Alert archive / Wisconsin / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1986

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 37, NWS Milwaukee, WI

August 16, 1986Langlade County, Marathon County, Wisconsin

NWS Milwaukee, WI issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 16, 1986, 8:49 PM CDT for Langlade County, Marathon County, Wisconsin. It was in force for 56 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Aug 16, 1986, 8:49 PM CDT (01:49 UTC)
Expired
Aug 16, 1986, 9:45 PM CDT
In force
56 min
Issued by
NWS Milwaukee, WI
Area
Whole counties

Counties Langlade County, WI, Marathon 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, 1.8 hours before the alert went out and 123 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 1986-08-17Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1253 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 1986-08-17The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 83 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
1253 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-77 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1365 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
18 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
83 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
130 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KMKE 170153 COR
SVRMKE
WIC067-069-170245-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE WI
849 PM CDT SAT AUG 16 1986

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 945 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING
COUNTIES OF

NORTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN...LANGLADE..LINCOLN..MARATHON.

AT 840 PM CDT..1/2 TO 3/4 INCH HAIL WAS REPORTED FROM A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM ABOUT 4 MILES NORTH OF MERRILL IN LINCOLN COUNTY.
THIS STORM WAS PART OF A LINE OF SEVERE STORMS FROM NORTHERN
LANGLADE COUNTY ABOUT 15 MILES SOUTH OF PELICAN LAKE OR ABOUT
35 MILES NORTHEAST OF WAUSAU..TO NEAR MERRILL IN LINCOLN COUNTY..
15 MILES NORTH OF WAUSAU.

THE LINE IS MOVING SOUTHEAST NEAR 15 MPH TOWARD ORMSBY..ANTIGO..
AND WAUSAU.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS...LARGE HAIL...AND
DANGEROUS LIGHTNING. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL FROM A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM MAY TRIGGER FLASH FLOODING IN LOW LzYING OR URBAN AREAS.
IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES...SEEK SAFE SHELTER.

JOHNSTON

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, Aug 16, 6:35 PM CDT, 2 hours 14 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE WI
635 PM CDT SAT AUG 16 1986

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF NORTHERN
   WISCONSIN UNTIL 1100 PM...

AT 630 PM CDT..A NEARLY SOLID LINE OF INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED
IN NORTHERN WISCONSIN FROM PHELPS IN VILAS COUNTY..30 MILES NORTHEAST OF
RHINELANDER TO PHILLIPS IN PRICE COUNTY..20 MILES SOUTH/SOUTHEAST OF
PARK FALLS.  THE STRONGEST STORMS ARE NEAR PHELPS AND CONOVER..IN VILAS
COUNTY.  THE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS MOVING EAST/SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH.

AT 600 PM..THE SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT REPORTED MARBLE SIZE HAIL AND HEAVY
RAIN AT LAC DU FLAMBEAU IN SOUTHWEST VILAS COUNTY.

THIS LINE OF INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE ACROSS MOST OF PRICE..
ONEIDA AND SOUTHERN VILAS COUNTIES AND INTO NORTHWEST LINCOLN..
NORTHERN FOREST AND NORTHERN FLORENCE COUNTIES BETWEEN 630 PM AND
730 PM.
<
THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN..STRONG GUSTY
WINDS..FREQUENT DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND HAIL.

IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS YOU SHOULD MOVE TO A PLACE OF
SAFETY IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES.

HAASE
Special weather statement, Aug 16, 6:52 PM CDT, 1 hour 57 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
655 PM CDT SAT AUG 16 1986

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 1100 PM CDT FOR BUFFALO..JACKSON 
AND TREMPEALEAU COUNTIES OF WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN AND OTHER AREAS
OF NORTHERN AND WESTERN WISCONSIN...

AT 650 PM CDT WEATHER RADAR INDICATED A NEARLY SOLID LINE OF
INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS FROM EXTREME NORTHEAST WISCONSIN NEAR
THE TOWN OF PHELPS IN VILAS COUNTY THEN TO NEAR REDWOOD FALLS 
MINNESOTA.

THE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE EAST AT 15 TO 20 MPH.

THE LINE OF INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS IS SLOWLY SAGGING TO THE SOUTHEAST.
THEREFORE..IT APPEARS AS IF THE FIRST STORMS WILL THREATEN THE 
NORTHWEST CORNER OF BUFFALO COUNTY..ABOUT 60 MILES NORTHWEST OF LA CROSSE..
AROUND 830 PM CDT.  HOWEVER..THIS PROJECTION COULD CHANGE AS OTHER 
THUNDERSTORMS ARE DEVELOPING ON THE WESTERN END OF THE LINE.

PERSONS IN WESTERN WISCONSIN..ESPECIALLY NORTH OF LA CROSSE..SHOULD
STAY ALERT FOR THREATENING WEATHER FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS AND 
BE PREPARED TO SEEK SHELTER IF THREATENING WEATHER IS SIGHTED.

MILES
Special weather statement, Aug 16, 7:17 PM CDT, 1 hour 32 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE WI
715 PM CDT SAT AUG 16 1986

...PORTION OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH CLEARED...

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 492 IS BEING CANCELLED FOR THE
FOLLOWING COUNTIES.......ASHLAND..IRON..SAWYER..WASHBURN..BURNETT..
POLK..BARRON..AND RUSK.  MOST THUNDERSTORMS HAVE MOVED TO THE SOUTHEAST
OUT OF THESE COUNTIES.

AT 710 PM..RADAR INDICATED A NEARLY SOLID OF INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS
FROM NORTHWEST FLORENCE COUNTY ABOUT 25 MILES NORTHWEST OF IRON MOUNTAIN
MICHIGAN..TO NEAR RHINELANDER..TO HANNIBAL IN TAYLOR COUNTY..TO JUST
NORTH OF EAU CLAIRE. THE LINE WAS MOVING EAST-SOUTHEAST 15 TO 20 MPH..
AND WILL BE MOVING THROUGH FLORENCE..FOREST..SOUTHERN ONEIDA..
MUCH OF LINCOLN..SOUTHERN TAYLOR..AND NORTHERN CLARK COUNTIES BETWEEN
715 AND 815 PM.  THIS INCLUDES THE COMMUNITIES OF FLORENCE..MONICO..
TOMAHAWK..AND MEDFORD.
^
NO SEVERE WEATHER HAS BEEN REPORTED DURING THE PAST HOUR.&  BUT STORMS
IN THIS LINE ARE STILL CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN..STRONG GUSTY
WINDS..DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND HAIL.

IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS YOU SHOULD MOVE TO A PLACE OF
SAFETY IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES.

JOHNSTON
Special weather statement, Aug 16, 7:55 PM CDT, 54 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
700 PM CDT SAT AUG 16 1986

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 1100 PM CDT FOR BUFFALO..JACKSON 
AND TREMPEALEAU COUNTIES OF WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN AND OTHER AREAS
OF NORTHERN AND WESTERN WISCONSIN...

AT 655 PM CDT WEATHER RADAR INDICATED THAT A LINE OF INTENSE 
THUNDERSTORMS..SOME SEVERE. .EXTENDED FROM EXTREME NORTHEAST WISCONSIN
SOUTHWESTWARD TO NEAR REDWOOD FALLS MINNESOTA AND WAS CONTINUING 
TO SAG SOUTHWARD.

SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD ENTER THE NORTHERN PORTIONS 
OF BUFFALO COUNTY..60 MILES NORTH OF LA CROSSE..BETWEEN 830 AND 
900 PM CDT.  PEOPLE IN NORTHERN BUFFALO COUNTY SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR
VERY HEAVY RAIN..STRONG WIND AND POSSIBLY SOME LARGE HAIL.   IN
ADDITION PEOPLE THROUGHOUT WESTERN WISCONSIN..ESPECIALLY NORTH OF LA
CROSSE..SHOULD STAY ALERT FOR THREATENING WEATHER FOR THE NEXT 
SEVERAL HOURS AND BE PREPARED TO SEEK SHELTER IF THREATENINLG WEATHER 
IS SIGHTED.

MILES
Special weather statement, Aug 16, 7:56 PM CDT, 53 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
800 PM CDT SAT AUG 16 1986

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH UNTIL 1100 PM CDT FOR BUFFALO..JACKSON 
AND TREMPEALEAU COUNTIES OF WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN AND OTHER AREAS
OF NORTHERN AND WESTERN WISCONSIN...

AT 755 PM CDT WEATHER RADAR INDICATED THAT A LINE OF INTENSE 
THUNDERSTORMS..SOME SEVERE. .EXTENDED FROM EXTREME NORTHEAST WISCONSIN
SOUTHWESTWARD TO NEAR REDWOOD FALLS MINNESOTA AND WAS CONTINUING 
TO SAG SOUTHWARD.

SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD ENTER THE NORTHERN PORTIONS 
OF BUFFALO COUNTY..60 MILES NORTH OF LA CROSSE..BETWEEN 830 AND 
900 PM CDT.  PEOPLE IN NORTHERN BUFFALO COUNTY SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR
VERY HEAVY RAIN..STRONG WIND AND POSSIBLY SOME LARGE HAIL.   IN
ADDITION PEOPLE THROUGHOUT WESTERN WISCONSIN..ESPECIALLY NORTH OF LA
CROSSE..SHOULD STAY ALERT FOR THREATENING WEATHER FOR THE NEXT 
SEVERAL HOURS AND BE PREPARED TO SEEK SHELTER IF THREATNENING WEATHER 
IS SIGHTED.

MILES
Special weather statement, Aug 16, 8:08 PM CDT, 41 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE WI
800 PM CDT SAT AUG 16 1986

...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM FOR A PORTION OF
NORTHERN WISCONSIN...

AT 755 PM..RADAR INDICATED A NEARLY SOLID LINE OF INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS
FROM FLORENCE COUNTY JUST WEST OF IRON MOUNTAN MICHIGAN TO MONICO IN
ONEIDA COUNTY..12 MILES SOUTHEAST OF RHINELANDER..TO MEDFORD IN TAYLOR
COUNTY..33 MILES WEST-NORTHWEST OF WAUSAU..TO NEAR EAU CLAIRE. THE LINE
IS MOVING EAST-SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH..AND WILL BE PASSING THROUGH SOUTHERN
FOREST..SOUTHERN LINCOLN..AND SOUTHERN TAYLOR COUNTIES THEN INTO
LANGLADE..NORTHERN MARATHON..AND NORTHERN CLARK COUNTIES BETWEEN 805
AND 910 PM.  THIS INCLUDES THE COMMUNITIES OF LAONA..MERRILL..AND
ABBOTSFORD.
^
NO SEVERE WEATHER HAS BEEN REPORTED DURING THE PAST HOUR FROM LOCATIONS
IN NORTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN IN THE PATH OF THIS LINE.  BUT THE STORMS
ARE STILL CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN..STRONG GVUSTY WINDS..DANGEROUS
LIGHTNING AND HAIL.

IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS YOU SHOULD MOVE TO A PLACE OF
SAFETY IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES.

JOHNSTON

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 16, 8:49 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMKXLincoln41 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.