Luke Sampe

If a meteorologist adjusts a forecast based on new data, that doesn’t mean said meteorologist is wrong. That means the meteorologist is doing their job.

Again, begging the question - why?

@killitin26 SE WI lake country? No

HUGE rain tallies with storms to our north. Over 5" of rain estimated by radar near Lakewood!

Drought continues to spread across Wisconsin as our dry July winds to an end. Shallow-rooted plants need irrigation, as plant available water through 8" is approaching zero. Southwestern Wisconsin has a chance for heavier rain tomorrow, but not enough where it's needed most.

@RoadTourMag North to south is not at all an odd storm track. About the only uncommon track in WI is east to west but a cutoff low in lower MI happens often enough too.

@LukeSampe North to South is not a common thing.

12.1 miles of hell on Earth. Devastating is not even the accurate adjective.

I have to agree. And my utility bill isn’t going down.

@AriWeather @MatthewCappucci Correct - RFD

@MatthewCappucci I'll post a clip of the breakdown in a little bit, gonna try to edit it down for SM, hang tight!

I'm doing a deep-dive on this video tonight. Found the exact spot it was taken from and I think it's Rear Flank Downdraft wind, not the tornado

😢

@MisterSalvadorG @WI_ClimateSCO @NWSGreenBay @NWSMilwaukee @NWSLaCrosse @ReadyWisconsin You’re probably right but still doesn’t make sense in my head lol.

@LukeSampe @WI_ClimateSCO @NWSGreenBay @NWSMilwaukee @NWSLaCrosse @ReadyWisconsin Not really Most since implies the last time such a high number was reached Since 2026 exceeded 1994's count, then the last year that had an F/EF3+ tornado count equal to or higher than 2026 is 1984, which had 6!

NWS Green Bay has updated the preliminary rating of the Appleton/Menasha tornado to EF3, marking the state's fourth EF3 in 2026. This is the most tornadoes rated EF3 or greater to occur in Wisconsin since 1984. Historically, fewer than 5% of our tornadoes have ranked above EF2.

@MisterSalvadorG @WI_ClimateSCO @NWSGreenBay @NWSMilwaukee @NWSLaCrosse @ReadyWisconsin Correct - wouldn’t having 4 EF3 tornadoes in 2026 make it the most since 1994?

@LukeSampe @WI_ClimateSCO @NWSGreenBay @NWSMilwaukee @NWSLaCrosse @ReadyWisconsin 1994 had 3 F3+ tornadoes

@FlashGordon201 Temp inversion

@LukeSampe Being from Wisconsin my first bet would be mosquitoes coming out in the evening. Second thought being some sort of temperature inversion between warm air and cooler dense air. Looking carefully it seems like there is a flow or a pattern to the returns. Airflow?

Who can tell me why we get a sharp increase in ground clutter returns on clear/calm evenings like tonight? Hint: has nothing to do with atmospheric weapons.

Packers training camp opens tomorrow. Absolutely beautiful over at Ray Nitschke. #GoPackGo

@czabe brought up a good point about my graphic. I don't have timestamps and direction. Fixed!

@youngmichael3 Yeah - this isn’t yesterday tornado at all. It’s been making the rounds.

@LukeSampe Photo stamp and location looked correct. We are in sub-division between 76 & 96 (Wisconsin), north of Chaska. Based on what we were hearing and the strength of the winds, I would not have second guessed this photo that was sent to me.

@youngmichael3 This was not yesterday's tornado.

@LukeSampe This was just west of the airport. It was so loud overhead I’d be willing to bet it would have continued to grow if it wasn’t for Bago.

@giblets_n_beer They don't have to play by the same rules we have to when it comes to copyright and video use. Ryan Hall is a nice guy I am sure of it, but the youtubers don't know how to pronounce Outagamie.

@LukeSampe Local coverage can be great, but I find YouTubers like Ryan Hall to be the absolute best. He also seems to beat most Mets at warning areas and calling out future tornadoes/damaging conditions. Also interacts with users in real time via his app. Probably best for younger folks

Shout out to NWS GRB for realizing the severity of the storms and giving ample warning. No doubt help to save lives today. Also a big shout out to all the local Mets at all stations and outlets today in NE WI. When these events happen it’s no longer about competition - but all working together to get the needed warning out to those in the path. NE WI is lucky to have such dedicated and experienced Mets no matter who you turn on. These days are the days we do this job. Please consider helping in anyway you can in the long road to recovery in Menasha.