Milwaukee/Sullivan, WI

Weather Forecast Office

Severe Thunderstorms and Tornadoes March 31, 2023 (Updated 4/3/23)

Overview

A line of severe thunderstorms moved east northeast through far southern Wisconsin on Friday evening, March 31, 2023, producing several tornadoes and damaging winds.

Damage surveys conducted from Saturday, April 1 through Monday, April 3, 2023 found 12 total confirmed tornadoes within this line of storms, with 5 rated EF-1 and 7 rated EF-0.

See the list below for more detailed information.

8:05 PM CDT (3/31/23) KMKX radar images showing hook echo (upper left, middle) and Tornado Debris Signature (lower left, middle) southwest of Delavan Lake, where EF0 damage occurred.

Tornado
Photos & Video
Radar

Tornadoes:

Tornado #1 - Rewey
(Iowa County)

Date	3/31/2023
Time (Local)	6:50 PM - 6:52 PM CDT
EF Rating	EF-1
Est. Peak Winds	95 MPH
Path Length	0.5 miles
Max Width	50 yards
Injuries/Deaths	0/0
Summary: EF-1 tornado. Short track tornado of 0.5 miles with max wind speed of 95 MPH. Damage to trees and several outbuildings.

Track Map

Tornado #2 - Belmont to Mineral Point
(Lafayette to Iowa County)

Date	3/31/2023
Time (Local)	6:50 PM - 7:01 PM CDT
EF Rating	EF-1
Est. Peak Winds	100 MPH
Path Length	12.8 miles
Max Width	50 yards
Injuries/Deaths	0/0
Summary: EF-1 tornado. Path length of 12.8 miles and max wind speed of 100 MPH. Path extends from west of Belmont to just southwest of Mineral Point. Numerous trees snapped or uprooted. Damage to several farm buildings, outbuildings and grain bins.

Track Map

Tornado #3 - Juda
(Green County)

Date	3/31/2023
Time (Local)	7:08 PM - 7:18 PM CDT
EF Rating	EF-0
Est. Peak Winds	80 MPH
Path Length	2.9 miles
Max Width	175 yards
Injuries/Deaths	0/0
Summary: EF-0 tornado. Lots of trees were snapped and topped, with some trees uprooted. Many limbs were knocked down. There was minor fascia damage on a house.

Track Map

Tornado #4 - Juda to Albany
(Green County)

Date	3/31/2023
Time (Local)	7:08 PM - 7:33 PM CDT
EF Rating	EF-1
Est. Peak Winds	100 MPH
Path Length	9.8 miles
Max Width	350 yards
Injuries/Deaths	0/0
Summary: EF-1 tornado. Four power poles snapped. Many outbuildings with roof damage. Roofing material blown 100 to 300 yards downstream. Hay cart rolled about 50 yards. Lots of trees were snapped and topped, with some trees uprooted. Many limbs were knocked down.

Track Map

Tornado #5 - North of Brodhead
(Green County)

Date	3/31/2023
Time (Local)	7:23 PM - 7:41 PM CDT
EF Rating	EF-0
Est. Peak Winds	80 MPH
Path Length	5.7 miles
Max Width	175 yards
Injuries/Deaths	0/0
Summary: EF-0 tornado. Lots of trees were snapped and topped, with some trees uprooted. Many limbs were knocked down. There was minor fascia damage on a house.

Track Map

Tornado #6 - Beloit
(Rock County)

Date	3/31/2023
Time (Local)	7:46 PM - 7:54 PM CDT
EF Rating	EF-0
Est. Peak Winds	80 MPH
Path Length	3.8 miles
Max Width	100 yards
Injuries/Deaths	0/0
Summary: EF-0 tornado. Tornado started in the center of Beloit in the Merrill Park area. The tornado uprooted numerous trees along its path through the eastern side of the city (Turtle area). The path then went east and appears to have crossed I-39/90 before ending in a field.

Track Map

Tornado #7 - East of Stoughton
(Dane County)

Date	3/31/2023
Time (Local)	7:49 PM - 7:59 PM CDT
EF Rating	EF-1
Est. Peak Winds	100 MPH
Path Length	4.2 miles
Max Width	350 yards
Injuries/Deaths	0/0
Summary: EF-1 tornado. Two power poles snapped. Sheet metal carried 400 yards downstream. Lots of trees were snapped and topped, with some trees uprooted. Many limbs were knocked down.

Track Map

Tornado #8 - South of Whitewater
(Walworth Counties)

Date	3/31/2023
Time (Local)	7:54 PM - 8:00 PM CDT
EF Rating	EF-0
Est. Peak Winds	80 MPH
Path Length	4.8 miles
Max Width	500 yards
Injuries/Deaths	0/0
Summary: EF-0 tornado. Lots of trees were snapped and topped, with some trees uprooted. Many limbs were knocked down. There was minor fascia damage on a house.

Track Map

Tornado #9 - Sharon to Delavan Lake
(Walworth County)

Date	3/31/2023
Time (Local)	7:59 PM - 8:11 PM CDT
EF Rating	EF-0
Est. Peak Winds	80 MPH
Path Length	10.4 miles
Max Width	150 yards
Injuries/Deaths	0/0
Summary: EF-0 tornado. Path for this tornado may have started in Illinois. Went through rural areas with the main damage to roofing materials on a few barns. Tornado may have briefly weakened before going through the southern end of Delavan Lake, where it knocked down a number of large trees.

Track Map

Tornado #10 - Lake Ripley
(Jefferson County)

Date	3/31/2023
Time (Local)	8:07 PM - 8:12 PM CDT
EF Rating	EF-0
Est. Peak Winds	80 MPH
Path Length	1.4 miles
Max Width	50 yards
Injuries/Deaths	0/0
Summary: EF-0 tornado. Lots of trees were snapped and topped, with some trees uprooted. Many limbs were knocked down. Some fence damage. A shed was destroyed. Some shingles were blown off a roof. Some fascia damage to a house.

Track Map

Tornado #11 - Como to Elkhorn
(Walworth County)

Date	3/31/2023
Time (Local)	8:10 PM - 8:17 PM CDT
EF Rating	EF-0
Est. Peak Winds	80 MPH
Path Length	6.1 miles
Max Width	150 yards
Injuries/Deaths	0/0
Summary: EF-0 tornado. Tornado damage started at the Geneva National Golf Club and went due north along Prairie Road and County Road H. The most substantial damage was to a storage facility which had a high volume of roofing material lofted about a mile north of the facility. Considered going EF-1 for this tornado due to the percentage of roofing material lost on the building, but there were not garage doors pushed in and only a couple of trees uprooted near this location.

Track Map

Tornado #12 - Palmyra
(Jefferson County)

Date	3/31/2023
Time (Local)	8:26 PM - 8:27 PM CDT
EF Rating	EF-1
Est. Peak Winds	95 MPH
Path Length	0.2 miles
Max Width	50 yards
Injuries/Deaths	0/0
Summary: EF-1 tornado. Very short path of 0.2 miles, just southeast of Palmyra along Little Prairie Road. Track was from southeast to northwest. Numerous trees snapped or uprooted. Roof damage to a house under construction.

Track Map

The Enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale classifies tornadoes into the following categories:

EF0 Weak 65-85 mph	EF1 Moderate 86-110 mph	EF2 Significant 111-135 mph	EF3 Severe 136-165 mph	EF4 Extreme 166-200 mph	EF5 Catastrophic 200+ mph

Photos

Town of Geneva into Elkhorn - NWS Damage Survey


Plank embedded in wood siding of storage facility south of Elkhorn off Highway H.	Storage Facility lost most of roofing south of Elkhorn off Highway H.	Storage Facility roofing material blown off to the north of the buildings south of Elkhorn off Highway H.	Barn destroyed south of Elkhorn.

Sharon to Delavan Lake - NWS Damage Survey


Uprooted tree and damaged garage south of Lake Delavan.	Debris from nearby barn thrown across the field.	Roof peeled off of a barn.	Barn blown off its foudation.

Beloit - NWS Damage Survey


Tree damage in Beloit.	Tree damage in Beloit.	Tree falling on fence in Beloit.

Radar


8:07 PM CDT (3/31/23) KMKX radar images showing hook echo (upper left, middle) and Tornado Debris Signature (lower left, middle) near Rockdale, WI, where EF0 damage occurred.	8:05 PM CDT (3/31/23) KMKX radar images showing hook echo (upper left, middle) and Tornado Debris Signature (lower left, middle) southwest of Delavan Lake, where EF0 damage occurred.	8:13 PM CDT (3/31/23) KMKX radar images showing hook echo (upper left, middle) and Tornado Debris Signature (lower left, middle) just southwest of Elkhorn, where EF0 damage occurred.

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Tracking a Couple of Storm Systems Across the Country

Severe Thunderstorms and Tornadoes March 31, 2023 (Updated 4/3/23)