Scattered thunderstorms developed ahead of an approaching cold front. ).
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 GRB wrote it up.
Scattered thunderstorms developed ahead of an approaching cold front. The storms produced damaging straight-line winds near White Lake (Langlade Co.), and a weak, EF0, tornado near Gresham (Shawano Co.).
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 Green Bay, WI wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 17, 1:29 PM CST, 1 hour 2 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREEN BAY WI 229 PM CDT SUN MAY 17 2015 FORECAST DISCUSSION FOR ROUTINE AFTERNOON FORECAST ISSUANCE .SHORT TERM...TONIGHT AND MONDAY ISSUED AT 229 PM CDT SUN MAY 17 2015 THE LATEST RAP ANALYSIS AND SATELLITE/RADAR IMAGERY SHOW AN OCCLUDED LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM SPINNING OVER THE EASTERN DAKOTAS. SHORTWAVES ARE ROTATING NORTHWARD AHEAD OF THIS OCCLUDED CYCLONE...THE STRONGEST OF WHICH IS LOCATED OVER EASTERN IOWA. A PWAT AXIS IS MOVING ACROSS WISCONSIN EARLY THIS AFTERNOON...WHICH COMBINED WITH MOISTURE CONVERGENCE...IS CONTRIBUTING TO SCATTERED SHOWER DEVELOPMENT OVER CENTRAL WISCONSIN. CLOUD COVER HAS SIGNIFICANTLY SLOWED THE HEATING CURVE SO FAR TODAY...KEEPING ML CAPES BELOW 200 J/KG. WITH SHOWER COVERAGE EXPECT TO INCREASE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON...IT WILL BE TOUGH TO SEE MUCH OF AN INCREASE OF INSTABILITY. STILL THOUGH...RADAR ECHOES SUGGEST SOME THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE...AND ANY STORMS COULD BRING DOWN STRONG WINDS FROM ALOFT. WILL HAVE TO KEEP A MENTION OF ISOLATED DAMAGING WINDS THROUGH EARLY THIS EVENING. OTHERWISE...THE LATEST HRRR CONGEALS THE SHOWER ACTIVITY INTO BAND AND PROGRESSES IT ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA FOR THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON. TONIGHT...LOW PRESSURE WILL MOVE EAST ACROSS NORTHERN MINNESOTA...WHILE A COLD FRONT WILL PUSH EAST THROUGH ALL BUT FAR EASTERN WISCONSIN OVERNIGHT. THOUGH SHORTWAVE ENERGY WILL BE ROTATING NORTHEAST OVER NORTHWEST WISCONSIN THROUGH THE EVENING...CONCERNED THAT STRONG DRYING AND INCREASING CAPPING IN THE MID-LEVELS WILL EVEN FURTHER LIMIT THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL FOR THE FIRST COUPLE HOURS IN THE EVENING. WILL KEEP A MENTION OF ISOLATED DAMAGING WINDS THROUGH 02Z IN CASE SOME THUNDERSTORMS MAKE A RUN INTO N-C WISCONSIN FROM MINNESOTA. ONCE THE THREAT OF STORMS ENDS...MODELS SHOW CLEARING TAKING PLACE UNTIL LOW CLOUDS FLOOD EAST BEHIND THE COLD FRONT LATE TONIGHT. LOW TEMPS NEAR 60 OVER THE EAST...BUT COOLING TO NEAR 50 OVER THE WEST. MONDAY...OCCLUDED LOW PRESSURE WILL BE WEAKENING AS IT MOVES TO THE EAST ACROSS LAKE SUPERIOR. WEST WINDS ON THE SOUTHERN FLANK OF THE LOW WILL BE COLD ADVECTING THROUGH THE DAY...WHILE PUSHING IN WRAP AROUND MOISTURE. SHOULD SEE AMPLE CLOUD COVER OVER CENTRAL AND NORTH-CENTRAL WISCONSIN THROUGH THE DAY...BUT EAST-CENTRAL WISCONSIN WILL LIKELY SEE SOME SUN IN THE MORNING BEFORE CLOUDS INCREASE IN THE AFTERNOON. WITH THE SUNSHINE...TEMPS SHOULD WARM TO NEAR 70 IN THE EAST...BUT ONLY INTO THE MID AND UPPER 50S OVER THE WEST. .LONG TERM...MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY ISSUED AT 229 PM CDT SUN MAY 17 2015 MUCH COOLER TEMPERATURES FOR THE FIRST HALF OF THE WORK WEEK...DRY AND MILDER CONDITIONS FOR THE LATTER HALF...AND A POSSIBLE RETURN TO WET WEATHER LATER IN THE MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND...ARE THE MAIN FCST CONCERNS. THE REMNANTS OF THE UPPER LOW WILL TRACK ACROSS NORTHERN LAKE SUPERIOR ON MONDAY NIGHT...FOLLOWED BY A S/W TROF PASSING NORTH OF WI ON TUESDAY. UNSEASONABLY COLD AIR (H8 TEMPS -8 TO -10 C) WILL FLOW INTO THE REGION ON NNW WINDS...SETTING THE STAGE FOR SOME LAKE-ENHANCED SHOWERS OVER NC WI. LOW-LEVEL TEMPS AND THICKNESSES SUPPORT A MIX THEN CHANGEOVER TO SNOW LATE MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY MORNING...WITH LITTLE OR NO ACCUMULATION EXPECTED. ANY LINGERING PCPN SHOULD END TUESDAY AFTERNOON AS CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS INTO THE REGION. HIGH PRESSURE WILL COVER THE AREA TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY. STILL EXPECTING FROST TUESDAY NIGHT...BUT GETTING A LITTLE CONCERNED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF THICKER HIGH LEVEL CLOUDS...DUE TO THE PRESENCE OF A STRONG JET STREAK OVER THE REGION. RIGHT NOW...HAVE JUST BUMPED UP CLOUD COVER A BIT OVER C/EC WI...BUT KEPT MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES OVER NORTHERN WI. WILL CONTINUE TO CARRY WIDESPREAD FROST OR FREEZE CONDITIONS OVER NORTHERN WI...AND PATCHY FROST OVER MOST OF C/EC WI. A WEAK BACK DOOR COLD FRONT WILL SAG THROUGH THE FORECAST AREA THURSDAY INTO THURSDAY NIGHT...BUT WILL NOT HAVE ANY MOISTURE TO WORK WITH...SO DRY WEATHER WILL PREVAIL. BEHIND THE FRONT...CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE WILL REESTABLISH ITSELF OVER THE WESTERN GREAT LAKES...AND IS EXPECTED TO LINGER INTO SATURDAY. ABUNDANT SUNSHINE SHOULD BRING A RETURN TO NEAR NORMAL TEMPERATURES FOR THE LATTER HALF OF THE WEEK. AN UPPER TROF...LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM AND ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT WILL IMPACT THE REGION FROM SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY. GULF MOISTURE IS EXPECTED TO FLOW INTO THE REGION AHEAD OF THE FRONT...WITH PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES REACHING 1.00-1.25 INCHES. HAVE RAMPED POPS UP TO LIKELY FOR SUNDAY. THE ECMWF PULLS MOST OF THE PCPN OUT OF THE REGION SUNDAY EVG...WHILE THE GFS HANGS ONTO SIGNIFICANT QPF INTO MEMORIAL DAY...SO FCST CONFIDENCE WANES BEYOND SUNDAY. && .AVIATION...FOR 18Z TAF ISSUANCE ISSUED AT 1215 PM CDT SUN MAY 17 2015 COMPLICATED WEATHER SCENARIO UNFOLDING TODAY AS LOW PRESSURE MOVES NORTHEAST OVER MINNESOTA...AND WARM FRONT LIFTS NORTH OVER CENTRAL WISCONSIN. CIGS WITHIN A MOISTURE LADEN AIRMASS WILL SLOWLY IMPROVE THIS AFTERNOON AS SHOWERS MOVE IN FROM THE WEST. WITH FURTHER DAYTIME HEATING...THUNDERSTORMS REMAIN POSSIBLE MID-AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT...WITH POTENTIAL FOR DAMAGING WINDS WITHIN ANY STORMS. THE STORMS SHOULD DISSIPATE BY MID-EVENING AND SKIES SHOULD PARTIALLY CLEAR INTO THE OVERNIGHT PERIOD. THEN A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE REGION LATE TONIGHT. MVFR CLOUDS WILL RETURN INTO CENTRAL AND NORTH- CENTRAL WISCONSIN BEHIND THE FRONT AND LINGER THROUGH THE END OF THE TAF PERIOD. && .GRB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && SHORT TERM.....MPC LONG TERM......KIECKBUSCH AVIATION.......MPC
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREEN BAY WI 258 PM CDT SUN MAY 17 2015 WIZ005-010>013-018>022-030-031-035>040-045-048>050-073-074-182000- VILAS-ONEIDA-FOREST-FLORENCE-NORTHERN MARINETTE-LINCOLN-LANGLADE- MENOMINEE-NORTHERN OCONTO-DOOR-MARATHON-SHAWANO-WOOD-PORTAGE- WAUPACA-OUTAGAMIE-BROWN-KEWAUNEE-WAUSHARA-WINNEBAGO-CALUMET- MANITOWOC-SOUTHERN MARINETTE-SOUTHERN OCONTO- 258 PM CDT SUN MAY 17 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT WIDESPREAD SEVERE WEATHER IS NO LONGER EXPECTED DUE TO WEAK INSTABILITY...BUT ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH WIND GUSTS TO 60 MPH AND HAIL UP TO 1 INCH ARE STILL POSSIBLE THROUGH EARLY EVENING. LOCALLY DENSE FOG WILL AFFECT TRAVEL NEAR THE LAKE MICHIGAN SHORELINE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SUNDAY FROST IS LIKELY OVER MOST OF THE AREA TUESDAY NIGHT...AND A FREEZE IS POSSIBLE OVER PARTS OF NORTHERN WISCONSIN. PATCHY FROST IS ALSO POSSIBLE OVER NORTHERN WISCONSIN ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT. THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS NEXT SUNDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION SHOULD NOT BE NEEDED TONIGHT. LMZ521-522-541>543-182000- THE BAY OF GREEN BAY SOUTH OF A LINE FROM CEDAR RIVER MI TO ROCK ISLAND PASSAGE-LAKE MICHIGAN FROM WASHINGTON ISLAND TO SHEBOYGAN- 258 PM CDT SUN MAY 17 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST LAKE MICHIGAN AND THE WATERS OF GREEN BAY. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS THIS EVENING. ISOLATED STRONG STORMS WITH GUSTY WINDS AND SMALL HAIL ARE STILL POSSIBLE. AREAS OF DENSE MARINE FOG WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT NAVIGATION FOR MARINERS TONIGHT. A MARINE DENSE FOG ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SUNDAY GUSTY SOUTHWEST TO WEST WINDS MAY CREATE HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS FOR SMALL CRAFT ON MONDAY. THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS NEXT SUNDAY. MPC/TSK
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREEN BAY WI 319 PM CDT SUN MAY 17 2015 WIZ031-038-039-048-049-074-172100- BROWN-CALUMET-OUTAGAMIE-SHAWANO-SOUTHERN OCONTO COUNTY-WINNEBAGO- 319 PM CDT SUN MAY 17 2015 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO THE FOX VALLEY... AT 314 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 8 MILES WEST OF APPLETON TO 2 MILES WEST OF OSHKOSH...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH. WINDS UP TO 50 MPH...BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS...ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. * THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR... MENASHA BY 325 PM CDT... BLACK CREEK AND APPLETON BY 330 PM CDT... LITTLE CHUTE AND KIMBERLY BY 335 PM CDT... PULASKI BY 350 PM CDT... GUSTY WINDS MAY CAUSE SMALL BRANCHES TO BE BLOWN DOWN...AND LOOSE OBJECTS TO BLOW AROUND. SEEK SHELTER IN A STURDY STRUCTURE UNTIL THESE STORMS HAVE PASSED. MPC
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREEN BAY WI 323 PM CDT SUN MAY 17 2015 WIZ010-011-019>021-031-172115- FOREST-LANGLADE-MENOMINEE-NORTHERN OCONTO COUNTY-ONEIDA-SHAWANO- 323 PM CDT SUN MAY 17 2015 ...SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WITRH GUSTY WINDS MOVING THROUGH THE NORTHWOODS... AT 318 PM CDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 16 MILES SOUTHWEST OF CRANDON TO ANTIGO TO BOWLER...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH. WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. * THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE NEAR... PEARSON BY 335 PM CDT... NEOPIT BY 340 PM CDT... WHITE LAKE AND CRANDON BY 355 PM CDT... CARTER BY 415 PM CDT... GUSTY WINDS MAY CAUSE SMALL OBJECTS SUCH AS TRASH BINS TO BLOW AROUND. SEEK SHELTER IN A STURDY STRUCTURE UNTIL THESE STORMS HAVE PASSED. KIECKBUSCH
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 tornado, 1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A weak tornado, rated EF0, formed at 3:31 PM CDT and produced intermittent damage along a nearly five mile long path, dissipating at 3:40 PM CDT. At least a dozen trees along the path sustained damage (DI 28, DOD 1-3) and a barn lost several shingles (DI 1, DOD 1).
Thunderstorm winds downed about 12 trees in a wooded area near White Lake.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Wisconsin in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Wisconsin, 2015Warnings in Wisconsin, May 2015
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: 566827, 570897.