Alert archive / Wisconsin / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1986

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 20, NWS La Crosse, WI

September 26, 1986Vernon County, Wisconsin

NWS La Crosse, WI issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Sep 26, 1986, 7:09 PM CDT for Vernon County, Wisconsin. It was in force for 41 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Sep 26, 1986, 7:09 PM CDT (00:09 UTC)
Expired
Sep 26, 1986, 7:50 PM CDT
In force
41 min
Issued by
NWS La Crosse, WI
Area
Whole counties

County Vernon County, WI

The radar

The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.

The nearest sounding before it

Green Bay/Straub, WI (KGRB), launched 00:00Z, 0.2 hours before the alert went out and 240 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Green Bay/Straub, WI at 00:00Z on 1986-09-27Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1762 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Green Bay/Straub, WI at 00:00Z on 1986-09-27The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 122 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
1762 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-52 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
789 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
36 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
122 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
158 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.0
Supercell composite
5.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
TTAA00 KLSE 270010
SVRLSE
WIC123-270050-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
709 PM CDT FRI SEP 26 1986

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 750 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN FOLLOWING COUNTIES OF

WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN...VERNON

AT 709 PM CDT..RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 35 MILES 
SOUTHEAST OF LA CROSSE BETWEEN LA FARGE AND HILLSBORO WISCONSIN.
THIS STORM WAS MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MILES PER HOUR.

PEOPLE IN THE WARNED AREA SHOULD BE ALERT FOR DAMAGING WINDS IN
EXCESS OF 60 MILES PER HOUR..HAIL 3/4 INCH OR MORE IN DIAMETER..
DEADLY LIGHTNING..AND HEAVY RAIN THAT CAN QUICKLY FLOOD LOW LYING
-AREAS.  TAKE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY IN A REINFORCED BUILDING PREFERABLY
ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OR IN THE BASEMENT.

REMEMBER..SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN ALSO PRODUCE TORNADOES WITHOUT
WARNING.

THOMPSON

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Sep 26, 4:05 PM CDT, 3 hours 4 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
405 PM CDT FRI SEP 26 1986

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR BUFFALO..TREMPEALEAU..AND
JACKSON COUNTY AND ADJACENT COUNTIES EAST AND NORTH IN WISCONSIN
UNTIL 1000 PM CDT...

AT 400 PM CDT..STRONG THUNDERSTORMS HAD DEVELOPED RAPIDLY 60 MILES
NORTHWEST OF LA CROSSE AROUND DURAND WISCONSIN.  THESE STORMS WERE
MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES PER HOUR.

PERSONS IN BUFFALO..TREMPEALEAU..AND JACKSON COUNTY..WHICH ARE NORTH
OF LA CROSSE..SHOULD BE ALERT FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF DANGEROUS
LIGHTNING..HEAVY RAIN..STRONG WIND..AND POSSIBLY HAIL THE REST OF
THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

STAY TUNED TO RADIO..TELEVISION..OR WEATHER RADIO FOR THEU LATEST
INFORMATION.

THOMPSON
Special weather statement, Sep 26, 5:03 PM CDT, 2 hours 6 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
505 PM CDT FRI SEP 26 1986

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR BUFFALO..TREMPEALEAU..AND
JACKSON COUNTY AND ADJACENT COUNTIES EAST AND NORTH IN WISCONSIN
UNTIL 1000 PM CDT...

AT 500 PM CDT..STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED 50 MILES NORTH OF
LA CROSSE BETWEEN OSSE0 AND ALMA WISCONSIN.  THESE STORMS WERE MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES PER HOUR AND WERE PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN..
DANGEROUS LIGHTNING..AND POSSIBLY MARBLE SIZE HAIL.

NO SEVERE WEATHER WAS OCCURRING WITH THESE STORMS AS OF 500 PM CDT.

PERSONS IN BUFFALO..TREMPEALEAU..AND JACKSON COUNTY..WHICH ARE NORTH
OF LA CROSSE..SHOULD BE ALERT FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF DANGEROUS
LIGHTNING..HEAVY RAIN..STRONG WIND..AND POSSIBLY HAIL THE REST OF
THIS EVENING.

BE SAFE AND PROTECT YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMMILY.  GO INDOORS IF A
STORM AFFECTS YOUR AREA.

STAY TUNED TO RADIO..TELEVISION..OR WEATHER RADIO FOR THE LATEST
INFORMATION.

THOMPSON
Special weather statement, Sep 26, 5:47 PM CDT, 1 hour 22 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
550 PM CDT FRI SEP 26 1986

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR BUFFALO..TREMPEALEAU..AND
JACKSON COUNTY AND ADJACENT COUNTIES EAST AND NORTH IN WISCONSIN
UNTIL 1000 PM CDT...

AT 545 PM CDT..STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING ALONG THE JACKSON
..EAU CLAIRE COUNTY LINE..50 MILES NORTH OF LA CROSSE.  THESE
STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES PER HOUR AND WERE PRODUCING
HEAVY RAIN.. DANGEROUS LIGHTNING..AND POSSIBLY MARBLE SIZE HAIL.

PERSONS IN BUFFALO..TREMPEALEAU..AND JACKSON COUNTY..WHICH ARE NORTH
OF LA CROSSE..SHOULD STILL BE ALERT FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF DANGEROUS
LIGHTNING..HEAVY RAIN..STRONG WIND..AND POSSIBLY HAIL THE REST OF
THIS EVENING.

PEOPLE ELSEWHERE AROUND THE LA CROSSE TRI STATE AREA..ESPECIALLY
BOATERS AND CAMPERS..SHOULD BE ALERT FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT.

BE SAFE AND PROTECT YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY.  GO INDOORS IF A STORM
AFFECTS YOUR AREA.

STAY TUNED TO RADIO..TELEVISION..OR WEATHER RADIO FOR THE LATEST
INFORMATION.

THOMPSON
Special weather statement, Sep 26, 6:42 PM CDT, 27 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
645 PM CDT FRI SEP 26 1986

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR BUFFALO..TREMPEALEAU..AND
JACKSON COUNTY AND ADJACENT COUNTIES EAST AND NORTH IN WISCONSIN
UNTIL 1000 PM CDT...
...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR LA CROSSE..MONROE..VERNON..AND
CRAWFORD COUNTY IN WEST WISCONSIN INCLUDING ADJACENT AREAS OF
SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA AND NORTHEAST IOWA UNTIL MIDNIGHT CDT...

AT 645 PM CDT..ISOLATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN
AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING WERE LOCATED 30 MILES SOUTHEAST OF LA CROSSE
BETWEEN WILTON AND LA FARGE WISCONSIN.  THESE STORMS WERE MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES PER HOUR.

NO THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING ELSEWHERE AROUND THE LA CROSSE TRI
STATE AREA AS OF 645 PM CDT.

PEOPLE AROUND THE LA CROSSE TRI STATE AREA..ESPECIALLY BOATERS AND
CAMPERS..SHOULD BE ALERT FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS
TONIGHT.

BE SAFE AND PROTECT YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY.  GO INDOORS IF A STORM
AFFECTS YOUR AREA.

STAY TUNED TO RADIO..TELEVISION..OR WEATHER RADIO FOR THE LATEST
INFORMATION.

THOMPSON
Special weather statement, Sep 26, 6:47 PM CDT, 22 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ROCHESTER MN
642 PM CDT FRI SEP 26 1986

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS FROM IOWA MOVING INTO SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA...

AT 640 PM CDT THUNDERSTORMS..A FEW STRONG..WERE MOVING THROUGH NORTH
CENTRAL IOWA AND ENTERING SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA AND INTO THE
COUNTIES OF FARIBAULT AND FREEBORN.

THESE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH AND WILL SPREAD ACROSS
FREEBORN..STEELE..AND INTO DODGE COUNTIES BY 7380 PM THIS EVENING.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR EXTREME SOUTHERN MINNESOTA
UNTIL MIDNIGHT.
ANDERSON

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Wisconsin, 1986Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1986

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.