Tornadoes · United States · Wisconsin · 2011

EF1 tornado, Augusta, Wisconsin, April 10, 2011

This EF1 tornado ran 0.7 miles across Eau Claire County on April 10, 2011, touching down at 5:04 PM CDT and reaching 150 yards wide. It killed nobody, and did $250,000 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 mph

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

  2. EF186 to 110 mphthis tornado

    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
EF1
Date
April 10, 2011
Touchdown
5:04 PM CDT (22:04 UTC)
Lifted
5:06 PM CDT (22:06 UTC)
On the ground
2 minutes
Path length
0.7 miles (1.2 km)
Path width
150 yards (137 m)
Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$250,000
County
Eau Claire County
Touchdown point
44.690, -91.140
Lift-off point
44.696, -91.128
Record number
1104101604-01

What the Weather Service recorded

A strong early Spring cold front moved across eastern Minnesota during the afternoon of Sunday, April 10th. Ahead of this cold front, strong southerly winds and instability made for a moderate risk of severe weather based the Storm Prediction Center and atmospheric dynamics. After 2 pm, a few supercells developed rapidly from Red Wing, Minnesota, northward across Menomonie and Rice Lake, Wisconsin. These supercells rapidly became severe and started to produce large hail. One of the thunderstorms produced two EF-1 tornadoes near Augusta. These storms quickly moved out of west central Wisconsin by 6 pm.

An EF-1 tornado, with maximum wind speeds of 95 to 105 mph occurred from approximately 5 miles southwest of Augusta, to 3.5 miles southwest of Augusta, Wisconsin. Two farmsteads were directly impacted with severe tree damage around the homes. One farmstead had their garage completely destroyed along with a barn heavily damaged.

An EF-1 tornado, with maximum wind speeds of 90 to 100 mph, occurred along a path from northwest of Augusta to north of Augusta, Wisconsin. Numerous trees and power poles were snapped, along with an outbuilding destroyed, and three other outbuildings significantly damaged.

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

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the tornado touched down, 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 tornado touched down at Apr 10, 2:18 PM CDT, 2 hours 46 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 10, 2:18 PM CDT, 2 hours 46 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
218 PM CDT SUN APR 10 2011

.DISCUSSION...

.MESOSCALE...

CONDITIONS ARE COMING TOGETHER FOR CONVECTIVE INITIATION BY 330
PM...WITH RAPID DEVELOPMENT LIKELY AFTER...SOME OF WHICH IS
PROBABLE TO BE TORNADIC IN THE REGION. THE MOST FAVORED AREA IN
OUR CWA IS WESTERN WISCONSIN.

THE LATEST HAND SURFACE ANALYSIS DEPICTS THE PRIMARY SURFACE LOW
DEEPENING NEAR LAKE MILLE LACS WITH A STRONG WARM FRONT REACHING
EAST OF THERE AND A COLD FRONT EXTENDING DUE SOUTH...DRAPED ABOUT
30 MILES WEST OF I-35 /AND SEEN ON THE KMPX RADAR/. A SECONDARY
SURFACE CIRCULATION HAS BEEN ANALYZED ALL DAY ON THE COLD FRONT
AND IS APPROACHING MASON CITY. THIS IS OF PARTICULAR INTEREST AS
IT IS WHERE THE INHIBITION HAS RAPIDLY DECREASED...IN FACT THERE
IS NOW NONE ANALYZED OVER CENTRAL INTO NORTHERN IA ON THE LATEST
SPC MESOANALYSIS. JUST AHEAD OF THIS AREA IS POOLED 64-66 SURFACE
DEW POINTS AND ENHANCED MOISTURE CONVERGENCE. THIS AREA OF
SOUTHEAST MN IS ALSO AT THE NOSE OF A VERY STRONG MID-LEVEL JET
/90-100 KT AT 500MB PER PROFILERS AND SEEN ON WATER VAPOR/
ALLOWING FOR DEEPER ASCENT AND SHEAR...ALONG WITH FURTHER MID-
LEVEL COOLING. THE ELEVATED LAPSE RATES ARE ALREADY DRY ADIABATIC
PER THE 18Z MPX SOUNDING. SO THIS INDICATES THAT DEVELOPMENT
SHOULD BE RAPID ONCE THE SURFACE WARMTH AND MOISTURE CAN CONNECT
IN THE VERTICAL WITH SUCH LAPSE RATES. THE CURRENT HRRR AND VSREF
MODELS INDICATE THAT AROUND 330 PM IS THE FAVORED DEVELOPMENT
TIME...WITH THE AREA OF ALBERT LEA TO THE ST. CROIX RIVER VALLEY
MOST LIKELY. STORMS SHOULD EVOLVE TO THE NORTHEAST RAPIDLY. THE
DEEP LAYER SHEAR MAGNITUDE OF 60 TO 70 KTS AND THE FRONTAL
ORIENTATION FAVOR DISCRETE SUPERCELLS...WITH POSSIBLE SPLITS. THE
0-1KM SHEAR VALUES ARE AROUND 20 KTS RIGHT NOW ACROSS THE CWA WARM
SECTOR...AND ARE FORECAST TO INCREASE BY THE RUC TO 25-30 KTS OVER
THE EASTERN TWO TIERS OF COUNTIES. WITH OTHER PARAMETERS IN PLACE
OVER THAT AREA BETWEEN 3:30PM-6PM AND THE SECONDARY SURFACE LOW
MOVING THAT WAY...THAT LOCATION IS THE MOST FAVORED FOR TORNADOES
IN THE FORECAST AREA. EXPLICIT CONVECTIVE RUNS OF THE NMM AND HRRR
HAVE ALSO BEEN INDICATING WHAT APPEAR TO BE SUPERCELL STRUCTURES
NEAR LADYSMITH TO EAU CLAIRE IN THAT TIME. AS FOR OTHER
THREATS...THEY PRETTY MUCH ALL ARE IN PLAY AS DCAPE VALUES ARE
QUITE LARGE...AND THERE IS PLENTY OF INSTABILITY ABOVE -20C FOR
LARGE HAIL. WE HAVE ADAPTED A HIGH TEMPORAL RESOLUTION INTO THE
FORECAST GRIDS THROUGH EARLY EVENING...AND MENTIONED THE CHANCE
FOR TORNADOES IN THE EASTERN TWO TIERS OF COUNTIES...GIVEN IT IS
THE FIRST EVENT OF THE YEAR...ANOMALOUSLY EARLY...AND THAT THERE
ARE SOME PARAMETERS IN LINE FOR STRONG TORNADOES IN THAT AREA. THE
THREAT SHOULD BE EAST OF THE AREA BY 8 PM...POSSIBLY AS EARLY AS 6
PM.

TONIGHT...AS THE UPPER LOW SHIFTS EAST OVER THE AREA THE CHANCE
FOR RAIN WITHIN THE DEFORMATION WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE FROM WEST
TO EAST. THE AREA OF RAIN HAS BEEN HOLDING TOGETHER OVER THE
EASTERN DAKOTAS AND SHOULD AS IT SHIFTS EAST THROUGH THE EVENING.
OVERNIGHT...THE NAM FORECAST QG FORCING AND FRONTOGENESIS RAPIDLY
DECREASES. SO BEING TO FADE POPS. WHILE AN ISOLATED LIGHTNING
STRIKE IS POSSIBLE...HAVE NOT MENTIONED THUNDER IN THAT AREA.

BEYOND...DUE TO THE ATTENTION ON SEVERE WEATHER IN THE NEAR
TERM...ONLY A FEW CHANGES MADE IN THE EXTEND PERIOD. HAVE
INCREASED THE CHANCES FOR RAIN ACROSS SOUTHERN MN...IN WHAT LOOKS
LIKE COULD BE A WET TIME PERIOD FROM WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.
THIS IS BECAUSE OF A SLOW MOVING UPPER LOW WHICH IS IN GOOD
AGREEMENT IN THE MODELS. IT IS FORECAST TO BREAK OFF FROM A LONG
WAVE TROUGH OFF THE WEST COAST...AND AS IT SHIFTS EAST IT HAS
LITTLE STEERING FLOW. WILL NEED TO WATCH THIS PERIOD TO SEE IF
RAINFALL AMOUNTS WOULD FURTHER AGGRAVATE FLOODING. TEMPERATURES
LOOK MILD ON TUESDAY WITH SUNSHINE EXPECTED...BUT THEN BELOW
NORMAL TEMPERATURES ARE FORECAST FOR THE LATTER PART OF THE WEEK.

&&

.AVIATION... /18Z TAF ISSUANCE/

SURFACE LOW PRESSURE NEARING ST CLOUD AT THIS TIME WITH A COLD
FRONT EXTENDING SOUTH TO NEAR FAIRMONT. THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED TO
DEVELOP QUICKLY BETWEEN 18Z AND 20Z ALONG THIS FRONT PER THE HRRR
AND VSREF FROM THE TWIN CITIES TO BLUE EARTH. BEST CHANCE FOR
STORMS AT KMSP IS BETWEEN 18Z AND 21Z. KRNH HAS THEIR BEST CHANCE
BETWEEN 19Z AND 22Z WITH KEAU 21Z TO 24Z. DID INCLUDE WIND GUSTS
TO 35 KNOTS AND HAIL IN THE KEAU TERMINAL WHERE PROBABILITIES FOR
SEVERE STORMS ARE MUCH HIGHER DURING THE MID TO LATE AFTERNOON
HOURS. TO THE WEST OF THE BOUNDARY...CEILINGS PLUMMET BELOW 010
ALONG WITH VISIBILITIES GENERALLY LESS THAN 2 MILES IN BR. THESE
CONDITIONS WILL LIKELY CONTINUE THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS AT
KAXN...KRWF AND KSTC. LAMP GUIDANCE ALSO SHOWING IFR OR LOWER
CONDITIONS SPREADING INTO KMSP...KRNH AND KEAU BY EARLY THIS
EVENING. CONCERN IS THAT THIS MAY NOT BE FAST ENOUGH AND TRENDS
WILL BE MONITORED. IN ADDITION...NORTHWEST WINDS AT 15-20 KNOTS
WITH GUSTS TO 25 KNOTS...WILL MOVE INTO KAXN AND KRWF BY 21Z AND
INTO THE EASTERN TAF SITES THIS EVENING. THE STRONGER WINDS WILL
PERSIST OVERNIGHT AND MONDAY MORNING.

KMSP...NARROW WINDOW EARLY THIS AFTERNOON FOR STORMS. BY
21Z...BELIEVE THE THREAT WILL BE EAST OF THE AIRPORT WITH MVFR
CEILINGS QUICKLY SPREADING IN. MAIN CONCERN IS THAT CEILINGS
MAY DROP BELOW 010 BETWEEN 21Z-24Z AND A TEMPO GROUP WAS INSERTED
TO ADDRESS THIS. CONFIDENCE HIGH FOR CEILINGS UNDER 010 FOR MUCH
OF THE NIGHT AHEAD AS VERY MOIST CYCLONIC LOW LEVEL CONDITIONS
PREVAIL IN THE WAKE OF THE LOW. SOUTH WINDS 12-15 KNOTS VEERING
WEST 15 TO 20 KNOTS BY 11/00Z AND NORTHWEST OVERNIGHT AND MONDAY
MORNING. GUSTS 25 TO 30 KNOTS EXPECTED TONIGHT AND MONDAY MORNING.

&&

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

&&

MTF/RAH
Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 10, 11:44 AM CDT, 5 hours 20 minutes before
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In the hours before

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The surface observations

Eau Claire (EAU), 34 km from the path, in the two hours either side.

Time (UTC)Temp (°F)Dew point (°F)WindGust (kt)Pressure (mb)Weather
00:00 UTC

From the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of airport observations.

The radar

The La Crosse radar (KARX), 97 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 22:05 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.

This ground now

The live radar over the trackEvery 2011 tornado in WisconsinEvery tornado in Wisconsin since 1950Warnings in force in Wisconsin nowThe forecast where you are

The other tornadoes of April 10, 2011

15 more were confirmed in the United States that day.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
April 104:57 PM CDTEF1Eau Claire, WI1.6200$200,000
April 106:08 PM CDTEF3Marathon, WI21.11,0502$11 million
April 106:12 PM CDTEF2Adams, WI17.1800$3.3 million
April 106:14 PM CDTEF1Juneau, WI4.4150$30,000
April 106:30 PM CDTEF1Adams, WI11.7140$601,000
April 106:50 PM CDTEF1Langlade, WI5.3400$1.0 million
April 107:06 PM CDTEF1Waushara, WI27.7200
April 107:30 PM CDTEF2Forest, WI12.0600$215,000
April 107:53 PM CDTEF1Waushara, WI14.9150$1.5 million
April 108:03 PM CDTEF1Forest, WI3.3250$50,000
April 108:27 PM CDTEF0Green Lake, WI1.850$300
April 108:43 PM CDTEF2Outagamie, WI1.5175$6.7 million
April 108:53 PM CDTEF1Brown, WI1.275$15,000
April 108:59 PM CDTEF1Calumet, WI1.7100$100,000
April 1010:55 PM CDTEF0Webster, MO6.7100$10,000

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.