Storm Record · Columbia, Dane, Sauk Counties
June 6, 2006: Tornadoes in Columbia, Dane and Sauk Counties
What the National Weather Service recorded
Several supercell thunderstorms developed along a cold front across southwest Wisconsin and pushed east southeast into south-central Wisconsin during the late afternoon and early evening. Six tornadoes resulted from these storms (listed with details above) of the F0 to F1 variety across the counties of Sauk, Columbia, and Iowa. A couple funnel clouds were reported in Green and Columbia counties, as well as large hail in Green Lake and Columbia counties, and thunderstorm wind damage in Dane and Columbia counties. Synoptically, with temperatures in the low or mid 70s and dewpoints in the mid 60s with cold air aloft, high instability resulted. Vertical wind shear, in addition to lift with the cold front, allowed supercell thunderstorms to develop. Sufficient low-level shear allowed tornadic development with two of the supercells.
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database · episode 1212935
Every report, in the Weather Service's words
Where It Hit
| Location | County | Hazard | Size | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waunakee (2 E) | Dane | Wind | 81 mph wind | Around 1930 CST (830 PM CDT) thunderstorm wind gusts took a roof off a house 2 miles east of Waunakee. Winds were estimated at 70 knots (80 mph). About 5,000 dollars in damage resulted. |
| Lewiston (3 NE) | Columbia | Wind | 64 mph wind | Trees down. |
| Lewiston (3 NE) | Columbia | Hail | 0.75" hail | |
| Lake Delton (9 ESE) | Sauk | Tornado | F0 | This tornado segment is the 2nd of a three-segment tornado (Columbia-Sauk-Columbia). The first segment started in Columbia County about 3.0 miles east of Wisconsin Dells. This second segment entered Sauk County about 8.5 miles east-southeast of Lake Delton at 1813CST (or about 0.6 mile northeast of the intersection of N Hein Rd. and Levee Rd.) and headed southeast. It exited Sauk County about 10.1 miles east-southeast of Lake Delton at 1817CST where Levee Rd. goes east into Columiba County. The tornado caused a tree to fall onto a home which caused 1000 dollars in property damage. The tornado during this second county segment had weakened a bit down to the F0 rating with winds of 35-63 knots (40-72 mph). Overall, this three-segment tornado path length was 16.9 miles with a time span of 1754CST to 1840CST. |
| Wisconsin Dells (3 E) | Columbia | Tornado | F1 | The first segment of a multi-county-segmented tornado spun up 3.0 miles east of Wisconsin Dells at 1754CST about 0.6 mile east-northeast of the intersection of Broadway Rd. and CTH Q. It headed southeast and crossed STH 16 at Lewiston, and then crossed the Wisconsin River into Sauk County about 1.5 miles southeast of Lewiston at 1813CST. In this first Columbia County stretch, around 10 houses were damaged or destroyed, along with a couple pole sheds and many trees and power lines. An estimated 400,000 dollars in property damage occurred. The tornado was rated F1 with winds of 64 to 97 knots (73-112 mph). After a short track through Sauk County, this tornado re-entered Columbia County about 7 miles west of Portage, crossed Interstate 90/94, and then crossed the Wisconsin River again before dissipating at 1840CST. |
| Portage (7 W) | Columbia | Tornado | F1 | This tornado segment is a third, county-segment, continuation of a tornado that initially spun up in far northwestern Columbia County about 3.0 miles east of Wisconsin Dells at 1754CST and then crossed into Sauk County about 1.5 miles southeast of Lewiston at 1813CST. This tornado re-entered Columbia County about 7.0 miles west of Portage at 1817CST where Levee Rd. on the south side of the Wisconsin River exits Columbia County going west. The heading of this tornado was southeast, and it crossed Interstate 90/94 near Tritz Road where a vehicle swerved and caused a semitrailer to roll onto its side. It eventually passed through a residential trailer complex/camp ground south of the Cascade Ski Resort. It crossed Interstate 90/94 where Ziehmke Rd approached the Interstate from the east. At this point, the tornado caused a semitrailer to be blown off the road. The tornado then tracked over the extreme eastern edge of Pickerel Lake, crossed over the Wisconsin River for the second time, and dissipated about 1.0 mile southwest of Dekorra at 1840CST, just short of CTH V. Around 10 houses were damaged, along with a barn, a couple pole sheds, and many trees and power lines. The tornado caused about 600,000 dollars in property damage, and was rated F1 with winds of 64-97 knots (73-112 mph). The tornado was well-photographed and filmed. Overall, this F1 Columbia-Sauk-Columbia County tornado path length was 16.9 miles with a beginning time of 1754CST and an ending time of 1840CST. |
Service areas this storm touched