A strong cold front moved across the region late in the night of October 25th into the morning hours of October 26th. The winds switched to the northwest behind the front and a couple of hours after sunrise on the 26th began to increase rapidly. By the late morning hours, the wind speeds were sustained between 20 and 35 mph with higher gusts. Widespread wind gust of 40 mph or higher were common for locations mainly west of Interstate 94 in central Wisconsin with gusts a little over 60 mph occurring from northeast Iowa west and south across Iowa as well as into central and southwest Minnesota. These wind gusts caused a few power outages and a little bit of damage for areas west of the Mississippi river, while more widespread power outages and damage occurred with the 60 mph wind gusts. In the local area, the highest recorded wind gust was 63 mph at St. Ansgar, Iowa. The highest recorded gust for this event in Iowa was 68 mph at Ventura in the north central part of the state and at Windsor Heights, just outside of Des Moines. In Minnesota, the highest recorded speed was 67 mph from a road sensor near Marietta in the far western part of the state.
Wind Reports From The Local Area:
...HIGHEST WINDS SORTED BY GUSTS FOR SUNDAY OCTOBER 26... STATION COUNTY TIME SPEED GUST SAINT ANSGAR MITCHELL 63 MPH NEW HAMPTON RWIS CHICKASAW 302 PM 49 MPH 56 MPH AUSTIN AWOS MOWER 1115 AM 31 MPH 52 MPH DODGE CENTER AWOS DODGE 1014 AM 29 MPH 51 MPH ARCADIA HILL RWIS TREMPEALEAU 1110 AM 24 MPH 49 MPH KELLOGG RWIS WABASHA 149 PM 31 MPH 49 MPH ST CHARLES 4W RWIS OLMSTED 1126 AM 36 MPH 49 MPH ROCHESTER ASOS OLMSTED 1054 AM 26 MPH 47 MPH PRAIRIE DU CHIEN CRAWFORD 115 PM 23 MPH 46 MPH CANTON RWIS FILLMORE 1159 AM 30 MPH 45 MPH LA CROSSE ASOS LA CROSSE 153 PM 28 MPH 45 MPH NWS LA CROSSE LA CROSSE 1219 PM 20 MPH 45 MPH PRESTON AWOS FILLMORE 958 AM 23 MPH 45 MPH MOUNT STERLING 1S CRAWFORD 207 PM 24 MPH 43 MPH BOSCOBEL ASOS GRANT 1253 PM 14 MPH 41 MPH DECORAH 2SE RWIS WINNESHIEK 114 PM 35 MPH 40 MPH SPARTA AWOS MONROE 115 PM 20 MPH 38 MPH WINONA AWOS WINONA 153 PM 22 MPH 38 MPH PDC RWIS - MISS RV CRAWFORD 1206 PM 20 MPH 37 MPH DICKEYVILLE RWIS GRANT 102 PM 20 MPH 37 MPH DECORAH AWOS WINNESHIEK 235 PM 18 MPH 37 MPH MEDFORD AWOS TAYLOR 1115 AM 20 MPH 37 MPH VOLK FIELD JUNEAU 1255 PM 20 MPH 37 MPH 3N LA CRESCENT APRSHOUSTON 303 PM 36 MPH I-90 AT I-94 RWIS JUNEAU 205 PM 22 MPH 36 MPH WISC DELLS AWOS SAUK 1055 AM 18 MPH 35 MPH MAUSTON APRS JUNEAU 1104 AM 16 MPH 33 MPH OELWEIN AWOS FAYETTE 915 AM 22 MPH 33 MPH NECEDAH RAWS JUNEAU 1148 AM 17 MPH 32 MPH TOMAH 4N RWIS MONROE 106 PM 20 MPH 31 MPH DIAMOND LAKE RAWS TAYLOR 1114 AM 16 MPH 31 MPH CHARLES CITY AWOS FLOYD 855 AM 21 MPH 31 MPH 5W TOMAH RWIS MONROE 1108 AM 10 MPH 30 MPH STANLEY 1 SE RWIS CHIPPEWA 1122 AM 20 MPH 30 MPH CALEDONIA RWIS HOUSTON 921 AM 10 MPH 29 MPH FRENCH ISLAND RWIS LA CROSSE 105 PM 8 MPH 29 MPH BLACK RIVER FALLS RAWS JACKSON 115 PM 12 MPH 26 MPH KEY TO OBSERVATION TYPES AWS - SENSORS FROM AWS INCORPORATED. OFTEN LOCATED AT SCHOOLS. RWIS - ROAD WEATHER INFORMATION SYSTEMS. LOCATED ON MAJOR ROADS AND BRIDGES. RAWS - FIRE WEATHER OBSERVATIONS. OFTEN LOCATED IN FORESTS. ASOS/AWOS - AVIATION WEATHER OBSERVATIONS. LOCATED AT AIRPORTS.
Damage Reports From The Local Area
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI 1256 PM CDT SUN OCT 26 2008 ..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON... ..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE.... ..REMARKS.. 1100 AM NON-TSTM WND DMG CRESCO 43.37N 92.12W 10/26/2008 HOWARD IA LAW ENFORCEMENT LINES DOWN IN CRESCO. 1156 AM NON-TSTM WND DMG CHARLES CITY 43.07N 92.68W 10/26/2008 FLOYD IA LAW ENFORCEMENT TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN IN CHARLES CITY 1156 AM NON-TSTM WND DMG NORA SPRINGS 43.14N 93.01W 10/26/2008 FLOYD IA LAW ENFORCEMENT LARGE TREE LIMB BLOWN DOWN ONTO HOUSE 1200 PM NON-TSTM WND DMG 1 S AUSTIN 43.66N 92.97W 10/26/2008 MOWER MN LAW ENFORCEMENT TREES DOWN ON HIGHWAY 105 JUST SOUTH OF AUSTIN 1200 PM NON-TSTM WND DMG OSAGE 43.28N 92.81W 10/26/2008 MITCHELL IA LAW ENFORCEMENT TREE LIMBS DOWN IN OSAGE 1200 PM NON-TSTM WND DMG BLUFFTON 43.40N 91.93W 10/26/2008 WINNESHIEK IA AMATEUR RADIO TREES DOWN IN BLUFFTON
Wind Reports From Across The Region
...IOWA... WINDSOR HEIGHTS......68 MPH VENTURA..............68 MPH MASON CITY...........62 MPH STORM LAKE RWIS......62 MPH DE WITT RWIS.........61 MPH MASON CITY RWIS......61 MPH URBANA RWIS..........61 MPH DE SOTO RWIS.........60 MPH SPENCER..............60 MPH GRINNELL RWIS........59 MPH CRESTON RWIS.........59 MPH ANKENY RWIS..........59 MPH WATERLOO RWIS........59 MPH MO VALLEY RWIS.......59 MPH DENISON RWIS.........59 MPH ALTON RWIS...........59 MPH CLINTON..............59 MPH CARROLL..............59 MPH MARSHALLTOWN RWIS....58 MPH SIGOURNEY RWIS.......58 MPH HANLONTOWN RWIS......58 MPH STEAMBOAT ROCK RWIS..58 MPH BOONE................58 MPH DAVENPORT............58 MPH AMES.................58 MPH NEW HAMPTON RWIS.....56 MPH ALGONA RWIS..........56 MPH CARROLL RWIS.........56 MPH DES MOINES...........56 MPH PLAINFIELD RWIS......55 MPH JEFFERSON RWIS.......55 MPH SPENCER RWIS.........55 MPH DES MOINES I-35 RWIS.55 MPH WILLIAMS RWIS........55 MPH SHELDON..............55 MPH ESTHERVILLE..........55 MPH MARSHALLTOWN.........55 MPH OTTUMWA RWIS.........54 MPH LE MARS..............54 MPH MUSCATINE............54 MPH ADAIR RWIS...........53 MPH GRINNELL.............53 MPH DENISON..............53 MPH VINTON...............53 MPH DUBUQUE..............53 MPH IOWA CITY RWIS.......52 MPH PELLA RWIS...........52 MPH CANTRIL RWIS.........52 MPH EDDYVILLE RWIS.......52 MPH ONAWA RWIS...........52 MPH SIBLEY RWIS..........52 MPH DAVENPORT RWIS.......52 MPH COLFAX RWIS..........52 MPH PERRY................52 MPH FORT DODGE...........52 MPH WEBSTER CITY.........52 MPH ANKENY...............52 MPH OTTUMWA..............52 MPH IOWA FALLS...........51 MPH CEDAR RAPIDS.........51 MPH WATERLOO.............51 MPH SIOUX CITY...........51 MPH IOWA CITY............50 MPH HARLAN...............50 MPH ...MINNESOTA... MARIETTA 5S RWIS.....67 MPH DOVRAY RWIS..........65 MPH I-90 MILEPOST 35.....62 MPH BLUE EARTH RWIS......61 MPH HENDRICKS RWIS.......61 MPH MN 71 MILEPOST 43....61 MPH WORTHINGTON..........61 MPH HANLEY FALLS RWIS....60 MPH I-90 MILEPOST 67.....60 MPH LAKE BENTON RWIS.....60 MPH SLAYTON..............60 MPH FAIRMONT.............60 MPH MADISON..............59 MPH MADELIA RWIS.........58 MPH WINDOM...............58 MPH REDWOOD FALLS........58 MPH MARSHALL.............58 MPH TWIN LAKES RWIS......56 MPH ALEXANDRIA...........56 MPH CANBY................56 MPH PIPESTONE............56 MPH MANKATO..............56 MPH GLENWOOD.............55 MPH MORRIS...............55 MPH ORTONVILLE...........55 MPH BYRON RWIS...........54 MPH WINTHROP RWIS........54 MPH WASECA...............54 MPH MONTEVIDEO...........54 MPH APPLETON.............54 MPH ALEXANDRIA RWIS......53 MPH OWATONNA.............52 MPH LUVERNE..............52 MPH AUSTIN...............52 MPH MOORHEAD.............52 MPH WHEATON..............52 MPH OLIVIA...............52 MPH GRANITE FALLS........52 MPH NEW PRAGUE RWIS......52 MPH ST. JAMES............52 MPH JACKSON..............51 MPH ALBERT LEA...........51 MPH TRACY................51 MPH DODGE CENTER.........51 MPH HALLOCK..............51 MPH GRAND FORKS RWIS.....51 MPH MN-7 MILEPOST 1 RWIS.51 MPH NEW ULM..............50 MPH BENSON...............50 MPH OTTERTAIL RWIS.......50 MPH ANTHONY RWIS.........50 MPH DEXTER RWIS..........50 MPH ALBERT LEA RWIS......50 MPH I-90 MILEPOST 226....50 MPH ...WISCONSIN... SULLIVAN NWS.........54 MPH MINERAL POINT........53 MPH ARCADIA RWIS.........48 MPH MONROE RWIS..........46 MPH KENOSHA..............46 MPH LONE ROCK............46 MPH PRAIRIE DU CHIEN.....46 MPH NWS LA CROSSE........46 MPH LA CROSSE ...........45 MPH MOUNT STERLING RWIS..44 MPH PLATTEVILLE..........43 MPH MONROE...............43 MPH JANESVILLE...........41 MPH WAUKESHA.............40 MPH