172
Recorded events
1
Direct deaths
3
Direct injuries
$2.0M
Property damage
Thunderstorm Wind in Bayfield County, Wisconsin: 172 recorded events between 1969 and 2026. The strongest on record measured 78. That places the county #1,290 nationally and #32 statewide for this hazard.
Decade by decade
Thunderstorm Wind in Bayfield County, Wisconsin: events per decade
Reporting practice changed over time — early decades are undercounted, not calmer.
The busiest decade for thunderstorm wind in Bayfield County is the 2020s, when 63 of the county's 172 recorded events were logged. Comparing decades is useful for spotting active periods, but the earliest years are thin because systematic reporting for this hazard began later.
Within the Bayfield County archive, thunderstorm wind makes up 53.4% of all recorded severe weather across 6 hazard types. Nationally the county sits at #1,290 for this hazard and #32 within Wisconsin, putting it in the 59.0 percentile of all U.S. counties.
Seasonality
Events by month
Jul is the peak month for thunderstorm wind in Bayfield County with 88 recorded events, while Jan is the quietest. Seasonality here is a property of the archive as much as the climate: reports cluster where population and spotter networks are densest.
Significant events
Deadliest on record
| Date | Location | Scale | Deaths | Injuries | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 5, 1999 | DRUMMOND | 50 | 1 | 0 | $0 |
| Jul 30, 2006 | BAYFIELD | 70 | 0 | 2 | $1.5M |
| Jul 13, 1995 | Red Cliff | 0 | 0 | 1 | $8K |
Most recent
Latest recorded events
| Date | Location | Magnitude | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 17, 2026 | MOQUAH | 60 | $0 |
| Apr 17, 2026 | ASHLAND JCT | 50 | $0 |
| Apr 17, 2026 | BAYFIELD | 55 | $0 |
| Apr 17, 2026 | WASHBURN | 60 | $0 |
| Jul 15, 2025 | DRUMMOND | 50 | $0 |
| Jul 15, 2025 | DELTA | 55 | $0 |
| Jun 21, 2025 | LEONARDS | 50 | $0 |
| Jun 21, 2025 | WASHBURN | 50 | $0 |
| Jun 21, 2025 | RED CLIFF | 55 | $0 |
| Jun 21, 2025 | RED CLIFF | 50 | $0 |
Other hazards here
More from Bayfield County
- Hail 108
From the record
What the reports say
Written by National Weather Service staff at the time of the event · public domain
Downburst winds hit the Bayfield waterfront where an art fair was in progress at Memorial Park. Most of the ninety fair tents were demolished and art pieces were tossed into Lake Superior. A woman broke her hand while a man received a large gash on his hand. Numerous large trees were blown down in Bayfield. The local Catholic church lost a portion of its roof, resulting in damage estimated at $300,000. There was an unverified report of a private weather system clocking the wind at 99 mph before it became inoperable. At the Apostle Island Marina numerous boats lost their canvas coverings. Many boats lost their stanchions after being tipped under the docks by the strong winds. Damage estimates at the marina ranged from $25,000 to $30,000. Trees were reported down all across northern Douglas County.
Several hundred trees down with approximately 70 percent uprooted and the rest snapped four to eight feet up, some higher. All were down in approximately the same direction. There was also some damage to trail infrastructure at Beaver Hollow.
Quick answers
Frequently asked
How many thunderstorm wind events are on record in Bayfield County, Wisconsin?
172 thunderstorm wind events are recorded in Bayfield County between 1969 and 2026, causing 1 direct deaths.
What is the strongest thunderstorm wind recorded in Bayfield County?
The strongest thunderstorm wind on record in Bayfield County measured 78.
Where does the thunderstorm wind data for Bayfield County come from?
All events come from the NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database, the federal public-domain archive of severe weather reports. Dates are UTC, damage is as reported and not inflation-adjusted, and the most recent entries may still be revised.
Cite this page
“Thunderstorm Wind in Bayfield County, Wisconsin.” Severe Weather History. severeweatherhistory.com/county/wisconsin/bayfield-county/thunderstorm-wind/ · Data: NOAA/NCEI, FEMA, U.S. Census — public domain.