Wisconsin, 2024

Rip Current in Wisconsin, June 26, 2024

June 26, 2024 · NWS MKX · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Moderate Swim risk with 2-3ft waves and onshore winds.

Where it happened

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The toll

Deaths
1
Injuries
1
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

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.

Moderate Swim risk with 2-3ft waves and onshore 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 Milwaukee, WI wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 26, 2:00 PM CST, 5 hours 25 minutes earlier. Its key messages:

  • Showers and scattered storms for Friday into early Saturday. There is a Marginal Risk for severe thunderstorms during this time.
  • River flooding and high water levels will continue this week and into this weekend.
  • Moderate Swim Risk for Lake Michigan beaches into tonight.
Area forecast discussion, Jun 26, 2:00 PM CST, 5 hours 25 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Milwaukee/Sullivan WI
300 PM CDT Wed Jun 26 2024

.KEY MESSAGES...

-  Showers and scattered storms for Friday into early Saturday.
   There is a Marginal Risk for severe thunderstorms during this
   time.

-  River flooding and high water levels will continue this week
   and into this weekend.

-  Moderate Swim Risk for Lake Michigan beaches into tonight.

&&

.SHORT TERM...
Issued 300 PM CDT Wed Jun 26 2024

Tonight through Thursday night:

There may be some sprinkles that occur with some lingering weak
instability until early this evening. The lake breeze boundary
may help initiate this activity, as well as from peak heating.
The lake breeze boundary may meander east and west near the
lakeshore as well.

A Moderate Swim Risk is anticipated into tonight for the Lake
Michigan beaches from Sheboygan County south to Kenosha County,
with increasing northeast winds and building waves of 2 to 4
feet.

High pressure building into the region tonight into Thursday
will bring quiet weather. There may be ground fog overnight in
low lying areas. Cooler but still pleasant temperatures are
expected during this period, with highs Thursday in the middle
70s inland. Onshore winds should keep lakeshore areas in the
upper 60s. The high will shift to the east Thursday night, with
middle to high clouds gradually increasing.

Wood

&&

.LONG TERM...
Issued 300 PM CDT Wed Jun 26 2024

Friday through Wednesday:

Models and ensembles continue to show warm air and moisture
advection Friday into Friday night, followed by a cold frontal
passage on Saturday morning. There is a shortwave trough
shifting through the area Friday afternoon, with a south to
southwest low level jet feeding into the region during this
time. This should result in periods of showers, with elevated
thunderstorms at times Friday into Friday night.

Forecast soundings continue to show some tall skinny elevated
CAPE, with deep layer bulk shear of 25 to 35 knots and
precipitable water values nearing 2.00 inches. At this time, it
looks like mainly a small hail and perhaps gusty winds with the
stronger storms during this time.

One thing to watch will be if there is any mean layer CAPE that
develops Saturday morning ahead of the cold front. The deep
layer shear is 30 to 40 knots or more, so there could be more of
a strong to severe risk then. It would be better if the cold
front came through later in the day for that potential, so
definitely still uncertainty for severe storms.

High pressure should bring dry conditions for later Saturday
into Sunday or Sunday night/Monday morning, with cooler and less
humid conditions.

Ensembles continue to indicate a good chance for showers and
thunderstorms with warm air advection for Monday night into
Tuesday or Wednesday. Uncertainty with the placement of features
during this time, but it does look wet.

Wood

&&

.AVIATION...
Issued 300 PM CDT Wed Jun 26 2024

There may be some sprinkles that occur until early this
evening. The lake breeze boundary may help initiate this
activity. The lake breeze boundary may meander east and west
near the lakeshore as well, affecting Milwaukee with northwest
to northeast winds each occuring at times.

High pressure building into the region tonight into Thursday
will bring quiet weather. There may be ground fog in low lying
areas. Light and variable winds tonight will become light east
to northeast on Thursday, then east to southeast Thursday night.
The high will shift to the east Thursday night, with middle to
high clouds gradually increasing.

Wood

&&

.MARINE...
Issued 300 PM CDT Wed Jun 26 2024

Gusty north to northeast winds are expected into tonight over
the open waters of Lake Michigan. High pressure around 30.1
inches will slowly move across Lake Michigan on Thursday,
bringing weakening winds.

Northeast winds and building waves should be below Small Craft
Advisory levels into tonight for the nearshore waters.

Increasing southeast to south winds are then forecast for
Friday into Friday night, becoming southwest to west on
Saturday, as a cold front moves through the region.

Winds and waves may reach Small Craft Advisory levels Friday
into Friday night, mainly north of Port Washington.

Chances for showers and thunderstorms increase during this
period. Gusty northwest winds then should occur Saturday night
into Sunday, before high pressure around 30.2 inches moves into
the region Sunday night.

Wood

&&

.MKX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WI...None.
LM...None.
&&

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Hazardous weather outlook, Jun 26, 1:30 PM CST, 5 hours 55 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook...UPDATED
National Weather Service Milwaukee/Sullivan WI
230 PM CDT Wed Jun 26 2024

WIZ046-047-051-052-056>060-062>072-271930-
Marquette-Green Lake-Fond du Lac-Sheboygan-Sauk-Columbia-Dodge-
Washington-Ozaukee-Iowa-Dane-Jefferson-Waukesha-Milwaukee-
Lafayette-Green-Rock-Walworth-Racine-Kenosha-
230 PM CDT Wed Jun 26 2024

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

.DAY ONE...Tonight

There is a Moderate Swim Risk into tonight for the Lake Michigan
beaches from Sheboygan County south through Kenosha County.
Breaking waves and currents are expected. Stay away from dangerous
areas like piers, breakwalls, and river outlets. Always have a
flotation device with you in the water.

Runoff from recent heavy rains will cause some rivers and streams
to continue rise, with flooding possible.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Wednesday

Runoff from recent heavy rains will cause some rivers and streams
to continue rise through this week and into this weekend, with
flooding possible.

There are additional chances for thunderstorms Friday into early
Saturday and again early next week.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation will not be needed.

LMZ643>646-271930-
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-
230 PM CDT Wed Jun 26 2024

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

.DAY ONE...Tonight

No hazardous weather is expected at this time.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Wednesday

Increasing southeast to south winds and building waves may reach
Small Craft Advisory levels mainly north of Port Washington for
Friday and Friday evening.

There are chances for thunderstorms Friday into early Saturday
and again early next week.

LMZ080-261-362-364-366-563-565-567-669-671-673-675-777-779-868-
870-872-874-876-878-271930-
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-
230 PM CDT Wed Jun 26 2024

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

.DAY ONE...Tonight

No hazardous weather is expected at this time.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Wednesday

There are chances for thunderstorms Friday night into Saturday and
again early next week.

Wood
www.weather.gov/mkx

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jun 26, 1:37 PM CST, 5 hours 48 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Milwaukee/Sullivan WI
237 PM CDT Wed Jun 26 2024

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0700 PM     Flash Flood      1 SE Windsor            43.21N 89.33W
06/22/2024                   Dane               WI   Emergency Mngr

            Delayed report from 6/22 of impacts across
            Dane County: At least 1 culvert failed in
            Windsor. Some homes affected by flooding in
            Windsor, Medina, Sun Prairie. Roads flooded
            or damaged in Town of Dane.

&&
Local storm report, Jun 26, 2:14 PM CST, 5 hours 11 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Milwaukee/Sullivan WI
314 PM CDT Wed Jun 26 2024

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0837 PM     Tstm Wnd Gst     Twin Lakes              42.52N 88.27W
06/22/2024  E80 MPH          Kenosha            WI   NWS Storm Survey

            NWS Storm Survey: Estimated peak downburst
            winds of 70-80mph in the Twin Lakes area.
            Random pockets of tree damage blown down in
            a divergent pattern from north of Twin Lakes
            down through and area west of Lake Elizabeth
            near Esch Rd.

0842 PM     Tornado          2 ENE Powers Lake       42.56N 88.27W
06/22/2024                   Kenosha            WI   NWS Storm Survey

            NWS Damage Survey: EF-0 Tornado with
            estimated peak wind speeds of 70mph. Most of
            the damage was to trees which had limbs
            knocked down in a convergent path along
            368th Ave. One small shed had been pushed
            back to the NW and possibly lifted up.

&&

Halbach

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 rip current. Local standard time, as filed.

Rip Current, Milwaukee

When
June 26, 7:25 PM CST
Where
Milwaukee forecast zone
Deaths
1 direct, 0 indirect
Injuries
1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by
Broadcast Media
Coordinates
43.022, -87.929 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A 17 year old male was found dead last night after drowning in Lake Michigan off of Bender Park in Oak Creek, WI (Milwaukee Co). He was swimming with his family at Bender Park Beach when a rip current (Likely structural given photos near break wall) swept him and two other teenagers under the water. Another teenager was hospitalized. Moderate Swim Risk conditions with messaging in MKX HWO.

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

EventDateAgeSexWhereKind
Rip Current, Milwaukee2024-06-2617MaleIn WaterDirect

What these are

Rip Current
A narrow, fast current flowing away from the beach that caused a drowning or rescue.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Wisconsin in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in Wisconsin, June 2024

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: 1269622.