Wisconsin, 2025

Hail in Wisconsin, June 16, 2025

June 16, 2025 · NWS MPX · 1 event in 1 county or zone

A band of showers and thunderstorms out ahead of an approaching surface low moved across western WI during the late afternoon hours of June 16th, 2025. This band of precipitation converged on a warm front that was approaching from the south.

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
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 MPX wrote it up.

A band of showers and thunderstorms out ahead of an approaching surface low moved across western WI during the late afternoon hours of June 16th, 2025. This band of precipitation converged on a warm front that was approaching from the south. Enough lift and instability existed to briefly produce sub-severe hail in Ladysmith (Rusk County).

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 Twin Cities, MN wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 16, 2:22 PM CST, 1 hour 56 minutes earlier. Its key messages:

  • Additional thunderstorm development likely this afternoon across western & central Minnesota. Thunderstorms will move into the Twin Cities late afternoon/early evening and into western Wisconsin this evening.
  • A few severe thunderstorms are possible capable of large hail, damaging winds, and a couple tornadoes this afternoon into the evening hours. An active pattern continues through the week with additional thunderstorm chances.
  • Increasing signal for above-normal temperatures for the weekend.
Area forecast discussion, Jun 16, 2:22 PM CST, 1 hour 56 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
Issued by National Weather Service La Crosse WI
322 PM CDT Mon Jun 16 2025

.KEY MESSAGES...

- Additional thunderstorm development likely this afternoon
  across western & central Minnesota. Thunderstorms will move
  into the Twin Cities late afternoon/early evening and into
  western Wisconsin this evening.

- A few severe thunderstorms are possible capable of large hail, damaging
  winds, and a couple tornadoes this afternoon into the evening
  hours. An active pattern continues through the week with
  additional thunderstorm chances.

- Increasing signal for above-normal temperatures for the
  weekend.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
Issued at 320 PM CDT Mon Jun 16 2025

Current regional radar mosaic shows a broken line of thunderstorms
over east-central Minnesota and isolated thunderstorms over
southeastern Minnesota. Our immediate concern is tied to the storms
over EC MN that produced damaging winds in & around St. Cloud
earlier this afternoon. These storms are moving east into a less
favorable environment as the exit MN and into W WI where the storms
should begin to dissipate. Temperatures are in the low to upper 80s
with low 70s dew points across W/C MN and upper 70s with low 70s dew
points in E MN and W WI.

Our attention turns to the next round of thunderstorms slated to
develop mid-late afternoon along & ahead of a surface cold front
across western Minnesota. A complex severe weather set up is in
place with a few key unknowns that I will try to expand on below. A
brief mesoscale analysis highlights a plume of moderate instability
3000 to 4000 J/Kg, 35 to 45 kts bulk shear, favorable low level
shear with backed southeasterly sfc winds ahead of the front over
W/SW MN. Lapse rates aren’t ideal, around 7.0 to 7.5 c/km. Another
concern is the upper & mid-level wind profile may limit the
potential for higher end severe weather. Hi-res guidance split into
two groups: two areas of convection with one in central MN & one in
southern MN but nothing in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. The
second group develops storms along the entire boundary and brings it
through the Twin Cities. There is still a large amount of
uncertainty with what unfolds this afternoon, but we are certain
we’ll see thunderstorms develop and impact C & S MN and W WI.
Furthermore, there isn’t anything that jumps out to us that would
signal which evolution is correct. There is limited capping & plenty
of instability across the area. Ultimately, we will likely see
smaller scale features influence the exact evolution that isn’t as
straightforward. Any thunderstorm that does develop will be capable
of producing large hail, damaging winds, and a tornado or two. The
better shear environment across our central Minnesota counties will
favor the better environment for tornado potential.

Our confidence in timing has improved though. The latest hi-res runs
have trended toward a line of thunderstorms developing between 20Z-
21Z across western Minnesota that gradually builds south into
southern Minnesota by 23-00Z. Our current timing would support the
2p-4p window across our western CWA with storms moving east into the
western Twin Cities around 5 to 6pm & eastern Twin Cities metro 7 to
8pm. All storms will produce brief downpours & heavy rain with
localized flooding possible, especially for those who have had heavy
rain earlier today.

For the rest of the forecast period - the pattern will remain active
across the Upper Midwest but we’ll experience a bit of a lull
Tuesday & Wednesday as slightly drier air settles in behind the cold
front tonight into Tuesday. Storm chances increase for the end of
the work week. Temperatures will return to the 70s & low 80s through
Wednesday before warming into the 90s this weekend. Global guidance
signals an impressive mid level ridge building into the Great Lakes
region for the weekend. This should lead to the return of Summer
heat & humidity Saturday & Sunday. The building ridge will place the
Upper Midwest in the Ring of Fire-type pattern that will usher in
additional thunderstorm chances into early next week. The broad
pattern should support severe chances too, but it’s much too early
to pin those down 5 to 7 days out.

&&

.AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z TUESDAY/...
Issued at 1245 PM CDT Mon Jun 16 2025

As MVFR ceilings slowly lift or scatter out, full attention
turns to TS, both ongoing west of MSP/STC and with another round
probable to sweep east across the area this afternoon/evening,
potentially affecting all sites, with a greater probability for
TS east of a STC to MKT line. Timing remains uncertain so
amendments will likely be needed. Moving ahead to tonight,
MVFR/IFR is favored to return along and northeast of a LXL-EAU
line, affecting RNH and EAU. These ceilings should break up
west to east Tuesday morning, yielding VFR areawide by the end
of the period.

KMSP...Broken line of TS is present west of MSP at issuance time
with this expected to affect airspace around the terminal over
the next 2 hours, with the window for greatest impacts likely
focusing on 1830-1930 UTC. After these thunderstorms depart to
the east, will monitor likely redevelopment later this afternoon
and evening with potential for a line of TS sweeping eastward.
Timing remains stubbornly uncertain so have elected to cover
this later potential with a TEMPO group covering several hours.
If timing becomes more certain may convert to definite mentions.
MVFR ceilings may return after 06z Tuesday but these will likely
remain to the northeast so have omitted them.

/OUTLOOK FOR KMSP/
TUE...VFR/MVFR slgt chc IFR/-TSRA. Wind NW 5-10kts.
WED...MVFR/-SHRA chc IFR/-TSRA. Wind N 5-10kts.
THU...VFR, slgt chc MVFR/-TSRA. Wind W 5-10kts.

&&

.MPX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MN...None.
WI...None.

&&

DISCUSSION...WFO MPX
AVIATION...WFO MPX
Hazardous weather outlook, Jun 16, 2:04 PM CST, 2 hours 14 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
Issued by National Weather Service La Crosse WI
304 PM CDT Mon Jun 16 2025

MNZ041>045-047>070-073>078-082>085-091>093-WIZ014>016-023>028-
172015-
Douglas-Todd-Morrison-Mille Lacs-Kanabec-Stevens-Pope-Stearns-
Benton-Sherburne-Isanti-Chisago-Lac Qui Parle-Swift-Chippewa-
Kandiyohi-Meeker-Wright-Hennepin-Anoka-Ramsey-Washington-
Yellow Medicine-Renville-McLeod-Sibley-Carver-Scott-Dakota-
Redwood-Brown-Nicollet-Le Sueur-Rice-Goodhue-Watonwan-Blue Earth-
Waseca-Steele-Martin-Faribault-Freeborn-Polk-Barron-Rusk-
St. Croix-Pierce-Dunn-Pepin-Eau Claire-
304 PM CDT Mon Jun 16 2025

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of central and
southern Minnesota, and west central Wisconsin.

.DAY ONE...Tonight.

Showers and thunderstorms are expected this afternoon with strong
to severe storms possible. Large hail, damaging winds, tornadoes,
and localized areas of heavy rainfall are possible.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday.

Multiple rounds of thunderstorms are expected Tuesday through
Wednesday. This will result in additional chances for strong to
severe storms and heavy rainfall.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SKYWARN spotter activation will likely be needed.

JAW

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jun 16, 2:26 PM CST, 1 hour 52 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
Issued by National Weather Service Denver CO
326 PM CDT Mon Jun 16 2025

MNZ063-070-078-WIZ023-024-162100-
St. Croix WI-Pierce WI-Dakota MN-Goodhue MN-Washington MN-
326 PM CDT Mon Jun 16 2025

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT NORTH CENTRAL GOODHUE...
SOUTHERN WASHINGTON...WESTERN PIERCE...NORTHEASTERN DAKOTA AND
SOUTHWESTERN ST. CROIX COUNTIES UNTIL 4 PM CDT...

At 326 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near
Woodbury, or 12 miles southeast of St. Paul, moving southeast at 35
mph.

HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around
unsecured objects.

Locations impacted include...
  River Falls, Woodbury, Cottage Grove, Inver Grove Heights,
  Oakdale, Hastings, Rosemount, South St. Paul, Hudson, Lake Elmo,
  St. Paul Park, Prescott, Ellsworth, Afton, Newport, Lakeland,
  Diamond Bluff, Lakeland Shores, Kinnickinnic State Park and Afton
  State Park.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Monitor the weather situation closely and be alert for threatening
weather conditions.

Torrential rainfall is also occurring with this storm and may lead
to flash flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded
roadways.

&&

LAT...LON 4477 9307 4490 9304 4489 9302 4489 9298
      4494 9298 4501 9286 4488 9239 4457 9262
TIME...MOT...LOC 2026Z 295DEG 29KT 4487 9288

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN
MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH

Danielson
Local storm report, Jun 16, 2:32 PM CST, 1 hour 46 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
332 PM CDT Mon Jun 16 2025

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

1202 PM     Tstm Wnd Dmg     2 NNE Waite Park        45.58N 94.21W
06/16/2025                   Stearns            MN   Dept of Highways

            Photos of tree down causing structural
            damage to MnDOT facility. One photo showed a
            garage bay door blown inward. Time estimated
            via radar.

&&

RMD
Local storm report, Jun 16, 3:17 PM CST, 1 hour 1 minute before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
417 PM CDT Mon Jun 16 2025

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

0324 PM     Flood            3 SSW Minneapolis       44.94N 93.29W
06/16/2025                   Hennepin           MN   Public

            Photo provided on social media of standing
            water up to the bottom of multiple cars
            parked along street. Time estimated via
            radar.

&&

RMD
Local storm report, Jun 16, 4:01 PM CST, 17 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
501 PM CDT Mon Jun 16 2025

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

0458 PM     Funnel Cloud     1 WSW Watkins           45.31N 94.43W
06/16/2025                   Meeker             MN   Storm Chaser

            Funnel cloud was reported via storm chaser.

&&

RMD
Local storm report, Jun 16, 4:11 PM CST, 7 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
511 PM CDT Mon Jun 16 2025

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

0341 PM     Tornado          2 SSW Bertha            46.24N 95.08W
06/16/2025                   Todd               MN   Law Enforcement

            Law enforcement dispatch reported roof blown
            off of barn near Bertha.

&&

RMD
Local storm report, Jun 16, 4:15 PM CST, 3 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN
515 PM CDT Mon Jun 16 2025

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

0510 PM     Hail             Ladysmith               45.46N 91.09W
06/16/2025  M0.75 Inch       Rusk               WI   Public

&&

RMD

The radar

The Duluth radar (KDLH), 176 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:19 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Rusk

When
June 16, 4:18 PM CST to 4:22 PM CST
Where
Rusk County, 0.84 mi SE of Ladysmith
Measured
0.75 in hail
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
45.460, -91.090

What these are

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

More

Every storm in Wisconsin in 2025Every state in 2025This day in weather historyWarnings in Wisconsin, June 2025

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: 1277754.