Tornadoes · United States · Wisconsin · 2008

EF0 tornado, Liberty Pole, Wisconsin, June 7, 2008

This EF0 tornado ran 0.4 miles across Vernon County on June 7, 2008, touching down at 5:48 PM CDT and reaching 50 yards wide. It killed nobody, and did $15,000 of property damage.

The rating scale

Tracks are drawn in the color of the rating. The Enhanced Fujita scale rates the damage rather than measuring the wind: the speeds are what that damage is taken to imply.

  1. EF065 to 85 mphthis tornado

    Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.

  2. EF186 to 110 mph

    Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.

  3. EF2111 to 135 mph

    Considerable damage. Roofs torn off well-built houses, frame homes shifted on their foundations, mobile homes destroyed, large trees snapped or uprooted, cars lifted off the ground.

  4. EF3136 to 165 mph

    Severe damage. Whole stories of well-built houses destroyed, large buildings badly damaged, trains overturned, trees debarked, heavy cars lifted and thrown.

  5. EF4166 to 200 mph

    Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.

  6. EF5over 200 mph

    Incredible damage. Strong frame houses swept off their foundations, car-sized missiles thrown more than 100 meters, steel-reinforced concrete badly damaged, high-rise buildings deformed.

  7. Unrated

    The survey recorded a tornado but could not put a number on it, most often because it crossed open country and damaged nothing a rating can be read from.

The record

Rating
EF0
Date
June 7, 2008
Touchdown
5:48 PM CDT (22:48 UTC)
Lifted
5:50 PM CDT (22:50 UTC)
On the ground
2 minutes
Path length
0.4 miles (0.6 km)
Path width
50 yards (46 m)
Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$15,000
Crop damage
$10,000
County
Vernon County
Touchdown point
43.481, -90.908
Lift-off point
43.483, -90.900
Record number
0806071648-01

What the Weather Service recorded

A warm front extending east to west across the Upper Mississippi River Valley was the focus for a significant severe weather event on June 7. A total of four tornadoes were confirmed, while numerous reports of wind damage and large hail were received from law enforcement officials and storm spotters.||On Sunday, June 8, the warm front was lingering across the region, but a cold front was quickly tracking east out of the northern Plains. Showers and storms redeveloped during the day in the vicinity of the warm front, while a line of storms developed out ahead of the cold front, with these tracking across the region Sunday night. The severe weather activity, aside from heavy rain, was not as widespread compared to Saturday, June 7.

A tornado touched down about 1 mile south of Liberty Pole, WI in rural Vernon County. This tornado hit a machine shed and tossed machinery into the air in addition to hitting nearby trees. It was rated an EF0.

From NOAA NCEI's Storm Events Database, the narrative the local forecast office wrote for Storm Data.

The warnings

No tornado warning for this county appears in the archive as in force at the moment the tornado touched down. One was issued for the county at another hour that day.

The county was under a tornado watch, issued at 17:20 UTC and running to 00:44 UTC.

Issued (UTC)ExpiredProductOffice
17:20 UTC00:44 UTCTornado WatchARX
17:33 UTC18:05 UTCTornado WarningARX
22:19 UTC05:15 UTCFlash Flood WarningARX
22:53 UTC18:56 UTCFlood WarningARX
22:59 UTC00:00 UTCTornado WarningARX
23:00 UTC05:00 UTCFlash Flood WatchARX
23:46 UTC00:30 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningARX
23:56 UTC01:09 UTCFlood WarningARX
03:49 UTC18:43 UTCFlood WarningARX

Every warning and watch covering the touchdown point that day, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service products. Lead time is measured from the issue of the warning in force to the touchdown time in the database, both of which were recorded to the minute by different people.

The forecast that day

The Storm Prediction Center had this point in a Slight Risk, with a 0.10 chance of a tornado within 25 miles. The outlook in force was issued at 20:01 UTC.

SPC's Day 1 convective outlook as it stood when the tornado began, read at the touchdown point. The same archive is on the radar archive.

The air that afternoon

The radiosonde launches on either side of the tornado, from the nearest station that was launching then, drawn and analyzed the way Storm Lab does: the same diagram, the same parcel and shear definitions SPC's mesoanalysis uses.

Davenport, (KDVN), 12:00Z

10.8 hours before the tornado, 210 km from the path. June 7, 2008.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Davenport, at 12:00Z on 2008-06-07Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 2173 joules per kilogram, CIN -30, lifted condensation level 584 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed. The warm shading is its CAPE, the cool shading the inhibition it has to break through.
HodographHodograph, Davenport, at 12:00Z on 2008-06-07The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers as a curve, rings every 10 meters per second labeled in knots. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 173 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 50 knots.19395878Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km. RM and LM are the right and left moving storms Bunkers' method gives; the shaded area is the 0 to 1 km storm-relative helicity.
Mixed-layer CAPE
2173 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-30 J/kg
Surface CAPE
85 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
584 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
50 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
30 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
173 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
96 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
10.7
0-3 km lapse rate
4.2 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

Davenport, (KDVN), 00:00Z

1.2 hours after it, 210 km from the path. June 8, 2008.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Davenport, at 00:00Z on 2008-06-08Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 2793 joules per kilogram, CIN -2, lifted condensation level 1056 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed. The warm shading is its CAPE, the cool shading the inhibition it has to break through.
HodographHodograph, Davenport, at 00:00Z on 2008-06-08The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers as a curve, rings every 10 meters per second labeled in knots. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 164 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 33 knots.19395878Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km. RM and LM are the right and left moving storms Bunkers' method gives; the shaded area is the 0 to 1 km storm-relative helicity.
Mixed-layer CAPE
2793 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-2 J/kg
Surface CAPE
3680 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1056 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
33 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
34 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
164 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
221 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
2.3
Supercell composite
16.3
0-3 km lapse rate
6.9 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The radar

The La Crosse radar (KARX), 44 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 23:03 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment, over the track

Reflectivity and velocity, decoded from the Level II archive in the browser. Volumes take a few seconds to open the first time.

What was reported nearby

Local storm reports within 60 km of the path, in the three hours either side.

Time (UTC)ReportWhereCountyRemark
22:25 UTCTSTM WND DMGOnalaskaLa Crosse, WILARGE TREES BLOWN DOWN.
22:25 UTCTSTM WND DMGOnalaskaLa Crosse, WILARGE TREES BLOWN DOWN.
22:35 UTCTSTM WND DMGBarre MillsLa Crosse, WITREES BLOWN DOWN.
22:35 UTCTSTM WND DMGBarre MillsLa Crosse, WITREES BLOWN DOWN.
22:45 UTCTORNADO3 E Barre MillsLa Crosse, WITORNADO ON THE GROUND WITH DEBRIS
22:45 UTCTORNADO3 E Barre MillsLa Crosse, WITORNADO ON THE GROUND WITH DEBRIS
22:45 UTCTORNADO3 E Barre MillsLa Crosse, WINWS EMPLOYEE SURVEYED DAMAGE AROUND AND EAST OF BARRE MILLS. SOME WIND DAMAGE NEAR BARRE MILLS BUT BRIEF TORNADO TRACK EAST OF THERE WITH DAMAGE TO TREES AND ROOFS OF HOMES. PRELIM. RATING IS EF1. TIME IS APPROX.
22:48 UTCTORNADO1 S Liberty PoleVernon, WISHED DAMAGED AND MACHINERY THROWN INTO FIELDS.
22:48 UTCTORNADO1 S Liberty PoleVernon, WISHED DAMAGED AND MACHINERY THROWN INTO FIELDS.
23:01 UTCFLOODLeonMonroe, WIWATER OVER HIGHWAY 27 AT JACKPOT AVE
23:01 UTCFLOODLeonMonroe, WIWATER OVER HIGHWAY 27 AT JACKPOT AVE
23:01 UTCTORNADO4 S ViroquaVernon, WIWEAK TORNADO BRIEFLY TOUCHED DOWN NEAR HIGHWAY T SOUTH OF VIROQUA
23:01 UTCTORNADO4 S ViroquaVernon, WIWEAK TORNADO BRIEFLY TOUCHED DOWN NEAR HIGHWAY T SOUTH OF VIROQUA
23:10 UTCFLOOD2 S SpartaMonroe, WIPONDING OF WATER REPORTED AGAIN JUST SOUTH OF SPARTA ABOUT 1 MILE SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 90.
23:10 UTCFLOOD2 S SpartaMonroe, WIPONDING OF WATER REPORTED AGAIN JUST SOUTH OF SPARTA ABOUT 1 MILE SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 90.
23:29 UTCFUNNEL CLOUDYubaRichland, WI
23:29 UTCFUNNEL CLOUDYubaRichland, WI
23:37 UTCHAIL 0.754 S HillsboroVernon, WI
23:37 UTCHAIL 0.754 S HillsboroVernon, WI
23:38 UTCTSTM WND GST 602 N Hub CityRichland, WIREPORTED AT HWY 80 AND COUNTY ROADS CC.
23:45 UTCTSTM WND GST 655 W CazenoviaRichland, WIALSO HALF INCH HAIL AT TIME. LOTS OF DEBRIS BLOWING THROUGH THE AIR.
23:57 UTCFLOODElroyJuneau, WIWATER OVER MILLER ROAD AND AREA CREEKS ALL RUNNING VERY HIGH.
23:57 UTCFLOODElroyJuneau, WIWATER OVER MILLER ROAD AND AREA CREEKS ALL RUNNING VERY HIGH.
00:04 UTCFLASH FLOODViroquaVernon, WISHERIFF DEPT GETTING LOTS OF CALL ABOUT WATER OVER ROADS AND BACKED UP DRAINAGE AREAS.
00:04 UTCFLASH FLOODViroquaVernon, WISHERIFF DEPT GETTING LOTS OF CALL ABOUT WATER OVER ROADS AND BACKED UP DRAINAGE AREAS.
00:25 UTCHEAVY RAIN 31 N LeonMonroe, WI3 INCHES OF RAIN SINCE 515 PM

From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service local storm reports.

This ground now

The live radar over the trackEvery 2008 tornado in WisconsinEvery tornado in Wisconsin since 1950Warnings in force in Wisconsin nowThe forecast where you are

The other tornadoes of June 7, 2008

30 more were confirmed in the United States that day.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
June 71:52 PM CDTEF0Grant, WI0.130$750
June 71:57 PM CDTEF1Marquette, WI5.1100$302,000
June 72:32 PM CDTEF2Columbia, WI8.63,5206$2.5 million
June 73:05 PM CDTEF0Dodge, WI2.225
June 73:08 PM CDTEF1Columbia, WI2.975$200,000
June 73:16 PM CDTEF0Sauk, WI0.425
June 73:25 PM CDTEF0Dane, WI0.525
June 73:38 PM CDTEF0Dane, WI0.225
June 73:41 PM CDTEF1Winnebago, IA6.4150$250,000
June 73:49 PM CDTEF0Jefferson, WI0.150
June 74:16 PM CDTEF0Worth, IA1.775
June 74:21 PM CDTEF0Livingston, IL0.920
June 74:23 PM CDTEF0Worth, IA2.150$5,000
June 74:31 PM CDTEF1Livingston, IL3.640$50,000
June 74:40 PM CDTEF1Dane, WI3.8150$429,000
June 74:50 PM CDTEF0Houston, MN0.125
June 74:50 PM CDTEF0Mitchell, IA0.330
June 75:18 PM CDTEF2Kankakee, IL14.5200$500,000
June 75:28 PM CDTEF0Mitchell, IA1.125
June 75:37 PM CDTEF0Waukesha, WI0.120
June 75:42 PM CDTEF0Cerro Gordo, IA1.040$5,000
June 75:45 PM CDTEF1La Crosse, WI6.0200$93,000
June 75:51 PM CDTEF2Will, IL2.2400$50,000
June 75:55 PM CDTEF2Will, IL3.7150$500,000
June 76:13 PM CDTEF2Will, IL6.51506$9.5 million
June 76:32 PM CDTEF1Cook, IL2.075$1.0 million
June 76:48 PM CDTEF0Cook, IL0.450$10,000
June 76:55 PM CDTEF0Osborne, KS0.150
June 78:28 PM CDTEF0Osborne, KS0.150
June 78:37 PM CDTEF0Smith, KS0.150

What this means

Ratings are the survey's, read off the damage rather than measured; the rating scale is above. Tornado counts rise through the record as reporting improved, so a year in the 1950s is not comparable with one today except for the strongest tornadoes, which were always noticed.

Sources

NOAA Storm Prediction Center tornado database, 1950-2025, the official record kept by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.