NHC HURDAT2 · SPC Tornado Database
Hurricanes and Tornadoes That Hit Rib Lake, 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 Rib Lake, Wisconsin since 1851, 0 of them at hurricane strength; the most recent was Cristobal in 2020. Since 1950, 54 tornadoes have touched down within 25 miles, 5 of them rated EF3 or stronger.
- Hurricanes
- 0
- Tropical storms
- 1
- Tornadoes
- 54
- EF3 or stronger
- 5
within 75 mi, since 1851
below hurricane strength
within 25 mi, since 1950
4 deaths in all
What the records show for Rib Lake
None of the 1 tropical systems was at hurricane strength as it passed Rib Lake; the strongest was Cristobal in 2020, a tropical storm with 40 mph winds when its centre passed 47 miles away. Rib Lake is tied for the most tropical storms and hurricanes within 75 miles among the 416 Wisconsin cities on this site. The strongest of the 54 tornadoes within 25 miles was an F4 on May 10, 1953; its path came within 18 miles, and it killed 2 people. Of the 54, none had a path within 5 miles of the city centre, and 27 have come since 2000. July has had the most tornadoes, 13. The most recent tornado was on May 15, 2025. Of the 416 Wisconsin cities, 77% have more tornadoes within 25 miles than Rib Lake. Hail has been reported within 10 miles 18 times since 1977, with stones up to 2 inches (hen egg size). Of the 416 Wisconsin cities, 98% have more hail reports within 10 miles than Rib Lake.
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Tropical storms and hurricanes near Rib Lake
| Year | Storm | Closest | Strength when closest | Peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | CristobalJun 10 | 47 mi | Tropical storm (40 mph) | Tropical storm |
Strength is the sustained wind on the track at the closest point, which is not the wind felt in Rib Lake: 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 Rib Lake
By decade
- 2020s3
- 2010s8(2 EF3+)
- 2000s16
- 1990s14
- 1970s3(1 EF3+)
- 1960s6
- 1950s4(2 EF3+)
| Date | Rating | Distance | Path | Killed / injured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 10, 1953 | F4 | 18 mi | 162 mi | 2 / 24 |
| May 16, 2017 | EF3 | 17 mi | 82.53 mi | 1 / 25 |
| Apr 10, 2011 | EF3 | 19 mi | 21.15 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Sep 28, 1971 | F3 | 19 mi | 49.6 mi | 0 / 5 |
| May 3, 1955 | F3 | 22 mi | 6.8 mi | 0 / 2 |
| Jun 25, 1950 | F2 | 23 mi | 7.8 mi | 1 / 0 |
| Sep 30, 2002 | F2 | 18 mi | 3 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Sep 2, 2002 | F2 | 20 mi | 17 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Aug 7, 1996 | F2 | 16 mi | 2.5 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 26, 1994 | F2 | 12 mi | 12 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Apr 12, 1974 | F2 | 16 mi | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 |
| Jun 26, 1969 | F2 | 24 mi | 47.5 mi | 0 / 2 |
The strongest 12 of 54, by rating and then by deaths. Ratings before February 2007 are on the original Fujita scale.
Hail in Rib Lake
The Storm Prediction Center has 18 hail reports within 10 miles of Rib Lake since 1977, made on 13 separate days. Of these, 14 were 1 inch across or larger, and 2 reached 2 inches. The largest size, 2 inches (hen egg size), was reported on 2 days, most recently May 18, 2024. The most recent report is from May 18, 2024. April has the most reports, 7.
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather reports, data through 2025.
Weather by month in Rib Lake
The nearest NOAA station with 1991–2020 climate normals is Medford, WI, 14 miles southwest of Rib Lake at 1,470 feet. July is the warmest, with an average high of 79°F and low of 57°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 and February the driest at 1.1 inches; the year adds up to 34.2 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 177 nights a year. Snowfall averages 57.0 inches a year, most of it in December. That 34.2 inches is more than at 75 of the 165 Wisconsin stations used on this site (45%). Merrill, 24 miles east, has its own station (Merrill, WI): 33.9 inches a year, 0.3 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 | 12.8 |
| Feb | 26 | 6 | 1.1 | 3 | 13.9 |
| Mar | 38 | 18 | 1.7 | 5 | 6.0 |
| Apr | 52 | 31 | 3.0 | 7 | 4.0 |
| May | 66 | 43 | 3.7 | 8 | 0.1 |
| Jun | 75 | 53 | 4.8 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 79 | 57 | 4.0 | 8 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 77 | 55 | 4.3 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 69 | 47 | 3.9 | 7 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 55 | 35 | 3.3 | 7 | 0.5 |
| Nov | 39 | 23 | 1.9 | 4 | 4.5 |
| Dec | 26 | 10 | 1.4 | 4 | 15.2 |
| Year | 52 | 32 | 34.2 | 71 | 57.0 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at Medford, WI (1,470 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 Rib Lake
Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged 18 flood, rain, thunderstorm wind and lightning events that began within 10 miles of Rib Lake: 15 thunderstorm wind reports, 1 flash flood, 1 flood and 1 heavy rain event. None is recorded as killing or injuring anyone; the NWS estimated $98,000 in property and crop damage. The strongest thunderstorm gust on record here was 69 mph, on September 30, 2002.
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
Taylor County, which includes Rib Lake, has been named in 8 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1976, 5 of them major disasters (by incident: 2 biological emergencies, 2 severe storms, 1 drought, 1 flood). The latest major disaster declaration was Covid-19 Pandemic, on April 4, 2020. FEMA's National Risk Index gives Taylor County a Very Low rating for natural hazard risk overall; by hazard: Relatively Moderate for lightning; Relatively Low for tornadoes, hail, inland flooding and strong wind; Very Low for heat waves. It models the county's expected loss from all 18 hazards it covers at $11.2 million a year, the 61st highest of 72 Wisconsin counties; of the hazards above, the largest share, $5.1 million (45%), 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 Rib Lake
- Medford, WI15 mi
- Athens, WI19 mi
- Merrill, WI24 mi
- Abbotsford, WI25 mi
- Tomahawk, WI26 mi
- Colby, WI28 mi
- Edgar, WI29 mi
- Withee, WI29 mi
- Marathon, WI30 mi
- Owen, WI30 mi
- Phillips, WI31 mi
- Wausau, WI35 mi
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