Wisconsin, 2023

High Wind in Wisconsin, November 16, 2023

November 16, 2023 · NWS DLH · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

A warm front lifted through the Northland during the morning of the 16th. Strong southwesterly winds were observed across the region starting during the late morning hours and continued into the mid to late afternoon before turning northwesterly as a cold front passed through.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

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  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
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  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
2

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 DLH wrote it up.

A warm front lifted through the Northland during the morning of the 16th. Strong southwesterly winds were observed across the region starting during the late morning hours and continued into the mid to late afternoon before turning northwesterly as a cold front passed through. Winds then diminished quickly by the mid-evening hours. A few reports of downed trees and branches were received due to the winds.

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 Duluth, MN wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Nov 16, 5:59 AM CST, 5 hours 1 minute earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 16, 5:59 AM CST, 5 hours 1 minute before
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The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Sawyer

When
November 16, 11:00 AM CST to 6:00 PM CST
Where
Sawyer forecast zone
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
45.880, -91.145 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Gusty southwest winds during the day ahead of a cold front followed by gusty northwest winds behind the front during the late afternoon and early evening hours led to a few reports of downed trees and branches across northern Sawyer County during the event. There was a lull in the strongest winds in the 5-6pm timeframe as the front passed.

High Wind, Bayfield

When
November 16, 12:00 PM CST to 8:00 PM CST
Where
Bayfield forecast zone
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
46.635, -91.181 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Gusty southwest winds during the day ahead of a cold front followed by gusty northwest winds behind the front during the late afternoon and early evening hours led to reports of downed trees and branches along with power outages across mainly northern Bayfield County during the event. There was a lull in the strongest winds in the 4-6pm timeframe as the front passed.

What these are

High Wind
Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Wisconsin in 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in Wisconsin, November 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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1146942, 1146941.