Wisconsin
Wisconsin weather: Tornado alley expands impacting Badger State
Annual probability of a tornado from 1994-2024. 30-year climate data.
MILWAUKEE – Tornado Alley has been expanding eastward as climate data shows the increased activity in tornadoes, damaging winds, and hail events.
The National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) and Storm Prediction Center (SPC) released the probability of these events occurring within 25 miles of any location based on historical data.
Changes in Tornado Alley
What we know:
Annual probability of a tornado from 1955-2024. 70-year climate data.
Tornado Alley was originally known as a concentrated area across the Great Plains including parts of the Dakotas, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. New tornado data shows that a much larger portion of the United States is now included in tornado alley compared to before. Higher probability areas show where tornadoes have been more consistent over time.
FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android
It is fair to say that tornado alley is expanded eastward based on climate data. Darker areas on the maps above show where there is more likelihood for tornadoes to occur, but the darker color has shifted. New locations include central and eastern portions of the United States, with some of the higher probability areas including the Mississippi and Ohio River Valleys.
What does this mean for Wisconsin?
By the numbers:
Over a 30-year climate period, data shows a 70% to 80% probability of any tornado in Wisconsin has shifted slightly southwest. However, over the past frequency of weaker tornadoes has slightly increased.
The chance for severe winds (60mph or greater) has moderately increased, with 70% to 80% probability in southwestern Wisconsin, and 50% to 60% probability in southeastern Wisconsin. The chance for hail greater than or equal to half an inch has significantly increased 80% to 90%.
Each severe weather season is different based on a variety of factors. However, climatology data helps meteorologists recognize patterns to adapt, understand, and prepare for severe weather events.
SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News
The overall trend will be more frequent storm system that can bring southern Wisconsin more frequent but weaker tornadoes, hail, and damaging wind events. Keep in mind that severe weather can happen at any time of the year—even the winter months.
The Source: The information provided in this story is from the National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Prediction Center, and FOX6 Weather Experts.
About 1,000 animal welfare activists who tried to gain entry on Saturday to a beagle breeding and research facility in Wisconsin were turned back by police who fired rubber bullets and pepper spray into the crowd and arrested the group’s leader.
It was the second attempt in as many months by protesters to take beagles from the Ridglan Farms facility in Blue Mounds, a small town about 25 miles (about 40 kilometres) southwest of Wisconsin’s capital, Madison.
Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett said in a video statement that 300 to 400 protesters were “violently trying to break into the property” and assault officers. He said protesters have ignored designated areas for peaceful protest and blocked roads to prevent emergency vehicles from entering.
“This is not a peaceful protest,” Barrett said.
The sheriff’s department said a “significant” number of people were arrested out of about 1,000 protesters at the site but did not give an exact total as they were still being processed as of the afternoon.
Protesters tried to overcome barricades that included a manure-filled trench, hay bales and a barbed-wire fence. Some protesters did get through the fence but were unable to enter the facility, where an estimated 2,000 beagles are kept, the Wisconsin State Journal reported.
Wisconsin guard Andrew Rohde reflects on early March Madness exit
Wisconsin guard Andrew Rohde said the Badgers ‘thought we could do so many things’ in the NCAA Tournament before it ended abrupty with an upset loss.
Wisconsin men’s basketball has added a sharpshooting wing via the transfer portal.
Miami (Ohio) transfer Eian Elmer has signed with the Badgers, the team announced April 18. The 6-foot-7 wing will join UW with one year of eligibility remaining.
Elmer averaged a career-high 12.7 points and 5.9 rebounds while shooting 49.8% from the field and 42.9% from 3-point range in 2025-26. His production helped the RedHawks go 32-2 and earn an at-large NCAA Tournament bid.
“We are really excited to add another excellent addition to our spring signees,” UW coach Greg Gard said in a release. “Eian brings a wealth of experience and scoring punch as a 6-7 wing. … A terrific shooter, his skillset and production fit excellently into our plan as we build out next year’s team. Throughout our evaluation process, our staff loved his size, power and skill and truly believe he will thrive in our system.”
Elmer is Wisconsin’s third transfer portal addition since the end of the 2025-26 season, joining former George Washington guard Trey Autry and former Hofstra forward Victory Onuetu. UW also added Australian guard Owen Foxwell.
The additions of Autry, Onuetu and now Elmer leave Gard’s staff with three more roster spots to fill ahead of the 2026-27 season.
The Badgers are looking to replace much of their production from a 2025-26 team that went 24-11. Nolan Winter is expected to be the team’s only returning starter after John Blackwell and Aleksas Bieliauskas entered the transfer portal and Nick Boyd and Andrew Rohde exhausted their eligibility.
MILWAUKEE – Friday’s severe storms have passed. And with that, the threat of any severe weather has also passed for the immediate future as no storms or rain are expected for several days.
However, plenty of damage remains across southeastern Wisconsin as of Saturday morning, in addition to the ongoing flooding threat.
Several area rivers are at flood stage, and there are multiple river flood warnings in effect.
FOX6 Weekend WakeUp on Saturday begins at 6 a.m.
On the scene in the morning
What we know:
Farmstead damage in Franklin
FOX6’s Hayley Spitler is in Franklin on Saturday morning, April 18, getting a daylight look at the damage from last night’s storms.
Storm damage in Caledonia
Friday’s storms left quite the mark across southern and southeastern Wisconsin, including at L and L Farms and Greenhouse in Caledonia.
FOX6 Weather Extras
Local perspective:
Meanwhile, FOX6Now.com offers a variety of extremely useful weather tools to help you navigate the stormy season. They include the following:
FOX6 Storm Center app
FOX LOCAL Mobile app
FOX Weather app
Maps and radar
We have a host of maps and radars on the FOX6 Weather page that are updating regularly — to provide you the most accurate assessment of the weather. From a county-by-county view to the Midwest regional radar and a national view — it’s all there.
SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News
School and business closings
When the weather gets a little dicey, schools and businesses may shut down. Monitor the latest list of closings, cancellations, and delays reported in southeast Wisconsin.
FOX6 Weather Experts in social media
The Source: Information in this post was compiled by the FOX6 Weather Experts.
-
Movie Reviews9 minutes agoFILM REVIEW: ROSE OF NEVADA – Joyzine
-
World21 minutes ago
Oil prices rise anew after a US-Iran standoff in the Strait of Hormuz strands tankers
-
News27 minutes agoVideo: 8 Children Killed in Louisiana Shooting, Police Say
-
Culture1 hour agoPoetry Challenge: Memorize “The More Loving One” by W.H. Auden
-
Lifestyle1 hour agoPhotos: How overfishing in Southeast Asia is an ecological and human crisis
-
Technology1 hour agoBlue Origin successfully reused its New Glenn rocket
-
World1 hour agoDistress call captures tanker under fire, Iran shuts Hormuz trapping thousands of sailors
-
Politics2 hours agoTrump ally diGenova tapped to lead DOJ probe into Brennan over Russia probe origins
