EF3 tornado in Marathon County, Wisconsin

A tornado developed about 3 miles west-southwest of Ringle, east of Kronenwetter near Martin and Creek Road, at about 4:46 PM CDT. The tornado moved northeast, crossing highway 29 and downing hundreds of trees. It then moved through neighborhoods along and near River Road from Shady Lane to north of Clubhouse Road. In this area, dozens of homes suffered significant roof damage, with failures of attached garages common. At least three homes in this area had complete removal of their roofs with failure of all external walls and several interior walls, consistent with EF-3 damage. Hundreds more trees were downed in this area, with many snapped near the base. Multiple sheds and outbuildings were destroyed. The tornado continued northeast, closely following the Eau Claire River, and dissipated between Gold Dust Road and County Road Z, 5 miles southwest of Hogarty, at about 5:03 PM CDT. The tornado destroyed 13 homes, produced major damage to 25 homes, with 101 homes reporting minor damage or affected by the tornado. An estimated $8.2 million worth of damage was reported from the tornado. Total path length is estimated to be 13.53 miles long, with a width of 600 yards. Peak wind estimated to be around 145 mph.

A severe weather outbreak unfolded across central and north-central Wisconsin during the afternoon and early evening of Friday (4/17). The event was triggered by a surface low-pressure system and cold front across the upper Midwest.

NWS storm surveys confirmed 2 tornadoes that resulted in structural damage. A tornado formed 3 miles northwest of Glandon around 4:44 PM CDT and tracked into southeast Lincoln County producing EF-1 damage before dissipating around 4:55 PM CDT. Another tornado formed 3 miles west-southwest of Ringle in Marathon County around 4:46 PM CDT and dissipated around 5:03 PM CDT 5 miles southwest of Hogarty. This tornado produced EF-3 damage and destroyed 13 homes, produced major damage to 25 homes, with 101 homes reporting minor damage or affected by the tornado. An estimated $8.2 million worth of damage was reported from the tornado.

Beyond the tornadic threat, the storms produced isolated large hail up to half dollar size and damaging winds. Heavy rainfall was another impact, with localized totals ranging from 1 to 4 inches. These torrential downpours caused flash flooding, particularly in Marshfield where 2.65 inches of rain fell and multiple vehicles were reported stranded in deep water.