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SE Wisconsin hail, severe thunderstorm warnings
FOX6 crews, DOT tower cameras and viewer images and video showed hail falling across the area Wednesday during severe thunderstorm warnings.
Several rounds of thunderstorms moved through southeast Wisconsin on Wednesday, April 19 with hail and heavy rain. Flash floods were reported in some areas, according to the National Weather Service.
The first round moved into parts of the area around noon, sparking severe thunderstorm warnings for areas west and northwest of Milwaukee.
A second heavier round of storms lined up from Dodge into Washington and Ozaukee counties by mid-afternoon. This line produced hail greater than golf ball size in Jackson and prompted severe thunderstorm warnings for Dodge, Ozaukee and Washington counties.
Hail reports
The National Weather Service reported the following totals, in inches, which could change:
- Beaver Dam, 1
- Cedarburg, 0.75 (dime-sized)
- Erin, 1.5
- Grafton, 1
- Hubertus, 1
- Ixonia, 1
- Jackson, 2
- Lac La Belle, 1
- Lake Ripley, 1.5
- Rubicon, 0.75 (dime-sized)
Severe weather photo gallery
But it was so cold, how'd we get thunderstorms?
Temperatures only reached the 30s and 40s on Wednesday afternoon. How can we see severe thunderstorms? It was 10 degrees warmer aloft – around 5,000 feet. The thunderstorms were feeding off of that air and not the air at the surface. So while it could rain or snow at the temperatures we saw at the surface, it is what is above us that determines precipitation type. This is why weather balloons are so important!
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Did the thunder sound extra loud to you on Wednesday? There is a similar reason for that. Since we are cold at the surface and warmer above us, that is what is called an "inversion" in meteorology. When the lightning created the big boom of thunder, the sound waves got trapped in the colder air (below 5,000 feet). As a result, the thunder was louder than normal because it is bouncing around closer to the surface.
What is ahead for us?
Scattered thunderstorms will continue Wednesday night.
A warm front pushes in from the south on Thursday which will warm us up. Highs in the 60s on Thursday. Several rounds of thunderstorms are expected on Thursday, starting late morning and continuing until early evening. Strong winds, hail and heavy rain likely on Thursday. Once a cold front crosses early in the evening, thunderstorm chances will end.
However, there is now another chance for a few thunderstorms Friday afternoon.
FOX6 Weather Extras
Meanwhile, FOX6Now.com offers a variety of extremely useful weather tools to help you navigate the stormy season. They include the following:
FOX6 Storm Center app
FOX6 News app
FOX Weather app
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MAPS AND RADAR
We have a host of maps and radars on the FOX6 Weather page that are updating regularly — to provide you the most accurate assessment of the weather. From a county-by-county view to the Midwest regional radar and a national view — it’s all there.
SCHOOL AND BUSINESS CLOSINGS
When the weather gets a little dicey, schools and businesses may shut down. Monitor the latest list of closings, cancellations, and delays reported in southeast Wisconsin.
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