With water levels still high from the spring snowmelt flooding, another round of flooding occurred on the Mississippi River in late May from runoff after a couple of rainfall events. The flooding continued into June.
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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.
With water levels still high from the spring snowmelt flooding, another round of flooding occurred on the Mississippi River in late May from runoff after a couple of rainfall events. The flooding continued into June.
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 May 23, 5:23 AM CST, 5 hours 37 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service La Crosse WI 623 AM CDT Thu May 23 2019 .SHORT TERM...(Today and tonight) Issued at 322 AM CDT Thu May 23 2019 Main impactful weather concerns in the short-term are on chances for showers and thunderstorms tonight into Friday. This morning will start out breezy then plan on diminishing winds throughout the day as high pressure moves in. The dry weather will be short lived as more showers and thunderstorms are expected to move into the region tonight. There is some question though on how widespread this activity will be. The NAM, ECMWF, and GFS are all showing a push of moderate 850 mb moisture transport across the forecast area in the 12 to 18Z timeframe on Friday, with not much support for precipitation before this time. Have slowed the onset of showers and storms until after midnight tonight with the bulk of the activity set to arrive mainly after 09Z, with more widespread showers and embedded thunderstorms after 12Z. Rainfall amounts from late tonight through Friday afternoon are forecast to range from around 3/10 inch over northcentral Wisconsin to around 1/2 inch across northeast Iowa. More rain, potentially heavy, is possible south of Interstate 90 Friday night .LONG TERM...(Friday through Wednesday) Issued at 322 AM CDT Thu May 23 2019 Main forecast concerns in the long term are on continued chances for showers and storms with the potential for locally heavy rainfall at times. A frontal boundary will become the focus for more showers and storms Friday night into Saturday morning but exactly where this front sets up isn't clear at this point. The front could setup across portions of northeast Iowa into southern Wisconsin, but some forecast models suggest the front will be further south, keeping it out of the forecast area. One thing is clear though, wherever the front sets up, there will be the potential for heavy rain. The GFS is indicating precipitable water values of 1.4 to 1.8 inches over northeast Iowa and southern Wisconsin with warm cloud depth of 3.5 to 4.0 KM, setting up a favorable environment for heavy rain. The ECMWF is showing a similar idea but the NAM keeps the heaviest rain south of the forecast area. Will have to keep a very close eye on model trends today. The forecast area really can't take much rainfall with the saturated ground across the entire area. Chances for showers and thunderstorms continue across the area on Saturday as a weak shortwave moves through. A warm and moist airmass remains in place over the region but the bulk of any shower/storm activity looks to stay south of the area focused on the boundary in place over southern Iowa/northern Illinois. Weak high pressure builds in for Sunday and we should see a dry day across the area with highs in the 70s. We will then likely see more rounds of showers/storms for Sunday night into Memorial Day as southwest flow aloft returns to the region. This will be the timeframe for the most widespread rainfall, which may be heavy at times leading to additional flooding concerns. Northwest flow aloft could return to the region by the middle of next week with a return to below normal temperatures. && .AVIATION...(For the 12Z TAFS through 12Z Friday morning) Issued at 623 AM CDT Thu May 23 2019 Scattered-broken VFR stratocumulus cloud deck will lift north of the area by midday. Will then be watching low pressure approaching from the Central Plains late tonight. This is expected to push scattered showers into areas mainly west of the Mississippi River by daybreak. Otherwise, VFR conditions expected through the period. && .HYDROLOGY...Tonight through Monday Issued at 322 AM CDT Thu May 23 2019 Periods of showers and thunderstorms are expected through the Memorial Day Weekend with the potential for additional flooding concerns. Precipitable water values of 1.4 to 1.8 inches and warm cloud depth of 3.5 KM, possibly a little higher, will set the stage for efficient rain production in any thunderstorm activity. The first round of rain is expected to impact the area tonight through Friday. Another round is possible Friday night for areas south of Interstate 90, which may be heavy at times. More widespread rain is likely for Sunday night into Memorial Day. Those planning on being near any waterways or have interests along them should be prepared for rising water levels and possibly flooding, especially if thunderstorms develop. Monitor the weather closely this weekend, especially those camping in low lying areas. && .ARX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WI...None. MN...None. IA...None. && SHORT TERM...Wetenkamp LONG TERM...Wetenkamp AVIATION...DAS HYDROLOGY...Wetenkamp
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service La Crosse WI 515 AM CDT Thu May 23 2019 IAZ008>011-018-019-029-030-MNZ079-086>088-094>096-WIZ017-029- 032>034-041>044-053>055-061-241200- 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- 515 AM CDT Thu May 23 2019 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of southeast Minnesota...northeast Iowa and southwest into central Wisconsin. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight Flooding continues along portions of the Mississippi River. Isolated thunderstorms are possible after midnight tonight. Lightning will be the main threat with any thunderstorms. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday There are periodic chances for thunderstorms over the weekend into next week. A few storms could become severe over northeast Iowa and southwest Wisconsin Friday evening into Friday night with heavy rain, isolated large hail, and damaging winds. Additional thunderstorms are possible Saturday afternoon and Sunday night through Tuesday. It is too early to determine if there would be a severe risk. Flooding will continue along portions of the Mississippi River into next week. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... No action needed. .EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATION... No webinar is scheduled. Wetenkamp
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Runoff after a couple of rain events pushed the Mississippi River out of its banks again in La Crosse. The river crested over a foot above the flood stage at 13.24 feet on May 25th. The flooding continued into June.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Wisconsin in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in Wisconsin, May 2019
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: 827456.