Severe (D2) to extreme (D3) drought conditions remained constant across southwest and central Wisconsin through the month of November from long-standing abnormally dry conditions. While the previous month of October provided slightly above normal rainfall amounts, total rainfall near 20 inches from April 1 to October 31st was 5 to 15 inches below normal.
Every event with a place to put it; 7 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.
Severe (D2) to extreme (D3) drought conditions remained constant across southwest and central Wisconsin through the month of November from long-standing abnormally dry conditions. While the previous month of October provided slightly above normal rainfall amounts, total rainfall near 20 inches from April 1 to October 31st was 5 to 15 inches below normal. During November, only 1 to 3 days with measurable precipitation provided 0.1 to 0.5 inches of total rainfall, near 2 inches below the monthly normal. While the growing season was all but over, multiple days of above normal temperatures, 10 to 20 degrees above normal, inhibited the ground from freezing. Drought conditions remained unchanged through November, with severe drought (D2) encompassing much of Crawford, Richland, and Vernon counties, as well as southern Monroe, Juneau, and Adams counties and northern Grant County. A small area of extreme drought (D3) affected northwest Grant and southern Crawford counties.
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 Oct 31, 9:40 PM CST, 2 hours 20 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service La Crosse WI 1040 PM CDT Tue Oct 31 2023 .DISCUSSION...(This evening through Tuesday) Issued at 215 PM CDT Tue Oct 31 2023 Key Messages: - Gradually warming, drier for the rest of the week. WARMER AND DRIER THROUGH FRIDAY: In the wake of this departing low pressure system, very cool air advects into the Upper Mississippi Valley in the northwesterly flow aloft for overnight lows in the teens and low 20s. Temperatures begin to gradually moderate tomorrow through Friday with a zonal upper-level flow pattern. This will result in near-normal highs later in the week. Weak pockets of vorticity embedded in the zonal flow periodically advect across the Upper Midwest during this time period, but there is little to no signal area wide in the GEFS and EPS for organized precipitation through Friday. WEEKEND OUTLOOK: While the details remain unclear, there's some consensus in the global models for a more amplified upper-level flow pattern this weekend. Precipitation chances increase in the GEFS come Saturday and Sunday, but the EPS tells a much drier story with fewer members producing precipitation and those that produce less QPF. This uncertainty presents itself as 20-35% PoPs in the NBM during this timeframe. && .AVIATION...(For the 06Z TAFS through 06Z Wednesday night) Issued at 1040 PM CDT Tue Oct 31 2023 After a brief break in the clouds for some, satellite imagery shows another area of clouds sinking southeastward across the region. Expecting VFR conditions to remain through the TAF period. However, a brief period of patchy MVFR ceilings cannot be completely ruled out at KRST overnight. Have noted that latest guidance has backed off a bit on the southern extent of these lower ceilings though. Otherwise, winds become more southwest and increase 10-15 kts during the day, with some wind gusts possible especially at KRST early in the day. && .ARX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WI...NONE. MN...NONE. IA...NONE. && DISCUSSION...KAA AVIATION...EMS
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service La Crosse WI 927 PM CDT Tue Oct 31 2023 IAZ008>011-018-019-029-030-MNZ079-086>088-094>096-WIZ017-029- 032>034-041>044-053>055-061-020230- 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- 927 PM CDT Tue Oct 31 2023 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of north central Iowa, northeast Iowa, southeast Minnesota, central Wisconsin, north central Wisconsin, southwest Wisconsin, and west central Wisconsin. .DAY ONE...Tonight No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Wednesday through Monday No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation will not be needed. nofwd
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
7 drought. Local standard time, as filed.
Severe (D2) drought persisted across the southern half of Adams County through November. This was a result of monthly precipitation totals near 2 inches below normal and anomalously warm temperatures.
Severe (D2) drought persisted across all of Crawford County through November. This was a result of monthly precipitation totals near 2 inches below normal and anomalously warm temperatures.
Severe (D2) to extreme (D3) drought persisted across northwest Grant County through November. This was a result of monthly precipitation totals near 2 inches below normal and anomalously warm temperatures.
Severe (D2) drought persisted for the southern half of Juneau County through November. This was a result of monthly precipitation totals near 2 inches below normal and anomalously warm temperatures.
Severe (D2) drought persisted for the southeastern periphery of Monroe County through November. This was a result of monthly precipitation totals near 2 inches below normal and anomalously warm temperatures.
Severe (D2) drought persisted across all of Richland County through November. This was a result of monthly precipitation totals near 2 inches below normal and anomalously warm temperatures.
Severe (D2) drought persisted across most of Vernon County through November. This was a result of monthly precipitation totals near 2 inches below normal and anomalously warm temperatures.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Wisconsin in 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in Wisconsin, November 2023
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: 1148604, 1148605, 1148606, 1148607, 1148608, 1148609, 1148610.