EF0 Tornado — Portage, Wisconsin

2025-05-15 · near Bancroft, Portage, Wisconsin

5.2 mi

Path length

45 yds

Path width

Event narrative

A tornado developed near Bancroft at 5:52 pm CDT, then tracked north before lifting at 6:03 pm CDT. The start of the tornado was noted by trees across a road near the start of the path, with the rest of the tornado occurring over open area that was void of clear damage indicators. Total path length is estimated to be 5.21 miles long, with a width of 45 yards. Peak wind estimated to be around 65 mph.

Wider weather episode

Showers and thunderstorms developed ahead of an occluded front Thursday afternoon (5/15) across western Wisconsin. Storms tracked through the area during the late afternoon and early evening hours. The strongest storms produced 3 tornadoes, damaging winds, and large hail up to golf ball size across central and north-central Wisconsin.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (44.2547, -89.6064)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1247792. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.