A house fire near West Salem (La Crosse County) was started by a lightning strike. The garage and front half of the house were badly burned with the rest of the house sustaining smoke and water damage.
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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 house fire near West Salem (La Crosse County) was started by a lightning strike. The garage and front half of the house were badly burned with the rest of the house sustaining smoke and water damage.
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 16, 5:08 PM CST, 4 hours 37 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service La Crosse WI 608 PM CDT TUE AUG 16 2016 .SYNOPSIS... ISSUED AT 410 PM CDT TUE AUG 16 2016 Short wave coming out of the Dakotas was beginning to fire a few thunderstorms across southern MN and into central WI. Clusters of storms were located in western MN north of Alexandria where these storms were tapping the better CAPE and mid level lapse rates. These storms were spreading southeast and were intensifying. 4 pm temperatures were in the lower to mid 80s with dewpoints in the mid to upper 60s. && .SHORT TERM...(THIS EVENING THROUGH Wednesday) ISSUED AT 410 PM CDT TUE AUG 16 2016 Forecast focus on thunderstorms through tonight. Late this afternoon and tonight: Thunderstorms will continue to increase in coverage and intensity the remainder of the afternoon and evening hours, as forcing from the short wave approaches. A slight risk of severe storms exists for portions of southeast MN with a marginal risk across much of the remainder of the ARX cwa. The main threats will be damaging winds and large hail. Pops will be in the 50-60 percent range but pops will decrease overnight from west to east as the wave shifts off to the east. Minimum temperatures should be in the mid 60s at most locations. Wednesday: Other than slight pops in the far eastern cwa much of the cwa will be dry and mostly sunny, due to subsidence behind the departing short wave. Highs will be mainly in the lower 80s. .LONG TERM...(Wednesday NIGHT THROUGH Tuesday) ISSUED AT 410 PM CDT TUE AUG 16 2016 Forecast focus on increasing thunderstorms late in the week with a strong cold front, then a taste of fall later in the extended. Wednesday night and Thursday: Weak high pressure brings a brief dry period as the flow aloft becomes zonal. Temperatures will be warm with highs in the mid to upper 80s Thursday night through Saturday: Showers and thunderstorms will become likely as a strong upper level trough and cold front will be sweeping into the Upper Midwest. Due to the strength of this system some of the storms may be severe during a portion of this time frame, so stay tuned! Sunday into early next week: Taste of fall with a dry northwest flow. Highs should be in the upper 60s to mid 70s with lows in the upper 40s to mid 50s. Some favored cold spots may drop into the mid 40s. && .AVIATION...(For the 00Z TAFS through 00Z Wednesday evening) Issued at 608 PM CDT Tue Aug 16 2016 Watching convection to the northwest of the area early this evening ahead of a short wave trough coming out of the eastern Dakotas. The short wave trough will swing across the region overnight but the concern is how widespread will the convection become ahead of this. The latest set of hi-res meso scale models offer up various opinions but all show a general increase in coverage early this evening and then show the activity becoming more scattered and moving off to the east. Plan to show a VCTS for both airports this evening with VFR ceilings to cover the possibility of some convection coming in. For the overnight...the winds look to go light with skies clearing out and the 16.18Z NAM forecast soundings showing saturation occurring at the surface for KLSE. The question becomes how soon with the clouds clear out and will there be any rain to help prime the low levels. Will show a short period of MVFR with a tempo of IFR late tonight with some fog. Conditions could become more favorable for a fog event if the skies can remain clear through the night or if some rain moves in followed by clearing skies. Once the fog dissipates, the rest of the day looks to have VFR conditions. && .ARX Watches/Warnings/Advisories... WI...None. MN...None. IA...None. && SYNOPSIS...Haase SHORT TERM...Haase LONG TERM...Haase AVIATION...04
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI 806 AM CDT TUE AUG 16 2016 IAZ008>011-018-019-029-030-MNZ079-086>088-094>096-WIZ017-029- 032>034-041>044-053>055-061-171100- 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- 806 AM CDT TUE AUG 16 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PARTS OF NORTHEAST IOWA...SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA...AND FROM CENTRAL INTO SOUTHWEST WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE STARTING THIS AFTERNOON. A FEW STORMS COULD BE STRONG AND CAPABLE OF PRODUCING GUSTY WINDS AND HAIL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY PERIODIC THUNDERSTORM CHANCES CONTINUE WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. SOME OF THE STORMS THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY COULD BE STRONG WITH GUSTY WINDS AND HAIL. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED. .EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATION... NO WEBINAR IS SCHEDULED. DTJ/SHEA
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
730 PM CDT TUE AUG 16 2016
MNZ079-086>088-WIZ032-170200-
WINONA-DODGE-WABASHA-OLMSTED-BUFFALO-
730 PM CDT TUE AUG 16 2016
...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT NORTHWESTERN WINONA...
WABASHA...NORTHERN DODGE...NORTHERN OLMSTED AND BUFFALO COUNTIES...
AT 729 PM CDT...RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED
ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM NEAR ALMA WISCONSIN TO NEAR WEST
CONCORD MINNESOTA. MOVEMENT WAS EAST AT 20 MPH.
RAINFALL RATES OF 1 TO 2 INCHES AN HOUR, WINDS IN EXCESS OF 30 MPH
AND SMALL HAIL ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
MONDOVI...WABASHA...MANTORVILLE...ALMA...BUFFALO...GOODVIEW...
PLAINVIEW...ORONOCO...ELGIN...BUFFALO CITY...FOUNTAIN CITY...
MAZEPPA...WEST CONCORD...ROLLINGSTONE AND CLAREMONT.
TORRENTIAL RAINFALL IS ALSO OCCURRING WITH THESE STORMS...AND MAY
CAUSE LOCALIZED FLOODING. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE THROUGH FLOODED
ROADWAYS.
LAT...LON 4420 9304 4419 9255 4437 9255 4437 9243
4445 9243 4445 9224 4441 9208 4459 9202
4459 9153 4423 9155 4421 9160 4417 9161
4414 9156 4404 9157 4402 9304
TIME...MOT...LOC 0029Z 273DEG 17KT 4441 9189 4421 9316
04SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
926 PM CDT TUE AUG 16 2016
MNZ088-096-WIZ033-034-041-042-170315-
WINONA-HOUSTON-MONROE-LA CROSSE-TREMPEALEAU-JACKSON-
926 PM CDT TUE AUG 16 2016
...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT SOUTHEASTERN WINONA...
NORTHERN HOUSTON...WESTERN MONROE...JACKSON...SOUTHEASTERN
TREMPEALEAU AND LA CROSSE COUNTIES...
AT 924 PM CDT...RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED
ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 6 MILES NORTHEAST OF BLAIR TO NEAR NORTH
BEND TO 7 MILES NORTHEAST OF RUSHFORD. MOVEMENT WAS EAST AT 40 MPH.
RAINFALL RATES OF 1 TO 2 INCHES AN HOUR ALONG WITH WINDS IN EXCESS
OF 40 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
LA CROSSE...SPARTA...LA CRESCENT...BLACK RIVER FALLS...ONALASKA...
HOLMEN...WEST SALEM...TREMPEALEAU...BANGOR...DAKOTA...MILLSTON...
FORT MC COY...CATARACT...FRENCH ISLAND...AND FRANKLIN.
TORRENTIAL RAINFALL IS ALSO OCCURRING WITH THESE STORMS...AND MAY
CAUSE LOCALIZED FLOODING. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE THROUGH FLOODED
ROADWAYS.
LAT...LON 4372 9091 4381 9173 4413 9127 4445 9120
4438 9031
TIME...MOT...LOC 0224Z 279DEG 33KT 4437 9117 4413 9123 4386 9163
04SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
1021 PM CDT TUE AUG 16 2016
MNZ096-WIZ029-034-042>044-053-055-170400-
HOUSTON-RICHLAND-JUNEAU-ADAMS-MONROE-CLARK-VERNON-JACKSON-
1021 PM CDT TUE AUG 16 2016
...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT SOUTHEASTERN HOUSTON...
SOUTHEASTERN CLARK...MONROE...SOUTHEASTERN JACKSON...VERNON...
JUNEAU...WESTERN ADAMS AND NORTHWESTERN RICHLAND COUNTIES...
AT 1020 PM CDT...RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED
ALONG A LINE EXTENDING FROM 6 MILES NORTHEAST OF NEILLSVILLE
WISCONSIN TO 10 MILES NORTHEAST OF CASHTON WISCONSIN TO 7 MILES
NORTH OF NEW ALBIN IOWA. MOVEMENT WAS EAST AT 55 MPH.
WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH AND PEA SIZE HAIL ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE
STORMS.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
TOMAH...MAUSTON...VIROQUA...FRIENDSHIP...NEW LISBON...WESTBY...
ADAMS...ELROY...HILLSBORO...CASHTON...NECEDAH...WONEWOC...
COON VALLEY...LA FARGE...NEW ROME...DELLWOOD...GLENDALE AND SHERWOOD.
TORRENTIAL RAINFALL IS ALSO OCCURRING WITH THESE STORMS...AND MAY
CAUSE LOCALIZED FLOODING. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE THROUGH FLOODED
ROADWAYS.
LAT...LON 4373 8987 4364 9014 4364 9031 4358 9031
4343 9076 4357 9147 4373 9101 4373 9091
4376 9091 4384 9067 4468 9051 4467 9032
4425 9032 4425 8976
TIME...MOT...LOC 0320Z 280DEG 47KT 4460 9047 4384 9062 4360 9133
04The La Crosse radar (KARX), 10 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 03:47 UTC.
1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
A lightning strike started a house fire west of West Salem. The garage and front half of the house were badly burned while the rest of the structure sustained water and smoke damage.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Wisconsin in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in Wisconsin, August 2016
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: 656744.