSTABILITY
AND LAPSE RATES WILL BE QUITE IMPRESSIVE AND SEVERE HAIL IS LIKELY
WITH THE CONVECTION THIS EVENING. 1-2" HAILSTONES WILL BE EASILY
ATTAINABLE IN AREAS SUCH AS THE TWIN CITIES METRO...AND SIG SEVERE
HAIL />2"/ CAN NOT BE RULED OUT GIVEN WHAT HAS ALREADY OCCURRED
TODAY. WHILE WE DON'T THINK STORMS WILL BE ROOTED IN THE BOUNDARY
LAYER THIS EVENING...IF ANY ACTIVITY MANAGES TO FORM IN FAR SOUTHERN
MN CLOSE TO THE SURFACE WARM FRONT...THESE STORMS WILL NEED TO BE
MONITORED FOR HAZARDS OTHER THAN LARGE HAIL.

TOMORROW...
THE PATTERN TOMORROW LOOKS QUITE FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE WEATHER. THE
NAM REMAINS SLIGHTLY FASTER AND SLIGHTLY NORTH AND WEST WITH THE
SURFACE LOW TRACK WHEN COMPARED TO THE ECMWF AND GFS. THERE IS GOOD
MODEL AGREEMENT IN STRETCHING THE WARM FRONT FROM SOUTHWEST
MINNESOTA INTO WEST CENTRAL OR NORTHWEST WI BY 18Z THURSDAY. THE 12Z
SOLUTIONS ALSO HAVE A SURFACE TROUGH EXTENDING NORTHEAST ALONG THE
BOUNDARY. THIS BOUNDARY...COMBINED WITH THE ADVANCING 100KT 300MB
JET...AND 500 MB HEIGHT FALLS BETWEEN 15Z-18Z SUGGEST CONVECTION
WILL HAPPEN EARLY AND BE WIDESPREAD. THIS COMPLICATES THE AFTERNOON
SEVERE POTENTIAL WITH RESPECT TO SURFACE HEATING AND THE DEGREE OF
DESTABILIZATION. THE BEST OVERLAP IN 0-1KM SHEAR...0-6KM SHEAR...AND
INSTABILITY WILL OCCUR FROM 18-00Z IN EASTERN MN AND WESTERN WI.
SURFACE DEWPOINTS IN THE LOWER 60S COMBINED WITH THE STEEP PROFILE
WILL GENERATE 1500-2000 J/KG OF SBCAPE.  THERE IS ALSO THE ADDED
HELICITY DUE TO THE CLOSE PROXIMITY OF THE SURFACE LOW. WEAKENING
CIN AND STRONG FORCING SHOULD SUPPORT STORMS ROOTED IN THE BOUNDARY
LAYER AND A THREAT TO STRAIGHT LINE WIND AND TORNADOES. THE STORMS
WILL BE MOVING FAST AND QUICKLY END UP IN WISCONSIN BY THE AFTERNOON.

.LONG TERM...(THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY)
ISSUED AT 348 PM CDT WED MAY 7 2014

STRONG/SEVERE CONVECTION CONTINUES INTO THE THURSDAY NIGHT PERIOD OF
THE LONG TERM. WE SHOULD SEE ACTIVITY WANE TOWARD THE 06Z TIME
PERIOD. THE STRONGER INSTABILITY IS SHUNTED TO THE NORTHEAST
PORTION OF THE AREA AS THE COLD FRONT MOVES EAST AND SURFACE LOW
MOVES NORTHEAST AND WEAKENS. WILL LIKELY SEE SOME WRAP AROUND
SHOWERS AFFECTING THE AREA AS AN EXTENSION OF THE UPPER TROUGH
SWINGS ACROSS THE AREA EARLY FRIDAY. SHOULD SEE CONDITIONS IMPROVE
DURING THE AFTERNOON AND BECOMING DRY BY FRIDAY EVENING.

LONGER RANGE MODELS CONTINUE TO SHOW ANOTHER SHORT WAVE LIFTING TO
THE NORTHEAST AFFECTING THE AREA SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT. THE
MODELS DIVERGE AFTER THAT WITH THE ECMWF CONTINUING TO TREND
SLOWER AND DEEPER WITH THE WESTERN TROUGH. THIS CONTINUES TO
SPREAD MOISTURE NORTHEAST OVER THE CWA INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK...WITH
A GENERAL OVERALL COOLING TREND AS THE UPPER TROUGH MOVES THROUGH.

&&

.AVIATION...(FOR THE 00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z THURSDAY EVENING)
ISSUED AT 701 PM CDT WED MAY 7 2014

SCT TSRA ARE BEGINNING TO DEVELOP ACROSS SOUTHERN MINNESOTA AT TAF
ISSUANCE TIME. THESE STORMS WILL LIFT NORTH THROUGH THE EVENING
HOURS...LIKELY AFFECTING RWF UNTIL 03Z...AND MSP/RNH BETWEEN
02-06Z. THESE STORMS MAY BE SEVERE. MORE STORMS NEAR STC WILL PUSH
THROUGH BY 03Z. THE REST OF THE TERMINALS SHOULD REMAIN MOSTLY
DRY THIS EVENING. OVERNIGHT...THERE MAY BE A CONSOLIDATION OF TSRA
ACROSS ERN MN AND WRN WI WHICH WILL EXIT THE REGION EARLY
THURSDAY. CIGS WILL DETERIORATE TO MVFR LEVELS TONIGHT. CIGS WILL
LIFT AND SHOULD SCATTER OUT IN THE WARM SECTOR THURSDAY MORNING
ACROSS ERN MN AND WRN WI. MORE TSRA WILL DEVELOP THURSDAY
AFTERNOON AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT.

KMSP...BEST CHANCE FOR STORMS TONIGHT WILL BE BETWEEN 02-06Z.
THESE MAY BE SEVERE WITH LARGE HAIL. THERE IS STILL UNCERTAINTY
WITH HOW THE SHOWERS AND STORMS WILL EVOLVE OVERNIGHT...BUT THERE
COULD BE A FEW HOURS WITH OF LIGHT RAIN BEFORE THE ACTIVITY PUSHES
EAST THURSDAY MORNING.

/OUTLOOK FOR KMSP/
FRI...MVFR AND CHC -SHRA EARLY...THEN VFR. WINDS W AT 10G20KTS.
SAT...VFR. CHC -TSRA. WINDS SSE 10KTS.
SUN...VFR. CHC -SHRA. WINDS SW TO NW 10-15 KTS.

&&

.MPX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MN...NONE.
WI...NONE.
&&

SHORT TERM...CLF
LONG TERM...DWE
AVIATION...BORGHOFF

Hazardous weather outlook, May 7, 6:28 PM CST, 4 hours 24 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
728 PM CDT WED MAY 7 2014

MNZ041>045-047>070-073>078-082>085-091>093-WIZ014>016-023>028-
090030-
DOUGLAS-TODD-MORRISON-MILLE LACS-KANABEC-STEVENS-POPE-STEARNS-
BENTON-SHERBURNE-ISANTI-CHISAGO-LAC QUI PARLE-SWIFT-CHIPPEWA-
KANDIYOHI-MEEKER-WRIGHT-HENNEPIN-ANOKA-RAMSEY-WASHINGTON-
YELLOW MEDICINE-RENVILLE-MCLEOD-SIBLEY-CARVER-SCOTT-DAKOTA-
REDWOOD-BROWN-NICOLLET-LE SUEUR-RICE-GOODHUE-WATONWAN-BLUE EARTH-
WASECA-STEELE-MARTIN-FARIBAULT-FREEBORN-POLK-BARRON-RUSK-
ST. CROIX-PIERCE-DUNN-PEPIN-EAU CLAIRE-
728 PM CDT WED MAY 7 2014

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL AND
SOUTHERN MINNESOTA... AND WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS. THUNDERSTORMS ARE
LIKELY ACROSS MUCH OF THE OUTLOOK AREA AND SOME OF THESE STORMS
MAY PRODUCE LARGE HAIL.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY

THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS THURSDAY AND
THURSDAY EVENING. LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND TORNADOES ARE
POSSIBLE...PRIMARILY THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND THURSDAY EVENING.
HEAVY RAINFALL IS ALSO POSSIBLE.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE NEEDED TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY
EVENING.

BORGHOFF

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 7, 9:45 PM CST, 1 hour 7 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
1045 PM CDT WED MAY 07 2014

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1027 PM     HAIL             6 NW WASECA             44.14N 93.58W
05/07/2014  E1.00 INCH       WASECA             MN   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

AJZ

Local storm report, May 7, 10:08 PM CST, 44 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
1108 PM CDT WED MAY 07 2014

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1057 PM     HAIL             2 NNW MORRISTOWN        44.26N 93.46W
05/07/2014  M1.00 INCH       RICE               MN   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

AJZ

Local storm report, May 7, 10:18 PM CST, 34 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
1118 PM CDT WED MAY 07 2014

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1117 PM     HAIL             FARIBAULT               44.30N 93.27W
05/07/2014  M1.00 INCH       RICE               MN   LAW ENFORCEMENT

&&

AJZ

Local storm report, May 7, 10:24 PM CST, 28 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
1124 PM CDT WED MAY 07 2014

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0238 PM     HAIL             7 SSW CHOKIO            45.48N 96.23W
05/07/2014  M2.75 INCH       STEVENS            MN   TRAINED SPOTTER

0704 PM     HAIL             2 WSW MADELIA           44.04N 94.46W
05/07/2014  M1.00 INCH       WATONWAN           MN   TRAINED SPOTTER

0704 PM     HAIL             MADELIA                 44.05N 94.42W
05/07/2014  M0.88 INCH       WATONWAN           MN   LAW ENFORCEMENT

0716 PM     HAIL             1 SSE PLEASANT LAKE     45.48N 94.28W
05/07/2014  M0.75 INCH       STEARNS            MN   AMATEUR RADIO

            LOCATED A FEW MILES SOUTHWEST OF ST CLOUD NEAR I-94 AND
            HIGHWAY 15.

0744 PM     HAIL             1 S NEW ULM             44.30N 94.46W
05/07/2014  M0.75 INCH       BROWN              MN   PUBLIC

0805 PM     HAIL             TRUMAN                  43.83N 94.44W
05/07/2014  M0.75 INCH       MARTIN             MN   LAW ENFORCEMENT

0829 PM     HAIL             3 SE PRINCETON          45.54N 93.55W
05/07/2014  M0.75 INCH       SHERBURNE          MN   TRAINED SPOTTER

0834 PM     HAIL             1 E LEWISVILLE          43.92N 94.42W
05/07/2014  M1.00 INCH       WATONWAN           MN   TRAINED SPOTTER

            RELAYED VIA MANKATO TV.

0837 PM     HAIL             MADELIA                 44.05N 94.42W
05/07/2014  M0.88 INCH       WATONWAN           MN   LAW ENFORCEMENT

0848 PM     HAIL             MANKATO                 44.17N 93.99W
05/07/2014  M0.75 INCH       BLUE EARTH         MN   TRAINED SPOTTER

0900 PM     HAIL             5 S MANKATO             44.09N 93.99W
05/07/2014  M1.50 INCH       BLUE EARTH         MN   COUNTY OFFICIAL

0906 PM     HAIL             MANKATO                 44.17N 93.99W
05/07/2014  M1.00 INCH       BLUE EARTH         MN   TRAINED SPOTTER

0921 PM     HAIL             SW LAKE CRYSTAL         44.10N 94.22W
05/07/2014  M1.00 INCH       BLUE EARTH         MN   TRAINED SPOTTER

            MUCH OF THE HAIL THE SIZE OF NICKELS.

0922 PM     HAIL             LAKE CRYSTAL            44.10N 94.22W
05/07/2014  M1.75 INCH       BLUE EARTH         MN   PUBLIC

            REPORTED THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA.

0940 PM     HAIL             KINGSTON                45.20N 94.31W
05/07/2014  M0.75 INCH       MEEKER             MN   TRAINED SPOTTER

1022 PM     HAIL             2 S JANESVILLE          44.09N 93.71W
05/07/2014  M0.75 INCH       WASECA             MN   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            HAILED FOR 10 MINUTES PRIOR TO END TIME OF REPORT.

1022 PM     HAIL             3 E WASECA              44.08N 93.44W
05/07/2014  M0.88 INCH       WASECA             MN   LAW ENFORCEMENT

1023 PM     HAIL             1 NW WASECA             44.09N 93.52W
05/07/2014  M0.88 INCH       WASECA             MN   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            DIME SIZE HAIL NOTED AS WELL.

1027 PM     HAIL             6 NW WASECA             44.14N 93.58W
05/07/2014  E1.00 INCH       WASECA             MN   TRAINED SPOTTER

1041 PM     HAIL             HENDERSON               44.53N 93.91W
05/07/2014  M0.75 INCH       SIBLEY             MN   TRAINED SPOTTER

1057 PM     HAIL             2 NNW MORRISTOWN        44.26N 93.46W
05/07/2014  M1.00 INCH       RICE               MN   TRAINED SPOTTER

1115 PM     HAIL             3 W FARIBAULT           44.30N 93.34W
05/07/2014  M1.00 INCH       RICE               MN   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            OCCURRED AT CEDAR AND FRENCH LAKES.

1116 PM     HAIL             FARIBAULT               44.30N 93.27W
05/07/2014  M1.00 INCH       RICE               MN   LAW ENFORCEMENT

&&

AJZ

Local storm report, May 7, 10:39 PM CST, 13 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
1139 PM CDT WED MAY 07 2014

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1137 PM     HAIL             1 S JORDAN              44.67N 93.61W
05/07/2014  M1.00 INCH       SCOTT              MN   TRAINED SPOTTER

            MUCH OF THE HAIL WAS BETWEEN DIME AND PENNY SIZE.

&&

AJZ

Local storm report, May 7, 10:51 PM CST, 1 minute before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
1151 PM CDT WED MAY 07 2014

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1148 PM     HAIL             ELKO NEW MARKET         44.56N 93.33W
05/07/2014  M0.75 INCH       SCOTT              MN   TRAINED SPOTTER

&&

AJZ

The radar

The Minneapolis radar (KMPX), 88 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 04:50 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Pierce

When: May 7, 10:52 PM CST
Where: Pierce County, 0.85 mi NE of Ellsworth
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 44.740, -92.460

Hail, Pierce

When: May 7, 11:54 PM CST
Where: Pierce County, 0.85 mi NE of River Falls
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: COOP Observer
Coordinates: 44.860, -92.620

What these are

Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Wisconsin in 2014 Every state in 2014 This day in weather history Warnings in Wisconsin, May 2014

Sources

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: 505481, 505483.