Persistent below normal precipitation since February 2021 allowed severe drought conditions to develop across parts of western Wisconsin in late June, including La Crosse, Monroe, Richland and Grant Counties. Rainfall amounts of 1 to 3 inches during the last part of June allowed soil moisture conditions to improve and brought an end to the severe drought.
Every event with a place to put it; 4 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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 ARX wrote it up.
Persistent below normal precipitation since February 2021 allowed severe drought conditions to develop across parts of western Wisconsin in late June, including La Crosse, Monroe, Richland and Grant Counties. Rainfall amounts of 1 to 3 inches during the last part of June allowed soil moisture conditions to improve and brought an end to the severe drought.
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 Jun 22, 4:59 AM CST, 1 hour 1 minute earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service La Crosse WI 559 AM CDT Tue Jun 22 2021 .SHORT TERM...(Today and tonight) Issued at 240 AM CDT Tue Jun 22 2021 Water vapor satellite this morning shows a northwest flow pattern aloft is in place over the Upper Midwest. No significant short wave troughs are evident in this pattern, but the RAP is suggesting some weak waves are present that should pass over the area during the afternoon and overnight hours. In the low levels, an area of high pressure was centered over Oklahoma with the ridge axis extending to the north/northeast into the region. The ridge will be moving off to the east through tonight allowing a warm air advection pattern to develop across the region. The RAP suggests the strongest warm air advection should be concentrated over central and southern Iowa in the vicinity of a surface boundary that is expected to develop as dew points pool in the middle to upper 60s south of the boundary. Weak frontogenesis in the 1000-700 mb layer in the vicinity of this boundary is expected to develop late this afternoon and with the possibility of some forcing from a weak short wave trough, showers and storms are expected to develop over central Iowa. Initially this activity looks to be the south and southwest of the area, but the boundary may drift north into northeast Iowa and southwest Wisconsin overnight. By this time, the low level jet should develop and become focused on the boundary and could bring some showers and storms into the southern portions of the area. By the time this occurs, the RAP suggests the ML CAPE will be around 500 J/kg with 0-3 km shear up to 30 knots. This should be enough to support some storms and with mid- level lapse around 7 C/km, any stronger storms could produce some small hail and maybe some gusty winds. Otherwise, look for the warm air advection to start bringing warmer temperatures back into the area with highs today returning back into the 70s for all but the far northern parts of the area. .LONG TERM...(Wednesday through Monday) Issued at 240 AM CDT Tue Jun 22 2021 Upper level trough breaks down and west to east zonal flow develops across the Northern Plains/Upper Great Lakes Region Wednesday into Thursday night. Shortwave troughs embedded in the west to east zonal flow will allow for an active weather pattern Wednesday night into Thursday night. A surface front will slowly move south into or across the forecast area Wednesday night into Thursday night. Main concern is track of shortwave troughs and interaction with surface front to produce widespread convection across the forecast area. The 22.00z models suggest the main shortwave energy to move just south of the forecast area...however enough lift and moisture convergence along front will produce periodic shower/storm chances Wednesday night into Thursday night...with the higher chances occurring Thursday/Thursday night across the forecast area. As far as severe threat with the storms will be determined by how much instability builds across the forecast area Thursday...as the deterministic models suggest there could be ongoing convection or debris cloud from previous convection to limit the instability. Main forecast concerns Friday into Monday are small precipitation chances through the period. The 22.00z ECMWF/GFS/GEM are in decent agreement in digging upper level trough over the Upper Mississippi River Valley during the period. Big concern is the strength and placement of the trough...as this will have impacts on placement of shower/storm activity in association with any shortwave troughs rotating around upper level trough. Will continue trend of periodic small shower/storm chances through much of the period. Temperatures are expected to remain near or slightly above normal through the period with high temperatures mainly in the middle 70s to middle 80s. && .AVIATION...(For the 12Z TAFS through 12Z Wednesday morning) Issued at 559 AM CDT Tue Jun 22 2021 VFR conditions are expected through tonight for both airports. Some mid level clouds will be moving across the area through the day with enough for a ceiling at times. With the approach of a short wave trough tonight, showers and storms are expected to develop over Iowa and move east, staying south of both sites. Enough clouds from this activity that VFR ceilings should occur at both sites overnight. && .ARX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WI...None. MN...None. IA...None. && SHORT TERM...04 LONG TERM...DTJ AVIATION...04
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service La Crosse WI 351 AM CDT Tue Jun 22 2021 IAZ008>011-018-019-029-030-MNZ079-086>088-094>096-WIZ017-029- 032>034-041>044-053>055-061-231100- 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- 351 AM CDT Tue Jun 22 2021 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of southeast Minnesota...northeast Iowa and southwest into central Wisconsin. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight A few thunderstorms can be expected this evening and tonight in northeast Iowa and far southwest Wisconsin. Severe weather is not expected with this activity. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday Thunderstorms are expected Wednesday night into Thursday night. Uncertainty does exist if the storms will be severe Thursday into Thursday night. The main threats would be large hail and damaging winds. Periodic chances of thunderstorms will be from Friday into Monday. At this time, it is too early to determine if organized severe weather will occur. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... No action is needed. .EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATION... No webinar is scheduled. DTJ
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Persistent below normal precipitation since February 2021 allowed severe drought conditions to develop across parts of Grant County. Rainfall amounts of 1 to 2 inches during the last part of June allowed soil moisture conditions to improve and brought an end to the severe drought.
Persistent below normal precipitation since February 2021 allowed severe drought conditions to develop across parts of La Crosse County. Rainfall amounts of 2 to 3 inches during the last part of June allowed soil moisture conditions to improve and brought an end to the severe drought.
Persistent below normal precipitation since February 2021 allowed severe drought conditions to develop across parts of Monroe County. Rainfall amounts of 2 to 3 inches during the last part of June allowed soil moisture conditions to improve and brought an end to the severe drought.
Persistent below normal precipitation since February 2021 allowed severe drought conditions to develop across parts of Richland County. Rainfall amounts of 2 to 3 inches during the last part of June allowed soil moisture conditions to improve and brought an end to the severe drought.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Wisconsin in 2021Every state in 2021This day in weather historyWarnings in Wisconsin, June 2021
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: 967028, 967029, 967030, 967031.