Lightning TrackerMilwaukee storms: live alerts, hail & tornado history
Live watches and warnings for Milwaukee, WI, the 48-hour thunderstorm outlook, and every hail, damaging-wind and tornado report within 25 miles since 2016.
Live alerts for Milwaukee, WI
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Storm outlook, next 48 hours
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Severe weather in Milwaukee by the numbers
Milwaukee gets regular severe thunderstorms: since 2016, spotters and emergency managers have filed 391 severe-weather reports within 25 miles of the city — 203 hail reports, 178 damaging-wind reports and 10 tornado reports. On average that is 9.2 days a year with at least one report.
Storm season here peaks in April, May, June, when 58% of all reports were filed.
In the last 12 months there were 12 hail reports, 20 wind reports and 6 tornado reports around Milwaukee; the largest hail was 2.00″ (hen egg) on Apr 14, 2026.
Latest storm reports near Milwaukee
| Date | Report | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 3, 2026 | Damaging wind | 10 mi N · Milwaukee Co. |
| Aug 18, 2026 | Damaging wind | 8 mi NW · Milwaukee Co. |
| Aug 18, 2026 | Tornado | 21 mi NW · Washington Co. |
| Aug 9, 2026 | Hail 1.25″ | 23 mi SW · Waukesha Co. |
| Jul 27, 2026 | Damaging wind | 7 mi SE · Milwaukee Co. |
| Jul 27, 2026 | Hail 1.00″ | 25 mi SW · Racine Co. |
| Jul 3, 2026 | Damaging wind | 23 mi S · Racine Co. |
| Jul 2, 2026 | Damaging wind | 12 mi NW · Waukesha Co. |
| Jul 2, 2026 | Hail 1.00″ | 21 mi NW · Washington Co. |
| Jun 10, 2026 | Damaging wind | 15 mi NW · Waukesha Co. |
One line per day and type — the closest report that day. Distance and direction from the city centre. The latest SPC reports are preliminary until NOAA finalises them.
Storm reports by year
Storm season in Milwaukee
All hail, wind and tornado reports within 25 miles, 2016–2026, by month.
Hail in Milwaukee
Milwaukee averages 4.5 days a year with hail reported nearby. The biggest stone on record since 2016 was 2.75 inches — about the size of a baseball — reported 17 miles from the city centre on Apr 7, 2020. Hail of 1 inch (quarter size) or larger is what makes a thunderstorm severe; see the hail size chart.
Tornadoes near Milwaukee
There have been 10 tornado reports within 25 miles of Milwaukee since 2016; the strongest was rated EF1 (Jul 29, 2021, 21 miles from the city centre). A tornado warning means a tornado is occurring or imminent — take shelter immediately.
Storm alerts for Milwaukee on your iPhone
Lightning Tracker shows storm risk around you, live severe-weather alerts and how close the storm is — free on the App Store.
Storm trackers near Milwaukee
Questions about storms in Milwaukee
Does Milwaukee get a lot of severe storms?
Milwaukee averages 9.2 days a year with at least one hail, damaging-wind or tornado report within 25 miles, based on NOAA Storm Prediction Center reports 2016–2025.
When is storm season in Milwaukee?
Most severe-weather reports around Milwaukee come in April, May, June.
What is the biggest hail recorded near Milwaukee?
2.75 inches (baseball size) on Apr 7, 2020, 17 miles from the city centre.
Have tornadoes hit near Milwaukee?
Yes — 10 tornado reports within 25 miles since 2016, the strongest rated EF1 on Jul 29, 2021.
How do I get storm alerts for Milwaukee?
The live panel on this page shows every active National Weather Service watch and warning for Milwaukee, WI. For alerts on your phone, Lightning Tracker for iPhone shows storm risk and warnings for your location.
How this page works: storm reports are NOAA Storm Prediction Center local storm reports (final database 2016–2025, preliminary daily reports after that) within 25 miles of Milwaukee, WI. They are reports of hail, damaging wind and tornadoes — not lightning strike counts, which no free public dataset provides at city level. Live alerts come from the National Weather Service API, the outlook from Open-Meteo forecast models. Updated Oct 1, 2026.