EF2 Tornado — Marathon, Wisconsin

2025-05-15 · near Colby, Marathon, Wisconsin

0.8 mi

Path length

230 yds

Path width

Event narrative

A tornado developed in fields west of Unity in Clark County (NWS La Crosse warning area) at 5:21 pm CDT before tracking northeast toward Colby. The tornado moved through rural areas of northeastern Clark County, damaging multiple farm outbuildings, trees, power poles, and a home before crossing Highway 13 into western Marathon County at 5:27 pm CDT. The tornado tracked through the southeastern edge of Colby damaging another home, multiple outbuildings, power poles, and a car dealership before dissipating at 5:28 pm CDT. Total path length is estimated to be 4.81 miles long, with a width of 230 yards. Peak wind estimated to be around 120 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 → (44.8980, -90.3150)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1247794. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.