NOAA's National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office

Submit a Storm Report!
eSpotter - For trained and registered spotters
Local Thresholds For Watches/Warnings/Advisories
County Warning Area For NWS Milwaukee/Sullivan

GraphiCast
HWO - Hazardous Weather Outlook for Southern Wisconsin
Weather Awareness Activities For The Year

• Sullivan Committee - Amateur Radio Spotters
• Milwaukee Area Skywarn Association

A message to new spotters from Rusty Kapela, WCM Milwaukee/Sullivan

Spotter Do's and Don'ts

Reference cities for use by severe weather spotters

Basic Storm Spotter Slide Show
Advanced Storm Spotter Slide Show
Basics Of Doppler Weather Radar (WSR-88D)
Using The WSR-88D For Storm Interpretation
(The odd punctuation with question marks is a result of
the environment these web pages run in. Sorry if it makes them a bit confusing.)

HazCollect PowerPoint Presentation For Emergency Responders
Spotter Quick Reference Guide (.pdf) Page 1 - Diagrams and Images (1.1mb)
Spotter Quick Reference Guide (.pdf) Page 2 - Descriptions/Definitions (99kb)
Severe Weather Education and Preparedness
Comprehensive Glossary of Weather Terms For Storm Spotters

Storm Write-ups - Generally for South Central and Southeast Wisconsin
Wisconsin Severe Weather Statistics
Famous Tornado Outbreaks across the United States
A list of Wisconsin's Costliest Tornadoes
A list of Wisconsin's Deadliest Tornadoes
A list of the longest documented Tornado Tracks in Wisconsin
Famous Hurricanes of the 20th Century in the United States

The NWS Heat Wave site
Wisconsin's Weather Century in Review (1900-1999)
NWS Severe Weather Awareness site

NWS Handouts and Flyers

• Tornadoes
• Thunderstorm Winds and Lightning
• Hail
• Heat Wave
• Floods and Flash Floods
• NWS Publications

Emergency Managers :
Weather Information Network EMWIN and the NWS Storm Ready Initiative.
Wisconsin Emergency Management

Please direct questions and comments to our Warning Coordination Meteorologist at:   Rusty.Kapela@noaa.gov

Storm Data

These files are in "pdf" format.

What is Storm Data? Storm Data is a monthly publication that details any unusual or significant weather events that were reported to the National Weather Service. It includes (but isn't limited to) winter weather, severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, floods and high wind. All fatalities and injuries that are directly related to weather are included, as well as any weather that caused significant damage.
My roof was blown off in a thunderstorm. Why isn't that storm in the report? We probably did not receive the report. We will research storms (both during and after the event) through local newspapers, law enforcement and spotters. If the event was not reported to any of these organizations and you didn't report it to us directly, we probably didn't get it.
How long after an event is Storm Data available? At the end of each month, all of the events from the month are entered into a database. All of the reports are verified. Newspaper clippings are scoured for additional reports and clarification of known events. Then a final summary of each weather episode during the month is compiled. This process usually takes 1 to 2 months, depending on the weather during that season. Unfortunately, it can take even longer if an ongoing severe weather season does not allow the staff the time to compile Storm Data.
How can I get Storm Data for previous years? How can I get Storm Data for other areas of the country? How do I get a certified copy for a court case? Contact the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC). We cannot handle any of these cases locally.