Appleton, WI tornado history
27 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of the center of Appleton, WI from 1950 through 2025, according to the NOAA Storm Prediction Center, ranking 19th of 238 Wisconsin cities with a tornado on record. 1 was rated F3/EF3 or stronger by the National Weather Service. The most recent was on May 21, 2024 (EF1, 2.7-mile path); the strongest, on April 27, 1984, was rated F4. The deadliest, on April 27, 1984, killed 1 along its path. SPC also logged 1 preliminary tornado report within 10 miles of the center of Appleton, WI in 2026.
Dashed circle: 10 miles from the city's Census center point. A tornado counts when its recorded path passes inside the circle. Paths run straight from start to end point, as SPC records them.
Source: National Storms (nationalstorms.com), CC BY 4.0, data from NOAA Storm Prediction Center storm reports.
Every tornado within 10 miles of the center of Appleton, WI
| Date | Rating | Path length | Deaths / injuries | Started in | Closest to center |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 27, 2026 | Prelim. report | – | – | Outagamie County, WI | 2.6 mi |
| May 21, 2024 | EF1 | 2.7 mi | 0 / 0 | Outagamie County, WI | 4.8 mi |
| Jul 20, 2019 | EF0 | 1.1 mi | 0 / 0 | Outagamie County, WI | 8.8 mi |
| Jul 20, 2019 | EF0 | 0.7 mi | 0 / 0 | Outagamie County, WI | 5.7 mi |
| Jul 20, 2019 | EF1 | 3.5 mi | 0 / 0 | Outagamie County, WI | 8.3 mi |
| Jun 14, 2017 | EF0 | 2.8 mi | 0 / 0 | Outagamie County, WI | 3.1 mi |
| Jun 14, 2017 | EF1 | 8.0 mi | 0 / 0 | Winnebago County, WI | 1.5 mi |
| Jun 10, 2016 | EF0 | 1.4 mi | 0 / 0 | Outagamie County, WI | 3.5 mi |
| Aug 18, 2014 | EF0 | 2.1 mi | 0 / 0 | Winnebago County, WI | 9.9 mi |
| Aug 6, 2013 | EF1 | 33.1 mi | 0 / 0 | Outagamie County, WI | 6.4 mi |
| Aug 6, 2013 | EF1 | 20.7 mi | 0 / 0 | Outagamie County, WI | 0.3 mi |
| Aug 6, 2013 | EF1 | 19.1 mi | 0 / 0 | Outagamie County, WI | 4.3 mi |
| Aug 6, 2013 | EF2 | 13.1 mi | 0 / 0 | Waupaca County, WI | 7.5 mi |
| Aug 23, 2011 | EF0 | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 | Calumet County, WI | 9.4 mi |
| Apr 10, 2011 | EF2 | 1.5 mi | 0 / 0 | Outagamie County, WI | 5.2 mi |
| Jul 19, 2008 | EF1 | 0.5 mi | 0 / 0 | Winnebago County, WI | 7.1 mi |
| Jun 24, 2006 | F0 | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 | Calumet County, WI | 7.1 mi |
| Aug 18, 2005 | F0 | 4.0 mi | 0 / 0 | Winnebago County, WI | 6.1 mi |
| Jun 23, 2004 | F1 | 3.5 mi | 0 / 0 | Outagamie County, WI | 5.9 mi |
| Aug 23, 1998 | F0 | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 | Winnebago County, WI | 6.2 mi |
| May 16, 1992 | F1 | 5.0 mi | 0 / 0 | Outagamie County, WI | 5.9 mi |
| Aug 14, 1987 | F1 | 0.2 mi | 0 / 0 | Winnebago County, WI | 6.2 mi |
| Apr 27, 1984 | F4 | 27.5 mi | 1 / 19 | Winnebago County, WI | 4.5 mi |
| Jul 12, 1973 | F1 | 1.0 mi | 0 / 0 | Outagamie County, WI | 7.0 mi |
| Aug 16, 1968 | F2 | 2.0 mi | 0 / 0 | Outagamie County, WI | 7.1 mi |
| Jul 8, 1965 | F2 | 0.1 mi | 0 / 0 | Calumet County, WI | 8.7 mi |
| May 8, 1964 | F2 | 30.6 mi | 0 / 5 | Winnebago County, WI | 2.0 mi |
| Aug 28, 1959 | F0 | 1.0 mi | 0 / 0 | Outagamie County, WI | 1.6 mi |
More: Outagamie County tornadoes · Wisconsin tornado history · Appleton hail history · Wisconsin damaging wind
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center (SPC) Severe Weather Database (SVRGIS) tornado file, 1950–2025, and SPC preliminary storm reports for 2026 (data through November 6, 2026). Ratings are the ones the National Weather Service assigned: Fujita (F) scale before Feb 1, 2007, Enhanced Fujita (EF) after. Paths are drawn as straight lines from the start to the end point SPC records; real paths curve. City and county boundaries: US Census Bureau.
NWS Damage Survey Paths Near Appleton
The National Weather Service mapped the path of 13 tornadoes within 10 miles of Appleton in damage surveys (1 EF3, 1 EF2, 6 EF1, 5 EF0). On the map, those paths follow the survey, colored by the EF rating of each stretch, instead of a straight line from start to end.
| Date | Rating | Peak wind | Path length | Max width | Deaths / injuries | On the ground | Surveyed by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 27, 2026 | EF3 | 140 mph | 13.2 mi | 1,500 yd | 0 / 42 | 16:56–17:22 UTC | NWS Green Bay |
| May 21, 2024 | EF1 | 100 mph | 2.7 mi | 80 yd | 0 / 0 | 01:58–02:01 UTC | NWS Green Bay |
| Jul 20, 2019 | EF0 | 80 mph | 1.1 mi | – | 0 / 0 | 16:36–16:38 UTC | NWS Green Bay |
| Jul 20, 2019 | EF1 | 90 mph | 3.5 mi | 75 yd | 0 / 0 | 16:18–16:22 UTC | NWS Green Bay |
| Jul 20, 2019 | EF0 | 85 mph | 0.7 mi | 50 yd | 0 / 0 | 16:22–16:23 UTC | NWS Green Bay |
| Jun 14, 2017 | EF1 | 95 mph | 8.1 mi | 125 yd | 0 / 0 | 20:28–20:37 UTC | NWS Green Bay |
| Jun 14, 2017 | EF0 | 75 mph | 3.1 mi | – | 0 / 0 | 20:30–20:34 UTC | NWS Green Bay |
| Jun 10, 2016 | EF0 | 60 mph | 1.4 mi | 20 yd | 0 / 0 | 02:00–02:03 UTC | NWS Green Bay |
| Aug 18, 2014 | EF0 | – | 2.0 mi | 50 yd | 0 / 0 | 21:23–21:25 UTC | NWS Green Bay |
| Aug 6, 2013 | EF1 | – | 20.8 mi | 175 yd | 0 / 0 | 05:37–05:51 UTC | NWS Green Bay |
| Aug 6, 2013 | EF1 | – | 33.2 mi | – | 0 / 0 | 05:40–06:10 UTC | NWS Green Bay |
| Aug 6, 2013 | EF1 | – | 19.2 mi | 125 yd | 0 / 0 | 05:38–05:53 UTC | NWS Green Bay |
| Aug 6, 2013 | EF2 | – | 12.4 mi | 200 yd | 0 / 0 | 05:24–05:33 UTC | NWS Green Bay |
Source: NOAA National Weather Service Damage Assessment Toolkit (DAT): the tornado paths and EF-rating zones NWS survey teams mapped after each storm. Survey data are preliminary and can be revised; NOAA's official record is Storm Data (NCEI). Paths are simplified to about 30 m. Times are when the tornado was on the ground, in UTC.