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.
EF065 to 85 mph
Light damage. Surface peeled off some roofs, gutters and siding damaged, branches broken, shallow-rooted trees pushed over.
EF186 to 110 mphthis tornado
Moderate damage. Roofs badly stripped, mobile homes overturned or badly damaged, exterior doors lost, windows broken.
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.
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.
EF4166 to 200 mph
Devastating damage. Well-built houses leveled, structures with weak foundations moved some distance, cars thrown and large missiles generated.
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.
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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Local storm report, Apr 10, 4:39 PM CDT, 25 minutes before
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</html>The surface observations
Eau Claire (EAU), 34 km from the path, in the two hours either side.
| Time (UTC) | Temp (°F) | Dew point (°F) | Wind | Gust (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.
| Date | Time | Rating | Where | Path (mi) | Width (yd) | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 10 | 4:57 PM CDT | EF1 | Eau Claire, WI | 1.6 | 200 | $200,000 | ||
| April 10 | 6:08 PM CDT | EF3 | Marathon, WI | 21.1 | 1,050 | 2 | $11 million | |
| April 10 | 6:12 PM CDT | EF2 | Adams, WI | 17.1 | 800 | $3.3 million | ||
| April 10 | 6:14 PM CDT | EF1 | Juneau, WI | 4.4 | 150 | $30,000 | ||
| April 10 | 6:30 PM CDT | EF1 | Adams, WI | 11.7 | 140 | $601,000 | ||
| April 10 | 6:50 PM CDT | EF1 | Langlade, WI | 5.3 | 400 | $1.0 million | ||
| April 10 | 7:06 PM CDT | EF1 | Waushara, WI | 27.7 | 200 | |||
| April 10 | 7:30 PM CDT | EF2 | Forest, WI | 12.0 | 600 | $215,000 | ||
| April 10 | 7:53 PM CDT | EF1 | Waushara, WI | 14.9 | 150 | $1.5 million | ||
| April 10 | 8:03 PM CDT | EF1 | Forest, WI | 3.3 | 250 | $50,000 | ||
| April 10 | 8:27 PM CDT | EF0 | Green Lake, WI | 1.8 | 50 | $300 | ||
| April 10 | 8:43 PM CDT | EF2 | Outagamie, WI | 1.5 | 175 | $6.7 million | ||
| April 10 | 8:53 PM CDT | EF1 | Brown, WI | 1.2 | 75 | $15,000 | ||
| April 10 | 8:59 PM CDT | EF1 | Calumet, WI | 1.7 | 100 | $100,000 | ||
| April 10 | 10:55 PM CDT | EF0 | Webster, MO | 6.7 | 100 | $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.