Storm Record · Columbia, Dane, Dodge, Jefferson, Walworth, Waukesha Counties
June 12, 2013: Straight-line wind across six counties
What the National Weather Service recorded
Discrete supercell thunderstorms congealed into a line of severe thunderstorms over southwest Wisconsin that produced damaging wind gusts and large hail. The line of storms tracked through southern Wisconsin along and just north of a nearly-stationary warm front near the Wisconsin/Illinois border. Strong forcing for ascent was provided by the differential cyclonic vorticity advection associated with a compact mid/upper level trough. Bulk shear in the 0-6 km layer was on the order of 50-60 knots. In addition to the damaging winds and large hail, precipitable water values approached 2 inches, giving the storms sufficient moisture to produce heavy rainfall on the order of 1 to 2 inches in under one hour that caused localized street flooding.
Source: NOAA Storm Events Database · episode 76647
Every report, in the Weather Service's words
Where It Hit
| Location | County | Hazard | Size | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portage (5 SW) | Columbia | Wind | 81 mph wind | The Columbia County 911 Call Center reported approximately 100 trees were blown down, many power lines downed and scattered clusters of damage along a 17 mile-wide path from 5 miles southwest of Portage to Columbus from damaging thunderstorm wind gusts that were estimated up to 80 mph. A trained spotter recrded a 71 mph wind gust in Pardeeville. The roof was blown off a home and a garage was destroyed in Fall River. A home was destroyed and 2 houses damaged in the Town of Dakorra. Heavy rain accompanying the storms, with 1.58 inches measured in 45 minutes 3 miles east of Poynette, produced street flooding in Portage and Pardeeville. |
| Fox Lake (5 SW) | Dodge | Wind | 70 mph wind | The Dodge County Emergency Manager reported many trees and power lines were blown down along a 10 mile-wide path from 5 miles southwest of Fox Lake to 4 miles south of Juneau from damaging thunderstorm wind gusts that were estimated up to 70 mph (61 knots). |
| Marshall (7 N) | Dane | Wind | 70 mph wind | A trained spotter reported many large trees were blown down 7 miles north of Marshall from damaging thunderstorm wind gusts that were estimated up to 70 mph (61 knots). |
| Waterloo | Jefferson | Wind | 64 mph wind | The Jefferson County Emergency Manager reported many trees and power lines were blown down in Waterloo from damaging thunderstorm wind gusts that were estimated up to 65 mph ( knots). |
| Ft Atkinson | Jefferson | Wind | 64 mph wind | The Jefferson County Emergency Manager reported a couple of large trees and power lines were blown down in Ft. Atkinson from damaging thunderstorm wind gusts that were estimated up to 65 mph (56 knots). |
| Pewaukee | Waukesha | Wind | 64 mph wind | Law enforcement officials reported trees and power lines were blown down along a scattered path from Pewaukee to Eagle from damaging thunderstorm wind gusts that were estimated up to 65 mph (56 knots). Tree debris took down a power line in Eagle. |
| Brookfield | Waukesha | Wind | 64 mph wind | The Waukesha County Emergency Manager reported trees and power lines were blown down in Brookfield from damaging thunderstorm wind gusts that were estimated up to 65 mph (56 knots). One tree fell onto a church roof causing damage to the roof. |
| Watertown | Jefferson | Wind | 60 mph wind | The Jefferson County Emergency Manager reported trees and power lines were blown down in Watertown from damaging thunderstorm wind gusts that were estimated up to 60 mph (52 knots). |
| Williams Bay (1 ENE) | Walworth | Hail | 1" hail | An ham radio operator reported hail up to 1 inch 1 mile east-northeast of Williams Bay. |
| Williams Bay | Walworth | Hail | 0.88" hail | A law enforcement official reported hail up to 0.88 of an inch on the campus of George Williams College. |
| Rio (1 W) | Columbia | Hail | 0.75" hail | A trained spotter reported hail up to 3/4 of an inch 1 mile west of Rio. |
Service areas this storm touched