NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Abbotsford, WI
Every tropical system within 75 miles since 1851 and every tornado within 25 miles since 1950.
Data: NOAA NHC HURDAT2 and NOAA SPC tornado and hail reports, through 2025 · Updated
1 tropical system has passed within 75 miles of Abbotsford, Wisconsin since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Cristobal in 2020. Since 1950, 65 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 4 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 1
- Tornadoes
- 65
- EF3 or stronger
- 4
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
5 deaths in all
What the records show for Abbotsford
None of the 1 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Abbotsford; the strongest was Cristobal in 2020, a tropical storm with 39 mph winds when its centre passed 44 miles away. Abbotsford is tied for the most tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles among the 416 Wisconsin cities on this site. The highest rating among the 65 tornadoes within 25 miles is F4, reached 2 times; the most recent, on August 31, 1977, came within 16 miles. The deadliest, an F4 on June 4, 1958, killed 4 people. Of the 65, 8 had paths within 5 miles of the city centre, and 35 have come since 2000. June has had the most tornadoes, 20. The most recent tornado was on May 15, 2025. Of the 416 Wisconsin cities, 60% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Abbotsford. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 46 times since 1987, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 416 Wisconsin cities, 60% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Abbotsford.
Compare Abbotsford's storm record with another city →
Tropical storms and hurricanes near Abbotsford
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | CristobalJun 10 | 44 mi | Tropical storm (39 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Abbotsford: a hurricane's worst winds sit within a few dozen miles of its centre, and inland cities are usually past that.
Tornadoes within 25 miles of Abbotsford
By decade
- 2020s16
- 2010s7(1 EF3+)
- 2000s12
- 1990s5
- 1980s7
- 1970s4(2 EF3+)
- 1960s10
- 1950s4(1 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 4, 1958 | F4 | 5 mi | 59.2 mi | 4 / 3 |
| Aug 31, 1977 | F4 | 16 mi | 31.8 mi | 0 / 10 |
| Apr 10, 2011 | EF3 | 23 mi | 21.15 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Sep 28, 1971 | F3 | 4 mi | 49.6 mi | 0 / 5 |
| Jun 25, 1950 | F2 | in town | 7.8 mi | 1 / 0 |
| May 15, 2025 | EF2 | 3 mi | 4.63 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 23, 2011 | EF2 | 19 mi | 7.61 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Sep 2, 2002 | F2 | 16 mi | 17 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 7, 1996 | F2 | 13 mi | 2.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| May 8, 1988 | F2 | 19 mi | 13 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Sep 24, 1984 | F2 | 19 mi | 12 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 7, 1984 | F2 | 21 mi | 12 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 65, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Abbotsford
The Storm Prediction Center has 46 hail reports within 10 miles of Abbotsford since 1987, made on 25 separate days. Of these, 21 were 1 inch across or larger, and none reached 2 inches. The largest size, 1.75 inches (golf ball size), was reported on 2 days, most recently June 18, 2012. The most recent report is from May 18, 2024. April has the most reports, 10.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Abbotsford
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Owen 1E, WI, 12 miles west of Abbotsford at 1,238 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 79°F and low of 56°F; January is the coolest, at 21°F and 2°F. June is the wettest at 4.8 inches of precipitation on average and January the driest at 1.1 inches; the year adds up to 34.4 inches over 71 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 3 days a year, almost all from July. Lows fall below freezing on about 173 nights a year. Snowfall averages 51.0 inches a year, most of it in December. That 34.4 inches is more than at 80 of the 165 Wisconsin stations used on this site (48%). Spencer, 13 miles south, has its own station (Marshfield Municipal Airport, WI): 24.8 inches a year, 9.6 less than here, and a July average high of 80°F against 79°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 21 | 2 | 1.1 | 4 | 10.9 |
| Feb | 26 | 4 | 1.2 | 3 | 10.2 |
| Mar | 38 | 17 | 1.8 | 5 | 8.5 |
| Apr | 52 | 31 | 3.0 | 7 | 3.7 |
| May | 66 | 43 | 4.0 | 8 | 0.2 |
| Jun | 75 | 53 | 4.8 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 79 | 56 | 3.8 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 77 | 54 | 4.4 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 69 | 46 | 4.0 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 55 | 34 | 2.9 | 6 | 0.9 |
| Nov | 40 | 23 | 1.9 | 4 | 4.9 |
| Dec | 27 | 10 | 1.5 | 4 | 11.7 |
| Year | 52 | 31 | 34.4 | 71 | 51.0 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Owen 1E, WI (1,238 ft), from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Normals describe the station; the farther a place is from it, and the bigger the difference in height, the more its weather can differ.
Floods, thunderstorm wind and lightning near Abbotsford
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 62 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Abbotsford: 45 thunderstorm wind reports, 8 heavy rain events, 5 floods and 4 flash floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $837,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 81 mph, on July 30, 2002.
September 23, 2010: flash flood 6 miles from the centre of Abbotsford — $400,000 damage.
NWS: “Heavy rain fell across Marathon County, causing rivers and streams to overflow their banks, washing out roads and damaging homes and businesses. 50 inches.”
September 23, 2010: flood 8 miles from the centre of Abbotsford — $112,000 damage.
NWS: “Flood waters caused several road closures around the county. Specific roads impacted were County Road C north of Goodrich as well as Oriole Drive just east of Stetsonville.”
October 25, 2012: thunderstorm wind 3 miles from the centre of Abbotsford — $100,000 damage.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, events whose starting point is on record, 1996 to June 30, 2026. Damage is the NWS estimate in the dollars of the year, not insured losses, and NWS notes that some reports are unverified.
Flood insurance claims, disaster declarations and FEMA risk ratings
Marathon County, which includes Abbotsford, has been named in 12 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1965, 9 of them major disasters (by incident: 4 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 2 floods, 2 tornadoes). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding, on June 30, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Marathon County a Relatively Moderate rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively High for lightning; Relatively Moderate for tornadoes, hail, inland flooding and strong wind; Relatively Low for heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $74.9 million a year, the 6th highest of 72 Wisconsin counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $35.6 million (48%), is from inland flooding.
Claims: FEMA, OpenFEMA Dataset FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims – v3, summed over ZIP codes; payments in the dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation. Declarations: Disaster Declarations Summaries – v2, by county. Retrieved October 25, 2026. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
Risk ratings: FEMA, National Risk Index county table, December 2025 (v1.20), retrieved October 26, 2026; ratings compare counties nationwide, are meant for planning and are no substitute for a local risk assessment. This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index dataset API or downloadable datasets but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
What counts as a pass, the distances and the sources: how this storm history is built.
Cities near Abbotsford
- Colby, WI3 mi
- Owen, WI11 mi
- Spencer, WI13 mi
- Athens, WI15 mi
- Loyal, WI16 mi
- Medford, WI16 mi
- Stratford, WI16 mi
- Edgar, WI16 mi
- Withee, WI17 mi
- Greenwood, WI20 mi
- Marshfield, WI21 mi
- Marathon, WI23 mi
All Wisconsin cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Abbotsford with another place →