Dashcam captures 140-mph EF3 tornado tearing through Wisconsin
Video recorded by Autumn Willette shows the sky turning green as debris swirls around the vehicle and entire trees crash onto the road.
Dashcam video captured the moment a powerful EF3 tornado tore through Appleton, Wisconsin, knocking down power lines around a driver.
Dash camera video provides a harrowing first-person view from inside the EF3 tornado that tore through the Appleton, Wisconsin, area Monday, toppling trees and power lines and damaging homes.
Video recorded by Autumn Willette around noon local time shows the sky turning green as debris swirls around the vehicle and entire trees crash onto the road.
Green skies can sometimes accompany intense thunderstorms, although the color does not necessarily mean a tornado is developing.
A still taken from dash camera video near Appleton, Wisconsin, on July 27, 2026 during an EF3 tornado. (Image credit: Autumn Willette)
Preliminary damage surveys from the National Weather Service found damage consistent with an EF3 tornado packing winds of up to 140 mph. Willette’s video captures those powerful winds snapping trees and bringing down utility poles.
AccuWeather Extreme Meteorologist Dr. Reed Timmer also captured the tornado while driving on Highway 441 near Appleton.
Timmer described the storm as “green” as the tornado unfolded around noon.
“A very green storm, likely because of the sun angle,” Timmer said.
Scientists are not certain why some intense thunderstorms turn the sky green. One theory suggests sunlight interacting with heavy rain or hail inside a tall thunderstorm can create the eerie color.
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