Severe storms moved across western Wisconsin during the evening of May 19th and produced a brief tornado, some damaging winds, and large hail. An EF0 tornado occurred southeast of Sparta (Monroe County) and destroyed a camper and outbuilding along with damaging farm equipment and trees.
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 ARX wrote it up.
Severe storms moved across western Wisconsin during the evening of May 19th and produced a brief tornado, some damaging winds, and large hail. An EF0 tornado occurred southeast of Sparta (Monroe County) and destroyed a camper and outbuilding along with damaging farm equipment and trees. The automated weather observing equipment at the La Crosse (La Crosse County) airport measured a 62 mph gust and a roof was damaged near Barre Mills (La Crosse County). Most of the hail that fell was quarter sized or smaller and the largest reported was golf ball sized in Holmen (La Crosse County). Around 3,800 customers were without power in La Crosse after the storms rolled through.
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 19, 5:48 PM CST, 1 hour 7 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service La Crosse WI 648 PM CDT Thu May 19 2022 .DISCUSSION...(This evening through Thursday) Issued at 254 PM CDT Thu May 19 2022 Key Messages: - Severe weather expected this afternoon and evening - Frost/Freeze Headlines Maybe Needed Sunday Night Late This Afternoon and Evening... Continuing to monitor the northward progression of a warm front which extends from Albert Lea, MN to Platteville, WI. Temperatures south of this warm front range from the mid-80s to lower 90s. Dew points have dropped into the 50s in the wake of this mornings convection. Further to the southwest, the dew points range from the mid-60s to lower 70s. There is still some questions how much moisture recovery there will be in the warm sector. The latest HRRR has a good handle on the current dew points and it shows that the dew points will recover into the lower 60s. Until that moisture gets back into the area, there may be a lull in convection in this area. Soundings show an inverted V in this area, so there will be a threat of damaging winds and large hail once the convection returns to this area between 5 PM and 7 PM. Meanwhile, along the warm front, VWP is showing backing winds at KLSE and this lengthening the 0-3 km hodograph. The RAP and HRRR indicate helicities increasing into the 300 to 400. The 0-1 km computed CAPES will likely climb into the 800 to 1200 J/kg range. The highest values look to be from the Iowa/Minnesota boarder north into southeast Minnesota and maybe the counties bordering the Mississippi in Wisconsin. This tornado threat looks to be from 4 PM to 7 PM. As the cold front approaches and the moves into the narrow ribbon of return moisture, there will a line of storms developing along the cold front. These storms will be capable of producing large hail and damaging winds. There is still some uncertainty on how far south the storms will develop into the warm sector. Sunday through Thursday... Precipitation chances continue into Sunday morning as an upper level trough moves over the area. As the trough lifts out of the area, precipitation could linger over our northern counties into early Sunday afternoon. High temperatures will remain in the upper 50s/low 60s during the day, and with clouds moving out overnight, low temperatures could drop down to the low/mid 30s for some. Frost/freeze headlines may be needed Monday morning. Although the end of the weekend into Monday appears to be dry, increasing chances for precipitation returns through the week. While ensemble solutions show increasing agreement on upper level troughing moving across the area midweek, there are differences in the progression of the trough. With this disagreement, differences in the timing and coverage of precipitation across the area remains. Temperatures will return to the low/mid 60s for the start of the week. However, EPS solutions suggest an upward trend in temperatures into the weekend, with ensemble means above model climatology. && .AVIATION...(For the 00Z TAFS through 00Z Friday evening) Issued at 647 PM CDT Thu May 19 2022 A line of showers and storms over KRST will slowly sag into KLSE between 20.01Z and 20.02z. Ceilings will range between 5 and 10K feet. A few of the thunderstorms may become severe. Damaging winds and hail are the main concerns. Visibilities at times may become IFR/MVFR this evening in some places, but confidence was not high enough to include them in the TAFs at this time. The thunderstorms will gradually come to an end between 20.05z and 20.07z. While the thunderstorms will be ending scattered showers will continue for much of the remainder of the night. && .ARX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WI...NONE. MN...NONE. IA...NONE. && DISCUSSION...Boyne/EMS AVIATION...Boyne
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service La Crosse WI 423 PM CDT Thu May 19 2022 IAZ008>010-018-019-MNZ079-086>088-094>096-WIZ017-029-032>034-041- 201200- Mitchell-Howard-Winneshiek-Floyd-Chickasaw-Wabasha-Dodge-Olmsted- Winona-Mower-Fillmore-Houston-Taylor-Clark-Buffalo-Trempealeau- Jackson-La Crosse- 423 PM CDT Thu May 19 2022 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of southeast Minnesota...northeast Iowa and western into north central Wisconsin. .DAY ONE...Tonight Strong to severe storms are expected going into the evening. Large hail is the main threat but some storms could produce damaging wind and possibly a tornado. Additional storms are possible later this evening too that would pose a strong wind threat. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday Thunderstorms could develop over northeast Iowa and southwest Wisconsin on Saturday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation may be needed yet today. Hail reports are always appreciated. .EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATION... No webinar is scheduled. IAZ011-029-030-WIZ042>044-053>055-061-201200- Allamakee-Fayette-Clayton-Monroe-Juneau-Adams-Vernon-Crawford- Richland-Grant- 423 PM CDT Thu May 19 2022 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of northeast Iowa...central Wisconsin...southwest Wisconsin and west central Wisconsin. .DAY ONE...Tonight Scattered thunderstorms are possible this evening. While a bulk of the severe weather is expected west and north of the area, a few stronger storms could produce hail or gusty winds if they develop. Overnight additional storms are possible which could bring gusty winds. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday Thunderstorms could develop over northeast Iowa and southwest Wisconsin on Saturday. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not anticipated but if a stronger storm develops in your area, please pass along any reports. .EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATION... No webinar is scheduled. Shea
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service La Crosse WI 547 PM CDT Thu May 19 2022 MNZ079-086>088-094-095-WIZ017-029-032>034-200100- Wabasha-Dodge-Olmsted-Winona-Mower-Fillmore-Taylor-Clark-Buffalo- Trempealeau-Jackson- Including the cities of Wabasha, Dodge Center, Rochester, Winona, Austin, Preston, Medford, Neillsville, Alma, Arcadia, Whitehall, and Black River Falls 547 PM CDT Thu May 19 2022 ...Scattered Storms...Some Strong, Potentially Severe... Storms will march east northeast across the area early this evening. The stronger storms will produce 1/2 inch hail with the potential for gusty winds. A few could become severe with hail up to 1 inch. When storms near your location, take shelter indoors. Be alert for possible warnings through the evening. Rieck
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
604 PM CDT THU MAY 19 2022
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0533 PM HAIL 3 NE BYRON 44.07N 92.61W
05/19/2022 M0.70 INCH OLMSTED MN TRAINED SPOTTER
&&PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
623 PM CDT THU MAY 19 2022
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0622 PM HAIL MANTORVILLE 44.07N 92.75W
05/19/2022 M0.50 INCH DODGE MN TRAINED SPOTTER
&&Special Weather Statement National Weather Service La Crosse WI 728 PM CDT Thu May 19 2022 MNZ094-095-200130- Fillmore MN-Mower MN- 728 PM CDT Thu May 19 2022 ...Strong thunderstorms will impact portions of east central Mower and northwestern Fillmore Counties through 830 PM CDT... At 726 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking strong thunderstorms with public reports of landspouts along a line extending from near Fountain to near Grand Meadow. Movement was east at 45 mph. HAZARD...Landspouts. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Minor damage to outdoor objects is possible. Locations impacted include... Spring Valley, Grand Meadow, Wykoff, Fillmore, Washington, Carimona, Highways 63 And 16 and Hamilton. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building. To report severe weather, contact your nearest law enforcement agency. They will relay your report to the National Weather Service office in La Crosse. A Tornado Watch remains in effect until 1000 PM CDT for southeastern Minnesota. && LAT...LON 4380 9215 4366 9214 4364 9256 4375 9257 TIME...MOT...LOC 0026Z 259DEG 47KT 4378 9215 4372 9248 LANDSPOUT...OBSERVED MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN MAX WIND GUST...<30 MPH Rieck
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
749 PM CDT THU MAY 19 2022
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0740 PM HAIL FOUNTAIN 43.74N 92.13W
05/19/2022 M0.70 INCH FILLMORE MN PUBLIC
&&
JARPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
751 PM CDT THU MAY 19 2022
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0745 PM HAIL 4 S ROCHESTER 43.95N 92.47W
05/19/2022 E0.88 INCH OLMSTED MN TRAINED SPOTTER
PRELIMINARY SPOTTER REPORT VIA
SPOTTERNETWORK.ORG.
&&
JARThe La Crosse radar (KARX), 8 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:55 UTC.
13 hail, 2 thunderstorm wind, 1 tornado, 1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
The automated weather observing equipment at the La Crosse airport measured a 62 mph gust.
A building just north of Barre Milles sustained wind damage.
Quarter sized hail fell at the NWS La Crosse office.
A brief EF0 tornado touched down east of Leon and was only on the ground for about a quarter-mile before dissipating. The tornado tossed and destroyed a camper along with damaging an outbuilding, house, farm machinery and trees. Some of the downed trees were along the Elroy-Sparta state bike trail.
Quarter sized hail was reported on the south side of La Crosse.
Quarter sized hail was reported on the southeast side of La Crosse.
Half dollar sized hail was reported west of Saint Joseph.
Quarter sized hail fell in La Crosse.
Heavy rains caused some street flooding to occur in La Crosse. A few streets were closed for a while and some cars became stranded.
Quarter sized hail was reported in Westby.
Quarter sized hail was reported just southwest of Holmen.
Quarter sized hail fell on on the south side of Holmen.
Up to golf ball sized hail fell in Holmen.
Quarter sized hail was reported west of West Salem.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Wisconsin in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Wisconsin, 2022Warnings in Wisconsin, May 2022
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: 1029460, 1030506, 1029464, 1029465, 1030149, 1029705, 1029715, 1029713, 1029685, 1029690, 1029691, 1030147, 1029725, 1030526, 1029693, 1029767, 1030525.