The Northeast Polk County Super cellular storm near Turtle Lake July 19th 2011
Note: This report is subject to change as the NWS is still conducting surveys.
Area Report
Severe Thunderstorms hit the area again this past Tuesday, causing severe to major damage across parts of the area in what is coming a very active season for Western & Northwest Wisconsin. The cell above is just one of many severe thunderstorms that formed along a warm front that cut the areas conditions in half. South of the front was sulking in record low 80 degree dewpoints with temperatures in the low 90s. North of the front had 70s with dewpoints also in the 70s. This front later became for focus for severe thunderstorms, which caused severe and even major damage in parts of our area. Some areas ended up getting hitting twice in the same 3 hour period. My report will focus on the most damaging storms. The first super cellar storm formed north of Burnett & Washburn Counties and moved across the far Northeast part of Burnett County, and the entire eastern half of Washburn county. This storm did produced damaging winds and severe hail in Minong, Trego, Stone Lake. This storm was also responsible for producing very large hail as large as golf balls in Birchwood and northwest of Stone Lake. This cell also skirting the far Northeaster corner of Barron County and caused damage.
Damage to wooded area on the SW side of Pipe Lake in Northeast Polk County.
I first off have to thank Dirk for the opportunity to help him area to survey Northeast Polk County. Another super cellular storm formed right on the warm front near Siren, quickly became severe swept in a south, southeast direction. The storm caused damage in and took power out to Frederic. There was also a localized area of major damage seen at Pipe Lake in Northeast Polk County. The damage was especially intense on the wooded side of the Southwest side of the lake. The NWS will determine what caused this damage in the days to come. As this storm swept SSE it caused sporadic tree damage from very strong winds in areas of Eastern Polk County and Western Barron county East of Clayton, as well as Turtle Lake, Barron & Almeana, southeast to Dallas & then Northern Dunn County at Sand Creek.
Eastern Polk County storm effects at Clayton & My location
Closeup of Clayton radar. July 19th 2011
The very southwest edge of Burnett & Polk County super cellular storm moved across the far eastern part of Polk County and effected my location which is on the county line. The storm looked quite impressive of radar near Mikinly NNW of my location and was showing enough that the NWS issued a Tornado Warning for all of eastern Polk County. There there were 2 reports funnel clouds in the area. One reported in Turtle Lake and the second was 4 miles south of Turtle Lake which would have put in somewhere a few blocks northeast of me, but the report said it was lifting by the time it reached this area.
Tail Edge of the Storm passing over my location July 19th 2011
This storm posed significant severe weather threat to Clayton, and at one point with the radar signatures and reports i did get a bit worried becuase I have not seen reports of funnels so close to my house, but we were very fortunate there was no tornado in our area and I did not see a funnel anywhere, and actually there was very little rain with the storm only 0.02″ The damage that did occur in my area was caused by a surprisingly different effect in this storm.
Video of strong outflow winds from my Front yard.
The most severe part of the storm in my area was the very strong, evening damaging outflow winds on the tail edge. The winds blew very strong strait from the ENE, not too long after the tail edge passed. Not only was there strong winds but the wind was constant and sustained for at least 15 minutes. The highest gust on my station was 40MPH which is impressive since I mentioned in past posts that my gauge is limited somewhat from our yard tree cover.
Large 3 inch pine branch in Eastern yard.
This large pine branch snapped front our pine trees on the eastern edge of of the yard during the strong wind. It was 3.50″ in diameter and quite a fair sized branch. I believe part of the reason why this fell was the over abundance of pine cones where are weighing the branches down. There was plenty of other smaller branches down from the same trees as well.
Small branches from a branch that was removed before this picture.
Other large branches were snapped off around the area as well. The focus of the damage was East of Clayton. The picture above was taking of a tree top that was in the middle of the road, but was pulled off before I took this picture leaving this debris behind. Other damage including a large section of a tree that broke away from a mature tree about 1 mile southeast of my house. on county road ^
Area Storm Reports
Washburn County Storm.
Minong Tree branches down, some landing in power lines.
5 miles S Minong 59MPH wind gust. Trees down along highway 53
5 miles NW Stone Lake 16 inch diameter maple snapped, large oak topped and another uprooted.
5 miles NW Stone Lake 2.00″ inch hail
Storm that caused Polk County damage and beyond.
Frederic 40 foot tree down. Power out across village.
4 miles SSW Mikinley– Pipe Lake, Trees down, docks destroyed and numerous buildings damaged damage also around Jonhnstown Township as well.
Turtle Lake, Funnel Cloud
Turtle Lake, Trees down.
Comstock 1..00 inch hail
4 miles S Turtle Lake, Funnel Cloud. Appears to have dissipated.
1 mile E Clayton, Large branches down. Wind lasted for 10-15 minutes.
Barron, Trees down across roads in the city.
Chetek, Tree down across road.
Dallas, Tree down across road.
2 miles SW Sand Creek, tree down across road.