With May just around the corner, it’s time to put away the shovels and start thinking about severe weather.

What You Need To Know

  • Most of our state is now done with significant wintry weather

  • Severe storms and tornadoes peak in May and June

  • Use our severe weather guide to be prepared for severe weather

The last three to four weeks have been a rollercoaster ride of weather across our state. We got treated to the annual “spring preview” earlier this month–where record highs were set with day after day of sunshine.

On the heels of that, we got slammed right back into wintry weather, with some spots picking up almost two feet of snow early last week.

While more snowflakes are possible in the next week, significant snow events should be over for the bulk of our state. However, this means we could go right into severe weather season. 

Back in late March, we got a taste of what’s coming when 15 tornadoes struck the southern part of Wisconsin. A few days later, we picked up one more. This now brings our total to 16 tornadoes for the year; the annual average is 23.

The overall pattern this year seems to favor a stronger and more rambunctious storm season. Think about how many destructive storms have already hit the U.S., and then remember that May and June are typically the peak months for severe weather in Wisconsin. The worst may be yet to come.

For our state, the average tornado count rises as we move into May and then peaks in June.

It’s critical that you have a way to get storm alerts when they are issued. The best option is a weather alert radio. You can also sign up for alerts with our Spectrum News app.

In addition, have a plan in place and know what to do when it’s time to take action. Review this plan with your family and try to practice it if you can.

We have a detailed severe weather guide that can give you more details on how to plan and prepare for storm season.

Bottom line: winter may be on its way out, but severe thunderstorms are moving in and this year is shaping up to be a rocky one. Stay alert and be ready.

Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.