Lightning struck a communications tower serving Portage County, knocking it out of service.
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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 GRB wrote it up.
Lightning struck a communications tower serving Portage County, knocking it out of service.
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 Sep 20, 5:58 PM CST, 32 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Green Bay WI 658 PM CDT TUE SEP 20 2016 New Information added to update section .UPDATE... Issued at 657 PM CDT Tue Sep 20 2016 isolated convection quickly developed along the mid level baroclinic zone from northwest wisconsin to near door county. Added a period of Isolated storms north of a auw to grb line. Convection likely be aided by a passing upper jet let as the Water vapor loops shows a weak impulse sliding over the state. Anticipate this convection to diminish or slide to the east later this evening, with attention turning to the west where the stronger waa and warm front is located. As of 7 pm...no convection noted toward Iowa and vicinity. && .SHORT TERM...Tonight and Wednesday Issued at 313 PM CDT Tue Sep 20 2016 The main concerns during the short term are onset of rain, possibly heavy, and the risk of severe storms. High and middle clouds made their way across much of northern Wisconsin today. There were some radar echoes showing up in the north but their height suggests that they may just be some middle clouds since observation sites in north central Wisconsin had no rain but did have some 10-12kft clouds. 12Z models indicated that the main rainfall event for the forecast area will not be until after 06z. Showers and thunderstorms moved across Minnesota today but they were weakening as they moved into western Wisconsin. Expect development overnight as a warm front to the southwest of Wisconsin pushes northeast and encounters some mid level instability. There is also some weak upper level short wave energy that will contribute to the development of showers and storms. The front will remain nearly stationary across southern Wisconsin through Wednesday, with continued chances for showers and thunderstorms across the entire area. Models have the highest overnight QPF values across central and east central Wisconsin, but totals do not look like anything to be too concerned about at the moment. Moisture increases on Wednesday so rainfall totals should be heavier then. Low wet bulb zero heights, as seen on the 12Z GRB sounding, make large hail the primary severe threat for tonight. .LONG TERM...Wednesday Night Through Tuesday Issued at 313 PM CDT Tue Sep 20 2016 Conditions are coming together for a heavy rainfall event on Wednesday night, with a warm front setting up just to our south, a low-level jet increasing to 30 to 35 kts, and short-wave and jet energy moving through the region. In addition, elevated instability will be in place, along with PWATs of 1.5 to 2 inches. We could see 2+ inches of rainfall in parts of central WI. The threat of locally heavy rainfall will continue across mainly central and east central WI Thursday into Thursday night, though amounts should not be as significant as Wednesday night. Event total rainfall (through Friday) of 2-4 inches, with local higher amounts, can be expected over parts of central WI, especially Marathon, Wood and Portage counties, and this would appear to be the area of greatest threat for localized flooding. Right now, confidence is not high enough in the placement and amount of heavy rainfall to issue a Flash Flood Watch, though issuance is possible with subsequent forecasts. The cold front will gradually sag south of the region Friday into Friday night, with Canadian high pressure settling into the Lake Superior region. This will cause a decrease in shower activity, especially over northern WI, where a brief period of dry weather may occur. Upper level ridging may also suppress precipitation Saturday into Saturday night, though confidence is not high enough to go with a completely dry forecast. A frontal system will spread showers and thunderstorms back into our western counties Sunday afternoon, and across the rest of the region Sunday night into Monday. Mainly dry conditions are anticipated Monday night and Tuesday Near normal temperatures are expected through most of the period. && .AVIATION...for 00Z TAF Issuance Issued at 539 PM CDT Tue Sep 20 2016 VFR conditions are expected through the evening with surface high pressure over Wisconsin drifting eastward. Convection expected to develop overnight along and north of a surface warm front which at 7 pm this evening extends from Southeast South Dakota into into Iowa to central Illinois. An 850 warm front lies a bit further north and may at times generated light convection over the state this evening. Anticipate vfr conditions to deteriorate to Mvfr conditions from west to east late tonight or early Wednesday with scattered ifr levels with convection. && .HYDROLOGY... Issued at 313 PM CDT Tue Sep 20 2016 The primary focus will be on central WI, where total rainfall of 2-4 inches, with local higher amounts, is currently forecast during the late tonight through Friday period. At this time, it appears the greatest concern for flooding will be over Marathon, Wood and Portage counties. Parts of these counties have heavier soils that are more conducive to runoff, as well as a couple of our more flash flood-prone rivers (Big Eau Pleine and Yellow). Confidence is not high enough in the placement and amounts of heaviest QPF to issue a Flash Flood Watch at this time, but it is possible that a watch may need to be issued with subsequent forecasts. && .GRB WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NONE. && UPDATE.........TDH SHORT TERM.....MG LONG TERM......Kieckbusch AVIATION.......TDH HYDROLOGY......Kieckbusch
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREEN BAY WI 334 PM CDT TUE SEP 20 2016 WIZ005-010>013-018>022-030-031-035>040-045-048>050-073-074-212045- VILAS-ONEIDA-FOREST-FLORENCE-NORTHERN MARINETTE COUNTY-LINCOLN- LANGLADE-MENOMINEE-NORTHERN OCONTO COUNTY-DOOR-MARATHON-SHAWANO- WOOD-PORTAGE-WAUPACA-OUTAGAMIE-BROWN-KEWAUNEE-WAUSHARA-WINNEBAGO- CALUMET-MANITOWOC-SOUTHERN MARINETTE COUNTY- SOUTHERN OCONTO COUNTY- 334 PM CDT TUE SEP 20 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST WISCONSIN. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT THERE IS A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS LATE TONIGHT, AS A WARM FRONT LIFTS NORTH TOWARD THE REGION. ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH LARGE HAIL AND HEAVY RAINFALL ARE POSSIBLE IN CENTRAL WISCONSIN. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH TUESDAY SEVERAL ROUNDS OF THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED FROM WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY NIGHT. THE PRIMARY THREAT WILL BE HEAVY RAINFALL AND LOCALIZED FLOODING. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 4 INCHES ARE ANTICIPATED ACROSS OF THE AREA. THE HIGHEST RAINFALL AMOUNTS AND GREATEST RISK OF FLOODING ARE CURRENTLY EXPECTED OVER MARATHON, WOOD AND PORTAGE COUNTIES. THERE IS ALSO A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS FROM FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY, BUT THESE STORMS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BE SEVERE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTERS SHOULD REPORT ANY OCCURRENCES OF HAIL TONIGHT, AND ANY RAINFALL AMOUNTS IN EXCESS OF AN INCH OVER THE REMAINDER OF THE WORK WEEK. LMZ521-522-541>543-212045- THE BAY OF GREEN BAY SOUTH OF A LINE FROM CEDAR RIVER MI TO ROCK ISLAND PASSAGE-LAKE MICHIGAN FROM WASHINGTON ISLAND TO SHEBOYGAN- 334 PM CDT TUE SEP 20 2016 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 LATE TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH TUESDAY THUNDERSTORMS MAY POSE A SIGNIFICANT HAZARD TO MARINERS AT TIMES FROM WEDNESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT. THESE STORMS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HEAVY RAINFALL. ADDITIONAL CHANCES FOR STORMS EXIST FROM FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY. THE STORMS MAY CREATE HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS FOR BOATERS. MG/KIECKBUSCH
The Green Bay radar (KGRB), 111 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:27 UTC.
1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Lightning stuck a communications tower used by Portage County law enforcement. The time of this event is estimated.
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, September 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: 651381.