Photos: Epic storms that have hit the Madison area
Here's a look back at some of the State Journal's excellent weather photography, with a collection of images from past storms.
Tornado leaves Barneveld in ruins in 1984
Just after dawn on June 8, 1984, rescue workers begin a second sweep of Barneveld to see if anyone else had been injured or killed in an F5 tornado. Nine people died and some 100 were injured in the storm that destroyed most of the Iowa County village. The water tower, which survived unscathed, became a symbol of resilience.
Barns destroyed in 1998
A storm blew down two tobacco barns and resulted in damage to machinery and other buildings on the Virgil and Marietta Ripp farm on May 31, 1998, along Highway 113 in Dane. The Ripps said the storm came so suddenly that they had no time to go to their basement, but no one was injured.Â
Storm downs trees in 2006
Heavy storms moved through the Madison area in the early morning hours of July 20, 2006, causing a large tree limb to break off on the Capitol grounds near the corner of Carroll and Mifflin streets. The tree was later cut down, causing some residents to look for creative ways to memorialize the tree that has witnessed Madison's history.
High winds uproot tree in 2003
High winds up to 60 mph moved across Lake Mendota on July 6, 2003, uprooting a tree in the yard of John and Jeanne Morledge on Woodward Drive and damaging two boats.Â
Maple Bluff hit hard in 2003
The storms on July 7, 2003, also downed about 100 trees in Maple Bluff, the Madison-area village known for its stately, lakefront homes. The storms didn't cause any injuries, but they knocked out power to about 3,000 homes and businesses, dumped more than an inch of rain and dropped three-quarter-inch hail.Â
High winds damage road sign in 2016
High winds damaged this highway sign July 6, 2016, on the eastbound Beltline near Mineral Point Road.
Strong storms hit Dane County in June 2010
A large tree was knocked down on the corner of Caesar St. and Woodside Drive in strong storms that moved through Dane County on June 21, 2010, causing minor damage to homes and knocking down trees in Sauk City.Â
Tornadoes rip through Stoughton in 2005
Stoughton residents near Stoughton Country Club sort through the rubble after tornadoes ripped through the area in August 2005. The luxury homes on the east side of Stoughton Country Club were among those hardest hit by the F3 tornado that ripped across 17 miles of Dane County.
Tornadoes rip through Stoughton in 2005
A home belonging to Gary and Erica Hutson north of Stoughton was leveled by a storm on August 18, 2005, and the family's possessions were strewn across the property and an adjacent cornfield.Â
Branch breaks through wall in 2006
Homeowner Sara Obern (right) and her daughter's friend Katrina Rozzel, 12, look at a branch that came through the wall in an upstairs bedroom on July 20, 2006 after wind gusts caused a tree to fall onto the roof. Rozzel made a sign to put near the tree that read, "Don't act like you're not impressed. You know you are."
Bicyclist battles snow storm in 2013
A bicyclist rides on the path along Lake Monona during a winter storm in Madison on Jan. 30, 2013.Â
Madison residents dig out from under 2012 snow storm
Luke McHenry, of Madison, digs out his vehicle along Fish Hatchery Road with help from his son, Sebastian Wells, after a severe winter storm moved through the upper Midwest on Dec. 20, 2012.Â
Crews clean up fallen trees in 2014
Workers attempt to remove a tree that fell on a home when a tornado moved through the Madison area on June 17, 2014, damaging homes on the city's southwest side.
Wisconsin grad student clears sidewalk after January storm
UW-Madison graduate student Christine Evans shovels the sidewalk in front of her apartment on Madison's Near East Side during a winter storm Jan. 25, 2017.Â
Snowfall sets a record on Jan. 30, 2013
A driver stuck on a snowbank along Mineral Point Road waits for assistance as motorists contend with slippery road conditions Jan. 30, 2013, during a winter storm that dropped 5.8 inches of snow in Madison. The snowfall total stands as the city's record for Jan. 30.Â
Record-breaking storm hits in April 1973
A record-breaking spring storm in April 1973 dumped more than a foot of snow on southern Wisconsin, halting all travel in two-thirds of the state.
Heavy rains cause flooding in 2014
Motorists and a fire engine brave high water on East Washington Avenue between Blount and Livingston streets after a strong storm dumped large amounts of rain in Madison on June 30, 2014.
Overnight storm downs utility pole in 2014
A collapsed utility pole hangs over Jenifer Street on June 17, 2014, after an overnight storm toppled trees and damaged properties on the Near East Side of Madison.
Snow storm slows Beltline traffic in 2016
Motorists travel on the Beltline highway on Dec. 16, 2016, near the Fish Hatchery Road overpass during a winter storm in Madison.
Storm clouds loom over area in May
Dark storm clouds hover over the High Crossing Boulevard on-ramp to Interstates 39 South, 90 East and 94 East on May 30, 2017, in Madison.
Highway 14 bridge washed out in 2018
The Highway 14 bridge in Black Earth was washed out by floodwaters on Aug. 20, 2018, after record rains deluged the area.
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Flooding in Tenney Park in 2018
An aerial view of the Yahara River, at left, at Tenney Park on Madison's Near East Side on Aug. 25, 2018. Much of the park and adjoining East Johnson Street was under water.
Tornado leaves Barneveld in ruins in 1984
Just after dawn on June 8, 1984, rescue workers begin a second sweep of Barneveld to see if anyone else had been injured or killed in an F5 tornado. Nine people died and some 100 were injured in the storm that destroyed most of the Iowa County village. The water tower, which survived unscathed, became a symbol of resilience.
Barns destroyed in 1998
A storm blew down two tobacco barns and resulted in damage to machinery and other buildings on the Virgil and Marietta Ripp farm on May 31, 1998, along Highway 113 in Dane. The Ripps said the storm came so suddenly that they had no time to go to their basement, but no one was injured.Â
Record-breaking storm hits in April 1973
A record-breaking spring storm in April 1973 dumped more than a foot of snow on southern Wisconsin, halting all travel in two-thirds of the state.
Storm downs trees in 2006
Heavy storms moved through the Madison area in the early morning hours of July 20, 2006, causing a large tree limb to break off on the Capitol grounds near the corner of Carroll and Mifflin streets. The tree was later cut down, causing some residents to look for creative ways to memorialize the tree that has witnessed Madison's history.
High winds uproot tree in 2003
High winds up to 60 mph moved across Lake Mendota on July 6, 2003, uprooting a tree in the yard of John and Jeanne Morledge on Woodward Drive and damaging two boats.Â
Maple Bluff hit hard in 2003
The storms on July 7, 2003, also downed about 100 trees in Maple Bluff, the Madison-area village known for its stately, lakefront homes. The storms didn't cause any injuries, but they knocked out power to about 3,000 homes and businesses, dumped more than an inch of rain and dropped three-quarter-inch hail.Â
Tornadoes rip through Stoughton in 2005
Stoughton residents near Stoughton Country Club sort through the rubble after tornadoes ripped through the area in August 2005. The luxury homes on the east side of Stoughton Country Club were among those hardest hit by the F3 tornado that ripped across 17 miles of Dane County.
Tornadoes rip through Stoughton in 2005
A home belonging to Gary and Erica Hutson north of Stoughton was leveled by a storm on August 18, 2005, and the family's possessions were strewn across the property and an adjacent cornfield.Â
Branch breaks through wall in 2006
Homeowner Sara Obern (right) and her daughter's friend Katrina Rozzel, 12, look at a branch that came through the wall in an upstairs bedroom on July 20, 2006 after wind gusts caused a tree to fall onto the roof. Rozzel made a sign to put near the tree that read, "Don't act like you're not impressed. You know you are."
Strong storms hit Dane County in June 2010
A large tree was knocked down on the corner of Caesar St. and Woodside Drive in strong storms that moved through Dane County on June 21, 2010, causing minor damage to homes and knocking down trees in Sauk City.Â
Madison residents dig out from under 2012 snow storm
Luke McHenry, of Madison, digs out his vehicle along Fish Hatchery Road with help from his son, Sebastian Wells, after a severe winter storm moved through the upper Midwest on Dec. 20, 2012.Â
Bicyclist battles snow storm in 2013
A bicyclist rides on the path along Lake Monona during a winter storm in Madison on Jan. 30, 2013.Â
Snowfall sets a record on Jan. 30, 2013
A driver stuck on a snowbank along Mineral Point Road waits for assistance as motorists contend with slippery road conditions Jan. 30, 2013, during a winter storm that dropped 5.8 inches of snow in Madison. The snowfall total stands as the city's record for Jan. 30.Â
Crews clean up fallen trees in 2014
Workers attempt to remove a tree that fell on a home when a tornado moved through the Madison area on June 17, 2014, damaging homes on the city's southwest side.
Heavy rains cause flooding in 2014
Motorists and a fire engine brave high water on East Washington Avenue between Blount and Livingston streets after a strong storm dumped large amounts of rain in Madison on June 30, 2014.
Overnight storm downs utility pole in 2014
A collapsed utility pole hangs over Jenifer Street on June 17, 2014, after an overnight storm toppled trees and damaged properties on the Near East Side of Madison.
High winds damage road sign in 2016
High winds damaged this highway sign July 6, 2016, on the eastbound Beltline near Mineral Point Road.
Snow storm slows Beltline traffic in 2016
Motorists travel on the Beltline highway on Dec. 16, 2016, near the Fish Hatchery Road overpass during a winter storm in Madison.
Student clears sidewalk after January 2017 storm
UW-Madison graduate student Christine Evans shovels the sidewalk in front of her apartment on Madison's Near East Side during a winter storm Jan. 25, 2017.Â
Storm clouds loom over area in May 2017
Dark storm clouds hover over the High Crossing Boulevard on-ramp to Interstates 39 South, 90 East and 94 East on May 30, 2017, in Madison.
Highway 14 bridge washed out in 2018
The Highway 14 bridge in Black Earth was washed out by floodwaters on Aug. 20, 2018, after record rains deluged the area.
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Flooding in Tenney Park in 2018
An aerial view of the Yahara River, at left, at Tenney Park on Madison's Near East Side on Aug. 25, 2018. Much of the park and adjoining East Johnson Street was under water.
The Madison Streets Division said it will deploy 32 trucks to salt routes through the Friday evening rush hour and into the night as needed.
After the weekend’s snow, the Dane County Regional Airport already has recorded 17.1 inches of snow for the snow season (since July 1), 11.1 inches above normal.
The heavy rains forecasters predict for the next few days would greatly ease, if not quite end, the drought for southern Wisconsin.
Most of drought-stricken southern Wisconsin should receive at least a half-inch of rain and some areas could see 2 inches or more by the end of the weekend, according to forecasters.
A massive series of thunderstorms left thousands without power in Wisconsin Tuesday night as the winds damaged trees and took down power lines.Â
"It was amazing watching it fall from the sky," Russ Smith said. "Words can’t describe what it looked like."
At least five people died as a powerful and extremely unusual storm system swept across the Great Plains and Midwest amid unseasonably warm temperatures, spawning hurricane-force winds and possible tornadoes in Nebraska, Iowa and Minnesota.
A tornado watch has been issued for 43 Wisconsin counties as potential thunderstorms approach the southern part of the state. "Damaging wind gusts and large hail are the main concerns," forecasters say.Â
James Mueller, 76, and Donna Mueller, 75, of Janesville died of their injuries after the lightning strike in Lafayette Park, directly outside the White House complex, police reported.Â
Madison police analyzed data on traffic crashes this year and determined the top 10 most dangerous intersections between Jan. 1 and Nov. 21.
Wisconsin's deadliest tornado struck New Richmond in St. Croix County on June 12, 1899, the worst in state history. More than 100 people and c…
The worst snowstorm thought to ever hit Wisconsin brought two blizzards in a single week in March 1881, with drifts up to 40 feet high. All ra…
Madison police analyzed data on traffic crashes this year and determined the top 10 most dangerous intersections between Jan. 1 and Nov. 21.
Wisconsin's deadliest tornado struck New Richmond in St. Croix County on June 12, 1899, the worst in state history. More than 100 people and c…
The worst snowstorm thought to ever hit Wisconsin brought two blizzards in a single week in March 1881, with drifts up to 40 feet high. All ra…
