Alert archive / Wisconsin / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1986

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 19, NWS Milwaukee, WI

July 15, 1986Dodge County, Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin

NWS Milwaukee, WI issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 15, 1986, 4:00 PM CDT for Dodge County, Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin. It was in force for 30 min. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
Jul 15, 1986, 4:00 PM CDT (21:00 UTC)
Expired
Jul 15, 1986, 4:30 PM CDT
In force
30 min
Issued by
NWS Milwaukee, WI
Area
Whole counties

Counties Dodge County, WI, Fond du Lac County, WI

The radar

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

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Jul 15, 4:05 PM CDTThunderstorm Wind 52Dodge, WI

NCEI Storm Data entries that began inside the alert's area while it was in force. Before 2003 the local storm report archive is thin, so this is the record of what happened rather than what was phoned in. Storm Data before 1996 records only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail.

The nearest sounding before it

Peoria Regional, IL (KPIA), launched 12:00Z, 9.0 hours before the alert went out and 335 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, Peoria Regional, IL at 12:00Z on 1986-07-15Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1217 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, Peoria Regional, IL at 12:00Z on 1986-07-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 92 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
1217 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-72 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
992 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
24 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
92 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
98 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
1.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KMKE 152100 RRA
SVRMKE
WIC027-039-152130-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE WI
400 PM CDT TUE JUL 15 1986

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 
WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 430 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING 
COUNTIES OF

EAST CENTRAL WISCONSIN...DODGE AND FOND-DU-LAC

AT 355 PM CDT...WEATHER RADAR INDICATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WERE
APPROACHING BOTH FOND DU LAC AND DODGE COUNTIES FROM THE WEST AT
40 MILES AN HOUR.

THESE STORMS HAVE ALREADY PRODUCED DAMAGING WINDS...HEAVY RAINS AND
DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AS THEY MOVED ACROSS WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN.

THESE STORMS WILL PASS THROUGH THE TOWNS OF BRANDON...RIPON...
CAMPBELLSPORT AND FOND DU LAC IN FOND DU LAC COUNTY AND FOX LAKE...
HORICON...JUNEAU AND MAYVILLE IN DODGE COUNTY.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...AND
DEADLY LIGHTNING. TORNADOES CAN ALSO DEVELOP FROM SEVERE
THUNDERSTORMS.   IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES...TAKE SHELTER
IMMEDIATELY.

MORRIS

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, Jul 15, 1:13 PM CDT, 2 hours 47 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE WI
110 PM CDT TUE JUL 15 1986

             ...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 378...

A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FROM MUCH OF THE SOUTH HALF OF WISCONSIN
THROUGH 7PM THIS EVENING. AT 110PM..THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING INTO
WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN AROUND EAU CLAIRE AND WILL BE DEVELOPING SHORTLY
IN THE LA CROSSE/LONE ROCK AREAS OF SOUTHWEST WISCONSIN.

THUNDERSTORMS WITH POSSIBLE ASSOCIATED SEVERE WEATHER WILL NOT AFFECT
THE MADISON/JANESVILLE AREA OF SOUTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN TILL AT LEAST 3PM
AND PROBABLY NOT DEVELOP IN THE SHEBOYGAN..MILWAUKEE..RACINE AND KENOSHA
METRO AREAS OF SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN TILL AROUND 4 OR 5PM THIS AFTERNOON.
DRAG
Special weather statement, Jul 15, 2:04 PM CDT, 1 hour 56 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MADISON WI
200PM CDT TUE JUL 15 1986

....TORNADO WATCH 378 IN EFFECT UNTIL 7PM CDT THIS EVENING....

AT 150PM CDT A PAIR OF HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED 5 MILES AND
10 MILES NORTHEAST OF MILLSTON WISCONSIN...OR 35 TO 45 MILES SOUTHWEST
OF WAUSAU WISCONSIN.  THESE STORMS WERE MOVING TOWARDS THE SOUTHEAST
AT 25 MPH...AND COULD ARRIVE IN THE NECEDAH...MAUSTON...AND ADAMS
AREA BY 245PM CDT.

NO9 SEVERE WEATHER HAS BEEN REPORTED AS YET WITH THESE STORMS...HOWEVER
IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES SEEK SHELTER IMMEDATELY AND REPORT
IT TO YOUR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICE.

STIMACH
Special weather statement, Jul 15, 2:07 PM CDT, 1 hour 53 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE WI
205 PM CDT TUE JUL 15 1986

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 378 IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN
   WISCONSIN UNTIL 700 PM CDT THIS EVENING...

AT 200 PM CDT..WEATHER RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE
MOVING THROUGH FAR WESTERN WISCONSIN. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE
EAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR AND WERE JUST NORTH OF A STRONG WARM FRONT.

BASED ON THIS MOVEMENT..STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO PUSH
INTO WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN. THESE STORMS WILL PUSH INTO CLARK COUNTY
BY 215 PM CDT AND INTO WOOD..MARATHON..AND PORTAGE COUNTIES BETWEEN
245 AND 315 PM CDT.

AT 200 PM CDT..THE SHERIFFS OFFICE IN BUFFALO COUNTY REPORTED DOWNED
POWER LINES AND UPROOTED TREES NEAR MONDOVI..7 MILES NORTH OF LA CROSSE
..DUE TO STRONG WINDS FROM THESE STORMS.
<
PERSONS IN WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN SHOULD KEEP ABREAST OF THE LATEST
WEATHER CONDITIONS AND TAKE NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS AG>AINST DAMAGE
FROM POSSIBLE DAMAGING THUNDERSTORM WINDS.

THESE STORMS MAY ALSO CONTAIN HEAVY RAIN..HAIL AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.

IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES...GO TO SAFE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY.

MORRIS
Special weather statement, Jul 15, 2:28 PM CDT, 1 hour 32 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MADISON WI
225PM CDT TUE JUL 15 1986

....TORNADO WATCH 378 IN EFFECT UNTIL 7PM CDT THIS EVENING....

AT 220PM CDT TWO AREAS OF VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED IN WEST
..CENTRAL WISCONSIN.  ONE WAS 5 MILES NORTHEAST OF SPARTA...OR 15 MILES
NORTHEAST OF LA CROSSE.  AND THE OTHER WAS 10 MILES NORTHWEST OF
WISCONSIN RAPIDS.   THE SPARTA THUNDERSTORMS HAD REPORTED WITHIN THE
PAST HOUR 60-70 MPH WINDS...AND IS MOVING TOWARDS THE EAST..SOUTHEAST
AT 35 MPH...OR TOWARDS THE CITIES OF NECEDAH..NEW LISBON AND MAUSTON.

THESE STORMS SHOULD BE IN THE COUNTIES OF JUNEAU AND ADAMS BY 330PM CDT
THIS AFTERNOON.   IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHESN...SEEK SHELTER
IMMEDATELY...AND RELAY YOUR INFORMATION TO YOUR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT
OFFICE AS SOON AS YOU CAN.
STIMACH
Special weather statement, Jul 15, 2:55 PM CDT, 1 hour 5 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE WI
250 PM CDT TUE JUL 15 1986

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 378 IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN
   WISCONSIN UNTIL 700 PM CDT THIS EVENING...

AT 245 PM CDT..WEATHER RADAR INDICATED INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS 75 NORTH OF
MADISON TO 40 EAST SOUTHEAST OF LA CROSSE FROM NECEEDAH AND NEW LISBON IN
JUNEAU COUNTY TO HILLSBORO IN VERNON COUNTY.

THESE STORM WERE MOVING TO EAST AT 40 TO 50 MPH AND ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE
INTO FOND DU LAC AND DODGE COUNTY BETWEEN 400 PM AND 430 PM CDT AND INTO
JEFFERSON COUNTY AROUND 500 PM.

DAMAGING WINDS WERE REPORTED WITH THESE STORMS WHEN THEY MOVED THROUGH
WEST CENTRAL COUNTIES OF BUFFALO..TREMPELEAU AND JACKSON...BETWEEN 130 PM
AND 230 PM CDT.
<
PERSONS IN SOUTERN AND CENTRAL WISCONSIN SHOULD KEEP ABREAST OF THE LATEST
WEATHER CONDITIONS AND TAKE NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS AGAINST DAMAGE FROM
POSSIBLE DAMAGING THUNDERSTORM WINDS.

THESE STORMS aMAY ALSO CONTAIN HEAVY RAIN..HAIL AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING.

IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES...GO TO SAFE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY.

SCAFFIDI/MORRIS

The office that day

Everything else NWS Milwaukee, WI issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 15, 4:27 PM CDTTornado WarningMKXFond du Lac33 min
Jul 15, 4:34 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMKXDodge26 min
Jul 15, 4:55 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMKXSheboygan50 min
Jul 15, 5:07 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMKXOzaukee, Washington38 min

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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.