NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Iron River, 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
No tropical storm or hurricane has passed within 75 miles of Iron River, Wisconsin since records began in 1851. Since 1950, 13 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 0 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 0
- Tornadoes
- 13
- EF3 or stronger
- 0
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
no recorded deaths
What the records show for Iron River
The highest rating among the 13 tornadoes within 25 miles is F2, reached 2 times; the most recent, on September 3, 1980, came within 18 miles. Of the 13, one had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 4 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 6. The most recent tornado was on July 18, 2020. Of the 416 Wisconsin cities on this site, 98% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Iron River. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 17 times since 1965, with stones up to 1.75 inches (golf ball size). Of the 416 Wisconsin cities, 99% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Iron River.
Compare Iron River's storm record with another city →
Tornadoes within 25 miles of Iron River
By decade
- 2020s2
- 2010s2
- 1990s1
- 1980s6
- 1970s1
- 1960s1
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 3, 1980 | F2 | 18 mi | 9.9 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 30, 1968 | F2 | 14 mi | 39 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Jul 18, 2020 | EF1 | 23 mi | 0.6 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 18, 2020 | EF1 | 14 mi | 0.42 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 18, 2019 | EF1 | 20 mi | 1.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 13, 1988 | F1 | 16 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 3, 1983 | F1 | 11 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Sep 8, 1979 | F1 | 21 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 11, 2014 | EF0 | 22 mi | 0.05 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 23, 1998 | F0 | 16 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 27, 1984 | F0 | 18 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jul 3, 1983 | F0 | 24 mi | 0.3 mi | 0 / 0 |
The strongest 12 of 13, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Iron River
The Storm Prediction Center has 17 hail reports within 10 miles of Iron River since 1965, made on 14 separate days. Of these, 12 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 July 27, 2010. The most recent report is from July 26, 2021. July has the most reports, 9.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Iron River
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Drummond, WI, 16 miles south of Iron River at 1,340 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 77°F and low of 56°F; January is the coolest, at 19°F and 3°F. July is the wettest at 5.2 inches of precipitation on average and February the driest at 1.1 inches; the year adds up to 34.8 inches over 75 days with at least a tenth of an inch. Highs reach 90°F on about 3 days a year, almost all from June to July. Lows fall below freezing on about 183 nights a year. Snowfall averages 74.2 inches a year, most of it in January. That 34.8 inches is more than at 90 of the 165 Wisconsin stations used on this site (55%). Solon Springs, 21 miles southwest, has its own station (Gordon, WI): 33.6 inches a year, 1.2 less than here, and a July average high of 79°F against 77°F.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | Days ≥ 0.1" | Snow in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 19 | 3 | 1.2 | 4 | 15.5 |
| Feb | 25 | 6 | 1.1 | 4 | 12.1 |
| Mar | 37 | 18 | 2.1 | 5 | 12.5 |
| Apr | 50 | 28 | 3.2 | 7 | 6.5 |
| May | 64 | 41 | 4.1 | 8 | 0.1 |
| Jun | 73 | 51 | 3.7 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 77 | 56 | 5.2 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 75 | 55 | 3.5 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 68 | 48 | 3.8 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 53 | 35 | 3.2 | 7 | 1.2 |
| Nov | 36 | 23 | 2.1 | 6 | 12.9 |
| Dec | 24 | 11 | 1.6 | 5 | 13.4 |
| Year | 50 | 31 | 34.8 | 75 | 74.2 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Drummond, WI (1,340 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 Iron River
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 34 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Iron River: 30 thunderstorm wind reports and 4 flash floods. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $11,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 90 mph, on July 21, 2016.
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
Bayfield County, which includes Iron River, has been named in 12 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1972, 9 of them major disasters (by incident: 5 floods, 3 severe storms, 2 biological emergencies, 1 drought). The latest major disaster declaration was Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding, on June 30, 2026. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Bayfield County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for strong wind and lightning; Very Low for tornadoes, hail, inland flooding, coastal flooding and heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $9.3 million a year, the 65th highest of 72 Wisconsin counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $3.2 million (35%), 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 Iron River
- Solon Springs, WI21 mi
- Ashland, WI23 mi
- Washburn, WI23 mi
- South Range, WI27 mi
- Bayfield, WI33 mi
- Superior, WI35 mi
- Minong, WI37 mi
- Hayward, WI38 mi
- Two Harbors, MN39 mi
- Duluth, MN40 mi
- Proctor, MN43 mi
- Esko, MN48 mi
All Wisconsin cities →All hurricanes since 1851 →Compare Iron River with another place →