Update on 5/23/20 Severe Weather: No Tornadoes

Update regarding tornado reports from Saturday 5/23/20

We received a number of real time reports of possible tornadoes from portions of Lafayette and Rock counties from this past Saturday. We want to provide an update that we cannot confirm that any tornadoes occurred there. In Lafayette County, the storm that briefly produced a tornado near Warren appeared to lift or transition to a funnel cloud as it went into southern Wisconsin. In Rock County, there was a report of a tornado north of Beloit along I39/90, but that appears to have been smoke/moisture from an industrial facility rather than a tornado. We have no reports of damage and have reviewed numerous videos and are unable to claim that a tornado occurred in either location.

That said, we want to thank all of our spotters and people that reported to us in real-time on Saturday during that tornado situation. It is particularly critical that we receive information as fast as possible during tornado and severe weather situations. Information that we receive well after the event can be used to piece together what happened, but the information that we receive during the event can save lives. Thank you to those of you who sent in reports in the heat of the moment this past Saturday. It truly is appreciated!

Tim Halbach

Warning Coordination Meteorologist