Hail and Damaging Winds in Wisconsin, July 16, 2023

Name: Hail and Damaging Winds in Wisconsin, July 16, 2023
Start: 2023-07-16T19:06
End: 2023-07-16T19:50
Location: Wisconsin

July 16, 2023 · NWS MKX · 5 events in 3 counties and zones

The passage of a weak cold front and upper level disturbance let to numerous strong thunderstorms across southern WI One storm became severe via downburst winds in the Lake Wisconsin area.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $80,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 5

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS MKX wrote it up.

The passage of a weak cold front and upper level disturbance let to numerous strong thunderstorms across southern WI One storm became severe via downburst winds in the Lake Wisconsin area.

What forecasters said that day

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 Milwaukee, WI wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 16, 1:11 PM CST, 5 hours 55 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 16, 1:11 PM CST, 5 hours 55 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 16, 1:18 PM CST, 5 hours 48 minutes before

Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Milwaukee/Sullivan WI
218 PM CDT Sun Jul 16 2023

WIZ046-047-051-052-056>060-062>072-171930-
Marquette-Green Lake-Fond du Lac-Sheboygan-Sauk-Columbia-Dodge-
Washington-Ozaukee-Iowa-Dane-Jefferson-Waukesha-Milwaukee-
Lafayette-Green-Rock-Walworth-Racine-Kenosha-
218 PM CDT Sun Jul 16 2023

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of east central
Wisconsin, south central Wisconsin and southeast Wisconsin.

.DAY ONE...Tonight

An Air Quality Advisory remains in effect until midnight tonight.

Thunderstorms are expected evening. A few stronger storms are
possible, with gusty outflow winds being the main concern.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Sunday

More storm chances return later Wednesday through Thursday.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation will not be needed Tonight.

LMZ643>646-171930-
Sheboygan to Port Washington WI-
Port Washington to North Point Light WI-
North Point Light to Wind Point WI-
Wind Point WI to Winthrop Harbor IL-
218 PM CDT Sun Jul 16 2023

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for the nearshore waters from
Sheboygan Wisconsin to Winthrop Harbor Illinois.

.DAY ONE...Tonight

A few thunderstorms possible this evening, with gusty outflow
winds being the main concern.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Sunday

Additional chances for thunderstorms are possible Wednesday
through Thursday.

LMZ080-261-362-364-366-563-565-567-669-671-673-675-777-779-868-
870-872-874-876-878-171930-
Lake Michigan Michigan City IN to St. Joseph MI 5 NM offshore to
mid-line of lake.-
Lake Michigan from Seul Choix Point to Rock Island Passage 5NM
offshore to Mid Lake-
Lake Michigan South of a line from Seul Choix Point to the
Mackinac Bridge and North of a line from Charlevoix MI to South
Fox Island 5NM offshore-
Lake Michigan from Charlevoix to Point Betsie MI 5NM Offshore to
mid lake-
Lake Michigan from Point Betsie to Manistee MI 5NM offshore to
Mid Lake-
Lake Michigan from Rock Island Passage to Sturgeon Bay WI 5NM
offshore to mid lake-
Lake Michigan from Sturgeon Bay to Two Rivers WI 5NM offshore to
Mid Lake-
Lake Michigan from Two Rivers to Sheboygan WI 5NM offshore to Mid
Lake-
Lake Michigan from Sheboygan to Port Washington WI 5NM offshore
to Mid Lake-
Lake Michigan from Port Washington to North Point Light WI 5NM
offshore to Mid Lake-
Lake Michigan from North Point Light to Wind Point WI 5NM
offshore to Mid Lake-
Lake Michigan from Wind Point WI to Winthrop Harbor IL 5NM
offshore to Mid Lake-
Lake Michigan from Winthrop Harbor to Wilmette Harbor IL 5NM
offshore to Mid Lake-
Lake Michigan from Wilmette Harbor to Michigan City in 5NM
offshore to Mid Lake-
Lake Michigan from Pentwater to Manistee MI 5NM offshore to Mid
Lake-
Lake Michigan from Whitehall to Pentwater MI 5NM offshore to Mid
Lake-
Lake Michigan from Grand Haven to Whitehall MI 5NM offshore to
Mid Lake-
Lake Michigan from Holland to Grand Haven MI 5NM offshore to Mid
Lake-
Lake Michigan from South Haven to Holland MI 5NM offshore to Mid
lake-
Lake Michigan from St Joseph to South Haven MI 5NM offshore to
Mid Lake-
218 PM CDT Sun Jul 16 2023

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for the open waters of Lake
Michigan.

.DAY ONE...Tonight

A few thunderstorms possible late this afternoon through this
evening, with gusty outflow winds being the main concern.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Sunday

Additional chances for thunderstorms are possible Wednesday
through Thursday.

www.weather.gov/mkx

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 16, 6:22 PM CST, 44 minutes before

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Special weather statement, Jul 16, 7:05 PM CST, 1 minute before

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The radar

The Milwaukee radar (KMKX), 102 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:03 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 hail, 2 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Sauk

When: July 16, 7:06 PM CST to 7:12 PM CST
Where: Sauk County, 3.16 mi W of Merrimac to 0.23 mi WNW of Merrimac
Measured: 70 kt (81 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $60,000
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 43.368, -89.683

A swath of widespread tree damage from Moon Valley to Merrimac. Numerous trees and branches snapped or uprooted. A large tree fell through a shed destroying it. A large tree branch fell onto a truck and another onto a garage. A Pontoon Boat was overturned on the shore of Lake WI.

Hail, Columbia

When: July 16, 7:11 PM CST to 7:14 PM CST
Where: Columbia County, 0.53 mi N of Okee
Measured: 1 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 43.358, -89.579

Thunderstorm Wind, Columbia

When: July 16, 7:11 PM CST to 7:18 PM CST
Where: Columbia County, 2.24 mi WNW of Okee to 2.83 mi N of Lodi Lakeland Arpt
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $20,000
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 43.363, -89.621

Several trees down in Okee and scattered trees and branches down on the east shore of Lake WI and just inland from the lake.

Hail, Columbia

When: July 16, 7:25 PM CST
Where: Columbia County, 1.11 mi S of Poynette
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: Social Media
Coordinates: 43.384, -89.404

Hail, Fond du Lac

When: July 16, 7:48 PM CST to 7:50 PM CST
Where: Fond du Lac County, Fond du Lac
Measured: 0.88 in hail
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 43.780, -88.450

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Wisconsin in 2023 Every state in 2023 This day in weather history Warnings in Wisconsin, July 2023

Sources

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1107711, 1107631, 1107748, 1107715, 1107632.