Tornadoes · United States · Wisconsin · 2025

EF0 tornado, Rib Falls, Wisconsin, May 15, 2025

This EF0 tornado ran 2.5 miles across Marathon County on May 15, 2025, touching down at 5:41 PM CDT and reaching 65 yards wide. It killed nobody.

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
May 15, 2025
Touchdown
5:41 PM CDT (22:41 UTC)
Lifted
5:50 PM CDT (22:50 UTC)
On the ground
9 minutes
Path length
2.5 miles (4.0 km)
Path width
65 yards (59 m)
Deaths
0
Injuries
0
County
Marathon County
Touchdown point
44.963, -89.920
Lift-off point
44.999, -89.925
Record number
2505151641-01

The damage survey

3 damage points were recorded along this path by NWS GRB, in the Damage Assessment Toolkit the survey teams carry. The strongest indicator was rated EF0. The highest wind the damage implies is 85 mph.

Survey points are preliminary and are the raw material the published rating was built from. Source: NWS Damage Assessment Toolkit.

What the Weather Service recorded

Showers and thunderstorms developed ahead of an occluded front Thursday afternoon (5/15) across western Wisconsin. Storms tracked through the area during the late afternoon and early evening hours. The strongest storms produced 3 tornadoes, damaging winds, and large hail up to golf ball size across central and north-central Wisconsin.

A tornado developed near Rib Falls at 5:41 pm CDT, then tracked north before lifting at 5:50 pm CDT. Most of the tornado occurred over an area that was void of clear damage indicators. Total path length is estimated to be 2.50 miles long, with a width of 65 yards. Peak wind estimated to be around 85 mph.

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

The warnings

29 minutes of warning. NWS GRB issued a tornado warning for this county at 22:12 UTC, 29 minutes before the tornado touched down, in force until 23:00 UTC.

The county was under a tornado watch, issued at 20:06 UTC and running to 00:50 UTC.

Issued (UTC)ExpiredProductOffice
20:06 UTC00:50 UTCTornado WatchGRB
21:50 UTC22:45 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningGRB
22:12 UTC23:00 UTCTornado WarningGRB
22:24 UTC23:15 UTCTornado WarningGRB
22:46 UTC23:30 UTCTornado WarningGRB
22:51 UTC23:30 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningGRB
23:05 UTC00:00 UTCTornado WarningGRB
23:20 UTC00:15 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningGRB
00:01 UTC00:27 UTCSevere Thunderstorm WarningGRB

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 Enhanced Risk, with a 0.10 chance of a tornado within 25 miles, in the hatched area where significant tornadoes were expected. The outlook in force was issued at 19:27 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.

Green Bay/Straub, WI (KGRB), 12:00Z

10.7 hours before the tornado, 154 km from the path. May 15, 2025.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Green Bay/Straub, WI at 12:00Z on 2025-05-15Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel lifted from the surface. Mixed-layer CAPE 0 joules per kilogram, CIN -70334, lifted condensation level 1019 meters above ground. Wind barbs in knots down the right edge.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°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, Green Bay/Straub, WI at 12:00Z on 2025-05-15The 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 -10 square meters per square second, 0 to 6 km bulk shear 22 knots.1939Sfc1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-70334 J/kg
Surface CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1019 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
22 kt
0-1 km bulk shear
8 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-10 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
22 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0
0-3 km lapse rate
5.0 K/km

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The surface observations

Wausau (AUW), 24 km from the path, in the two hours either side.

Time (UTC)Temp (°F)Dew point (°F)WindGust (kt)Pressure (mb)Weather
20:45 UTC100° 16 kt22995.6
20:50 UTC 22 kt28995.6
20:54 UTC8262110° 15 kt30995.3
20:55 UTC 995.3
21:00 UTC 30995.3
21:05 UTC 27994.9
21:10 UTC 994.6
21:15 UTC 993.9
21:20 UTC 28994.2
21:25 UTC100° 19 kt28994.2
21:35 UTC110° 18 kt23994.2
21:40 UTC110° 15 kt994.6
21:45 UTC110° 17 kt994.2
21:50 UTC100° 13 kt22993.9
21:54 UTC7863100° 19 kt27993.9
21:55 UTC 18 kt22993.9
22:00 UTC100° 13 kt18993.6
22:05 UTC100° 17 kt993.6
22:10 UTC100° 14 kt19993.2
22:15 UTC 993.2
22:20 UTC90° 13 kt19993.2
22:25 UTC 21992.9
22:30 UTC 22993.6
22:31 UTC7663110° 16 kt24993.9VCTS
22:35 UTC 22993.9
22:40 UTC 21994.2
22:45 UTC130° 11 kt994.2
22:50 UTC 24995.3-RA
22:52 UTC73.464.4120° 13 kt25994.9TSRA
22:53 UTC7365110° 11 kt25994.6+TSRA
22:55 UTC 994.6+RA
23:00 UTC 22RA
23:05 UTC130° 13 kt18995.3RA BR
23:08 UTC7166110° 14 kt24994.9-TSRA
23:10 UTC 994.9-RA
23:15 UTC 994.6-RA
23:20 UTC120° 11 kt995.3-RA
23:35 UTC180° 9 kt15995.6RA
23:39 UTC6762280° 16 kt26996.3+TSRA
23:40 UTC 996.3+RA
23:45 UTC6763240° 21 kt37998.6+TSRA BR
23:45 UTC 31+RA BR
23:50 UTC300° 7 kt996.3+RA FG
23:54 UTC6562 4 kt32995.6+TSRA FG
23:55 UTC220° 4 kt995.6+RA BR
00:00 UTC6761150° 11 kt18995.3-TSRA
00:00 UTC150° 11 kt995.3-RA
00:05 UTC 995.6
00:08 UTC6563110° 9 kt995.6TS
00:10 UTC110° 8 kt995.3
00:15 UTC6663120° 5 kt995.3VCTS
00:15 UTC120° 5 kt995.3
00:20 UTC110° 5 kt995.6
00:23 UTC6663120° 5 kt995.3
00:25 UTC120° 4 kt995.3
00:30 UTC110° 4 kt995.6
00:35 UTC0° 0 kt995.3
00:40 UTC0° 0 kt995.6

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

The radar

The Green Bay radar (KGRB), 153 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the touchdown began at 22:42 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
22:04 UTCTORNADO4 Ssw LoyalClark, WILaw enforcement reported a tornado on the ground near Loyal, WI.
22:21 UTCTORNADO2 Wnw UnityClark, WIThis tornado developed in fields west of Unity before tracking northeast toward Colby. As it moved through rural areas of northeastern Clark County, it damaged multiple farm outbuildings, trees, power poles, and a home.
23:00 UTCHAIL 0.71 N StratfordMarathon, WIReported on slack from trained spotter.
23:00 UTCHAIL 0.71 N StratfordMarathon, WIReported on slack from trained spotter.
23:00 UTCHAIL 0.71 N StratfordMarathon, WIReported on slack from trained spotter.
23:10 UTCHAIL 1.754 Se WestonMarathon, WIReported Golf ball size hail reported from trained.
23:10 UTCHAIL 1.754 Se WestonMarathon, WIReported Golf ball size hail reported from trained.
23:15 UTCHAIL 12 E EvergreenMarathon, WIReport from mPING: Quarter (1.00 in.).
23:15 UTCHAIL 12 E EvergreenMarathon, WIReport from mPING: Quarter (1.00 in.).
23:15 UTCHAIL 12 E EvergreenMarathon, WIReport from mPING: Quarter (1.00 in.).
23:15 UTCHAIL 12 E EvergreenMarathon, WIReport from mPING: Quarter (1.00 in.).
23:20 UTCHAIL 1.252 E EvergreenMarathon, WI
23:20 UTCHAIL 1.252 E EvergreenMarathon, WI
23:20 UTCHAIL 1.252 E EvergreenMarathon, WI
23:21 UTCTSTM WND DMG2 W MerrillLincoln, WIStrong winds caused roof damage.
23:21 UTCTSTM WND DMG2 W MerrillLincoln, WIStrong winds caused roof damage.
23:45 UTCHAIL 11 Sw WausauMarathon, WI
23:45 UTCHAIL 11 Sw WausauMarathon, WI

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

This ground now

The live radar over the trackEvery 2025 tornado in WisconsinEvery tornado in Wisconsin since 1950Warnings in force in Wisconsin nowThe forecast where you are

The other tornadoes of May 15, 2025

34 more were confirmed in the United States that day.

DateTimeRatingWherePath (mi)Width (yd)DeathsInjuriesDamage
May 151:05 PM CDTEF0Chippewa, MN4.025
May 151:28 PM CDTEF0Swift, MN0.540
May 151:34 PM CDTEF1Swift, MN2.750
May 152:43 PM CDTEF0Stearns, MN2.850
May 153:08 PM CDTUnratedCass, ND0.120
May 153:26 PM CDTEF2Saint Croix, WI3.9120
May 154:05 PM CDTEF0Sauk, WI0.120$5,000
May 154:28 PM CDTUnratedPembina, ND0.120
May 154:42 PM CDTUnratedColumbia, WI1.220
May 154:47 PM CDTEF1Clark, WI0.8100
May 154:55 PM CDTEF0Clark, WI2.475$1,000
May 155:08 PM CDTEF1Clark, WI2.4100$45,000
May 155:09 PM CDTUnratedPolk, MN0.110
May 155:21 PM CDTEF2Clark, WI4.6230$725,000
May 155:32 PM CDTEF1Dodge, WI6.6100$135,000
May 155:38 PM CDTEF2Dodge, WI11.55001$2.5 million
May 155:48 PM CDTEF1Dodge, WI4.275$1.2 million
May 155:52 PM CDTEF0Portage, WI5.245
May 155:57 PM CDTEF2Dodge, WI8.3300$3.4 million
May 156:08 PM CDTEF1Dodge, WI2.150$10,000
May 156:09 PM CDTEF1Dodge, WI1.550$45,000
May 157:22 PM EDTEF0Dare, NC0.8100
May 1510:24 PM EDTEF0Ottawa, MI3.550
May 1510:28 PM EDTEF1Allegan, MI5.4175
May 1510:41 PM EDTEF1Allegan, MI8.3200
May 1510:50 PM EDTEF1Barry, MI6.8200
May 1510:51 PM EDTEF1Kent, MI14.9100
May 1510:59 PM EDTEF0Kalamazoo, MI10.1200
May 1511:11 PM EDTEF0Calhoun, MI8.5200
May 1511:25 PM EDTEF1Eaton, MI15.7250
May 1512:03 AM EDTEF1Livingston, MI1.9230
May 1512:05 AM EDTEF0Saginaw, MI1.6250$150,000
May 1512:11 AM EDTEF0Saginaw, MI3.4160
May 1512:35 AM EDTEF0Genesee, MI1.2100

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.