Thunderstorms brought large hail and damaging winds to parts of northwest Wisconsin during the morning of September 4th.
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 DLH wrote it up.
Thunderstorms brought large hail and damaging winds to parts of northwest Wisconsin during the morning of September 4th.
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 Duluth, MN wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Sep 4, 5:30 AM CST, 1 hour earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN 630 AM CDT THU SEP 4 2014 .UPDATE... ISSUED AT 630AM CDT THU SEP 4 2014 UPDATED FOR THE NEW 12Z AVIATION DISCUSSION BELOW. && .SHORT TERM...(TODAY AND TONIGHT) ISSUED AT 323 AM CDT THU SEP 4 2014 PRIMARY WARM FRONTAL ZONE IS DRAPED ACROSS THE I-94 CORRIDOR EARLY THIS MORNING AHEAD OF S/W TROF AXIS THAT IS EJECTING ACROSS N DAKOTA. RATHER SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN COVERAGE/INTENSITY OF NEW CONVECTION HAS BEEN NOTED IN THE PAST HOUR OR SO TO THE WEST OF FARGO WITHIN STRONG WARM/MOIST ADVECTION ZONE IN THE 925-850 LAYER AUGMENTED BY SOME LOW LEVEL FRONTOGENESIS. THIS IS EXPECTED TO CONT TO EVOLVE UPSCALE WITH AN MCS POSSIBLY WITH EMBEDDED SUPERCELL STRUCTURES PROPAGATING EASTWARD ACROSS MUCH OF THE DULUTH CWA THROUGH THIS MORNING. WHILE THE SEVERE THREAT SHOULD DIMINISH GRADUALLY WITH EASTWARD PROGRESSION..THERE WILL STILL BE AT LEAST SOME RISK OF LARGE HAIL AND STRONG WINDS ACROSS THE SOUTHERN DULUTH CWA THIS MORNING AND IN PARTICULAR TO THE WEST OF I35 AND SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 2. WE HAVE TRIED TO TIME THE MCS EASTWARD TIED TO THE MAX IN LOW LEVEL WAA/FGEN ASSOCIATED WITH THE NOSE OF THE LLJ INTERACTING WITH THE 925-850 FRONTAL ZONE..WHICH WOULD BRING IT TO THE DULUTH AND WRN LK SUPERIOR AREAS BY LATE MORNING. A GRADUAL WEAKENING TREND IS EXPECTED OVER THE MIDDAY HOURS..BUT DYNAMIC/ADVECTIVE PROCESSES ASSOCIATED WITH DEEP-LAYER CYCLOGENESIS TO OUR NORTH AND SOME HEATING DURING THE DAY SHOULD ALLOW FOR RAPID DESTABILIZATION IN THE WAKE OF THE MORNING MCS IN A NARROW ZONE TO THE EAST OF THE ADVANCING FRONT. THIS IS EXPECTED TO LEAD TO A SECOND WINDOW OF POTENTIAL STRONG CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING ALONG AND ROUGHLY EAST OF A LINE FROM ELY TO DULUTH TO PINE CITY. INSTABILITY/SHEAR KINEMATIC PARAMETERS APPEAR TO BE FAVORABLE ONCE AGAIN FOR SVR STORMS AND SUPERCELLS..WITH THE GREATEST RISK OVER THE MN ARROWHEAD AND NW WISCONSIN WHERE LOW LEVEL SHEAR WILL BE MAXIMIZED. CHANCES FOR PRECIP SHOULD END IN MOST AREAS BY MIDNIGHT..EXCEPT OVER FAR NRN MN WHERE A CHANCE FOR SHOWERS WILL LINGER MOST OF THE NIGHT IN CLOSER PROXIMITY TO DEEPENING/CLOSING OFF MID LEVEL TROF AXIS. FAIRLY STRONG W/NW SURFACE GRADIENT SHOULD ALLOW FOR DECENT SURFACE FLOW FOR MOST OF THE NIGHT THUR NIGHT..WITH STRONGER WINDS OVER WRN LK SUPERIOR. .LONG TERM...(FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY) ISSUED AT 323 AM CDT THU SEP 4 2014 IT APPEARS FALL LIKE WEATHER IS ON THE WAY...PARTICULARLY FOR NEXT WEEK. THE NORTHLAND WILL BE IN THE WAKE OF A STRONG COLD FRONT FRIDAY. I LOWERED THE HIGH TEMPERATURE FORECAST A BIT. THE MODELS PRIMARILY INDICATE SUNNY SKIES IN THE AFTERNOON...BUT I AM LESS CONVINCED DUE TO THE COLD AIR ADVECTION IN THE NW FLOW. PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES ARE LIKELY DUE TO THIS...SO I INCREASED THE CLOUD COVER FORECAST. A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE NORTHLAND FRIDAY NIGHT...AND ANOTHER COLD FRONT WILL STALL NEAR OR JUST NORTH OF THE MINNESOTA/CANADA BORDER SATURDAY NIGHT OR SUNDAY. TEMPERATURES OVER THE WEEKEND SHOULD BE NEAR NORMAL. MONDAY COULD FEEL LIKE THE LAST DAY OF SUMMER. THERE WILL LIKELY BE RELATIVELY WARM SW FLOW WHICH HELP TEMPERATURES TO CLIMB TO THE LOW 70S. THE FORECAST HAS LOW CHANCES OF SHOWERS AND STORMS...BUT THIS IS MORE OF AN ARTIFACT OF PREVIOUS MODELS RUNS. THE LATEST GFS AND ECMWF HAVE PCPN WITH AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT FROM THE NW HOLDING OFF UNTIL AT LEAST MONDAY NIGHT...SO WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO LOWER PCPN CHANCES FOR MONDAY EVEN MORE WITH FUTURE UPDATES. THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK MIGHT SEE A SIGNIFICANT DROP IN TEMPERATURES WITH WET AND CLOUDY WEATHER AS A COLD FRONT MOVES INTO THE REGION. THE GFS AND ECMWF ARE IN FAIRLY GOOD AGREEMENT CONSIDERING THIS PERIOD IS 6 TO 7 DAYS OUT. I LOWERED THE TEMPERATURE FORECAST FOR TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY...BUT WE MIGHT NEED TO DO SO MUCH MORE WITH SUBSEQUENT FORECASTS. HIGHS COULD DROP TO THE LOW TO MID 50S BY THURSDAY AS A COOL CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE AIR MASS GRADUALLY SHIFTS INTO THE UPPER MIDWEST. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z FRIDAY MORNING) ISSUED AT 630 AM CDT THU SEP 4 2014 MUCH OF NE MINNESOTA AND NW WISCONSIN WILL SEE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TODAY. SOME STORMS COULD BE STRONG TO SEVERE WITH THE THREAT OF LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND HEAVY RAIN. THE THERE SHOULD BE A TRANSITION FROM MORE PREDOMINANT IFR/MVFR CONDITIONS EARLY THIS MORNING TO MVFR CONDITIONS THIS AFTERNOON...AND THEN VFR CONDITIONS LATE THIS AFTERNOON. A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE REGION LATER TODAY. GUSTY WNW WINDS WILL DEVELOP BEHIND ITS WAKE. SOME TERMINALS WILL SEE MVFR CIGS RETURN LATER TONIGHT. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... DLH 71 53 64 47 / 80 20 0 10 INL 73 46 64 41 / 50 30 10 10 BRD 76 52 65 47 / 80 10 0 0 HYR 82 54 65 44 / 60 40 0 0 ASX 80 55 66 47 / 70 50 0 10 && .DLH WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MN...NONE. WI...NONE. LS...NONE. && SHORT TERM...MILLER LONG TERM...GROCHOCINSKI AVIATION...GROCHOCINSKI
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN 409 AM CDT THU SEP 4 2014 MNZ010>012-018>021-025-026-033>038-WIZ001>004-006>009-050915- KOOCHICHING-NORTHERN ST. LOUIS-NORTHERN COOK/NORTHERN LAKE- NORTHERN ITASCA-CENTRAL ST. LOUIS-SOUTHERN LAKE/LAKESHORE- SOUTHERN COOK/LAKESHORE-NORTHERN CASS-SOUTHERN ITASCA- SOUTHERN CASS-CROW WING-NORTHERN AITKIN-SOUTHERN AITKIN- CARLTON/SOUTHERN ST. LOUIS-PINE-DOUGLAS-BAYFIELD-ASHLAND-IRON- BURNETT-WASHBURN-SAWYER-PRICE- 409 AM CDT THU SEP 4 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST MINNESOTA AND NORTHWEST WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA THIS MORNING...WITH THE GREATEST THREAT OF DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL AND HEAVY RAINFALL GENERALLY ALONG AND SOUTH OF THE HIGHWAY 2 CORRIDOR IN MINNESOTA. MORNING STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DECREASE IN COVERAGE AND INTENSITY OVER THE MIDDAY HOURS AS THEY MOVE INTO THE MINNESOTA ARROWHEAD AND NORTHWEST WISCONSIN. HOWEVER...ADDITIONAL STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO REDEVELOP OVER EASTERN MINNESOTA AND NORTHWEST WISCONSIN LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...GENERALLY EAST OF A LINE ROUGHLY FROM ELY TO CLOQUET...TO PINE CITY. THE PRIMARY THREATS WITH THIS SECOND ROUND OF STORMS IS EXPECTED TO BE LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS...BUT THERE WILL BE AT LEAST SOME RISK OF TORNADOES WITH THE GREATEST THREAT OVER NORTHWEST WISCONSIN. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS MONDAY AND TUESDAY OF NEXT WEEK. AT THIS TIME THE THREAT OF SEVERE STORMS APPEARS LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED TODAY AND THIS EVENING. LSZ121-140>148-050915- BAYFIELD TO OAK POINT WI-GRAND PORTAGE TO GRAND MARAIS MN- GRAND MARAIS TO TACONITE HARBOR MN- TACONITE HARBOR TO SILVER BAY HARBOR MN- SILVER BAY HARBOR TO TWO HARBORS MN-TWO HARBORS TO DULUTH MN- DULUTH MN TO PORT WING WI-PORT WING TO SAND ISLAND WI- SAND ISLAND TO BAYFIELD WI-OAK POINT TO SAXON HARBOR WI- 409 AM CDT THU SEP 4 2014 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE NEARSHORE WATERS OF WESTERN LAKE SUPERIOR. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS FROM MID MORNING INTO TONIGHT OVER ALL OF WESTERN LAKE SUPERIOR. SOME STORMS COULD BE STRONG OR SEVERE...WITH STRONG WINDS...LOCALLY HIGH WAVES...LARGE HAIL AND INTENSE LIGHTNING. A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY MAY ALSO BE NEEDED TONIGHT AS WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS INCREASE BEHIND A COLD FRONT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY MAY BE NEEDED FRIDAY FOR STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS AND HIGHER WAVES BEHIND A COLD FRONT. THERE IS ALSO A CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS MONDAY AND TUESDAY. MILLER MORE INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED AT THE FOLLOWING WEB ADDRESS: HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/DULUTH (ALL LOWER CASE)
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
712 AM CDT THU SEP 04 2014
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0705 AM TSTM WND GST BRAINERD 46.35N 94.19W
09/04/2014 M69 MPH CROW WING MN TRAINED SPOTTER
THE ANEMOMETER MEASURED WINDS AS HIGH AS 69 MPH. ROOF
DAMAGE TO THE HOME OF THE SPOTTER.
&&
G2PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
720 AM CDT THU SEP 4 2014
...TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
...DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0653 AM HEAVY RAIN 2 NE AITKIN 46.55N 93.68W
09/04/2014 M1.78 INCH AITKIN MN AWOS
AWOS STATION AITKIN AIRPORT /AIT/ HEAVY RAIN
DURATION 1 HOUR.
0606 AM HEAVY RAIN 3 WNW WOODROW 46.40N 94.13W
09/04/2014 M1.00 INCH CROW WING MN MESONET
MESONET STATION 3 W WOODROW /BIRM5/ HEAVY
RAIN DURATION 6 HOURS.
0606 AM HEAVY RAIN 3 WNW WOODROW 46.40N 94.13W
09/04/2014 M0.88 INCH CROW WING MN MESONET
MESONET STATION 3 W WOODROW /BIRM5/ HEAVY
RAIN DURATION 1 HOUR.
0644 AM HEAVY RAIN 3 NE JENKINS 46.68N 94.29W
09/04/2014 M1.26 INCH CROW WING MN MESONET
MESONET STATION JENKINS 3 ENE /CW8652/ HEAVY
RAIN DURATION 6 HOURS.
0647 AM HEAVY RAIN 2 SW BREEZY POINT 46.58N 94.24W
09/04/2014 M1.51 INCH CROW WING MN MESONET
MESONET STATION BREEZY POINT 2 SW /CW9381/
HEAVY RAIN DURATION 6 HOURS.
0652 AM HEAVY RAIN 2 SW BREEZY POINT 46.58N 94.24W
09/04/2014 M1.26 INCH CROW WING MN MESONET
MESONET STATION BREEZY POINT 2 SW /CW9381/
HEAVY RAIN DURATION 1 HOUR.
0632 AM HEAVY RAIN 5 S NISSWA 46.42N 94.30W
09/04/2014 M0.99 INCH CROW WING MN MESONET
MESONET STATION EAST GULL LAKE 2 ENE
/DW5836/ HEAVY RAIN DURATION 6 HOURS.
0632 AM HEAVY RAIN 5 S NISSWA 46.42N 94.30W
09/04/2014 M0.82 INCH CROW WING MN MESONET
MESONET STATION EAST GULL LAKE 2 ENE
/DW5836/ HEAVY RAIN DURATION 1 HOUR.
0643 AM HEAVY RAIN 5 SSE BREEZY POINT 46.55N 94.17W
09/04/2014 M1.29 INCH CROW WING MN MESONET
MESONET STATION BREEZY POINT 5 SE /DW6213/
HEAVY RAIN DURATION 6 HOURS.
0643 AM HEAVY RAIN 5 SSE BREEZY POINT 46.55N 94.17W
09/04/2014 M1.08 INCH CROW WING MN MESONET
MESONET STATION BREEZY POINT 5 SE /DW6213/
HEAVY RAIN DURATION 1 HOUR.
0600 AM HEAVY RAIN EAST GULL LAKE 46.41N 94.35W
09/04/2014 M0.84 INCH CASS MN MESONET
MESONET STATION EAST GULL LAKE /GLLM5/ HEAVY
RAIN DURATION 6 HOURS.
0600 AM HEAVY RAIN EAST GULL LAKE 46.41N 94.35W
09/04/2014 M0.77 INCH CASS MN MESONET
MESONET STATION EAST GULL LAKE /GLLM5/ HEAVY
RAIN DURATION 1 HOUR.
&&
NWS DULUTH MN
IRIS SYSTEMPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
721 AM CDT THU SEP 04 2014
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0719 AM HEAVY RAIN BAXTER 46.34N 94.28W
09/04/2014 M2.50 INCH CROW WING MN TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
KKPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
726 AM CDT THU SEP 04 2014
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0700 AM HAIL 6 WNW FINLAND 47.45N 91.37W
09/04/2014 M1.25 INCH LAKE MN TRAINED SPOTTER
MOSTLY PEA SIZE HAIL WITH MANY NICKEL SIZED AND A FEW
HALF DOLLAR SIZED. BETWEEN 0655AM-0705AM.
&&
SGPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
728 AM CDT THU SEP 04 2014
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0700 AM TSTM WND DMG 1 W BRAINERD 46.35N 94.22W
09/04/2014 CROW WING MN UTILITY COMPANY
BETWEEN BRAINERD AND BAXTER.
&&
SGPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
729 AM CDT THU SEP 04 2014
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0700 AM TSTM WND DMG 1 W BRAINERD 46.35N 94.22W
09/04/2014 CROW WING MN UTILITY COMPANY
POWER LINES REPORTED DOWN BETWEEN BRAINERD AND BAXTER.
&&
SGThe Duluth radar (KDLH), 89 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 12:30 UTC.
10 hail, 9 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
There were several trees down along US 77 East of Minong.
There were numerous trees down along US 77 at CN Overpass. Railroad crews were working to clear trees along the right-of-way.
There were several trees down at the intersection of County Highway B and County Road NN.
Hail was covering the ground.
Five mature 12 inch diameter oak and pine trees were broken or uprooted.
There were twenty inch diameter oak and pine trees down and quarter size hail. The hail caused damage to the siding on a garage.
There was nickel to quarter size hail.
There were numerous trees down across town.
There was quarter size hail increasing to ping pong ball size hail. It was still hailing at the time of the report.
There was an 8 to 10 inch diameter tree broken. The location was corrected.
There was a lot of quarter size hail.
The top of a twelve inch live pine tree was blocking the road.
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, September 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: 543020, 543006, 543021, 543007, 543008, 543022, 543009, 543014, 543010, 543011, 543023, 543012, 543024, 543013, 543017, 543015, 543019, 543016, 543025.