A tornado struck eastern Wisconsin on Monday afternoon, Feb. 5, 2024, ripping roofs off homes and leaving thousands of customers without power [1], [2].
The event is significant because it represents a rare occurrence of tornadic activity in the region during the winter months. The storm's intensity and duration caused substantial structural damage to residential areas near Lake Winnebago [2], [3].
The tornado touched down and moved northeastward through the Appleton-Menasha area [3]. According to the National Weather Service, the tornado tore a 12-mile path of destruction [4] and remained on the ground for more than 20 minutes [4].
Damage to the region is estimated at $2.4 million [5]. The storm scattered debris across public roads and stripped the rooftops from several homes [1], [2].
"Rooftops were ripped off and debris was left scattered across a road after a tornado ripped through eastern parts of Wisconsin," a Reuters video caption said [1].
Local utilities reported that thousands of customers lost electricity as the storm knocked out power lines [2]. While some reports described the event as a single tornado [4], other accounts noted these were the first tornadoes ever recorded in Wisconsin during the month of February [5].
“The tornado tore a 12-mile path of destruction and was on the ground for more than 20 minutes.”
The occurrence of a high-damage tornado in February challenges historical weather patterns for the U.S. Midwest. The combination of a 12-mile path and a 20-minute duration indicates a sustained severe weather system, suggesting that winter storm profiles in the region may be evolving to include more traditional spring-like tornadic threats.
