A Week Of Rainfall Across Wisconsin
7 AM Friday, May 7th, through 7 AM Saturday, May 15th

Synopsis of event:
The sky over Wisconsin opened up...and stayed open...to allow for 6 to 8 days of rain from Friday May 7th through Friday May 14th. Parts of southern and central Wisconsin picked up 3 to 5 inches of needed rainfall. Scattered locations picked up 5 to 6 inches. The persistant rains pushed some rivers and streams out of their banks over southeast Wisconsin, especially in Racine and Kenosha counties. (Click images below to enlarge)

Picture of flooding Picture of flooding Picture of flooding
However, flash flooding rains occurred over southwestern Vernon County and western Crawford County during the evening hours of May 8th. Between 7 and 10 pm, WSR Doppler Radar estimated 6 to 8 inches fell from the Red Mound/De Sota area to the Oak Ridge/Mount Sterling area. Officially, at least 5 inches fell in this area. A 64-year-old rural De Soto resident in southwestern Vernon County died in a flash flood when she attempted to drive across a flash flood on the South Fork of the Bad Axe River. Mudslides were noted on Highways 82 and 35.

Plot of rainfall totals
(Click images to enlarge)		 Plot of rainfall plot of rainfall

Note: the accumulative precipitation totals in the images represent those locations that submitted weather reports every day of the period from May 7th through May 14th.

Specific rainfall totals from the larger cities in Wisconsin for May 7th through May 14th include: 3.43 inch at Milwaukee Mitchell Field, 2.17 inches at Madison's Truax Field, 3.41 inches at the Green Bay Airport, 2.83 inches at the La Crosse Airport, 2.38 inches at the Wausau Airport, and 1.41 inches at the Rhinelander Airport. Unofficially, it is possible that 8 to 10 inches fell in parts of southwestern Vernon County and northwestern Crawford County.

Why so much rain? The numerous rounds of showers and thunderstorms were triggered by a frontal boundary that repeatedly moved south through Wisconsin as a cold front, only to stall over central Illinois, and then rebound north as a warm front. Moisture from the Gulf of Mexico served as the fuel for the storms. Severe storms with damaging winds and large hail were also noted from time to time.


  • NOAA's National Weather Service
  • Milwaukee/Sullivan, WI Weather Forecast Office
  • N3533 Hardscrabble Road
  • Dousman, WI 53118
  • 414-744-8000
  • Page Author: MKX Webmaster
  • Web Master's E-mail: w-mkx.webmaster@noaa.gov
  • Page last modified: 2-Nov-2005 10:22 PM UTC
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