Alert archive / Wisconsin / Tornado Warnings in 1986

Tornado Warning 10, NWS Milwaukee, WI

July 12, 1986Washington County, Wisconsin

NWS Milwaukee, WI issued this tornado warning at Jul 12, 1986, 6:53 PM CDT for Washington County, Wisconsin. It was in force for 52 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 12, 1986, 6:53 PM CDT (23:53 UTC)
Expired
Jul 12, 1986, 7:45 PM CDT
In force
52 min
Issued by
NWS Milwaukee, WI
Area
Whole counties

County Washington 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 12, 7:20 PM CDTThunderstorm Wind 56Washington, 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

Green Bay/Straub, WI (KGRB), launched 12:00Z, 11.9 hours before the alert went out and 124 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 12:00Z on 1986-07-12Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 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 12:00Z on 1986-07-12The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 6 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
660 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
27 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
6 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
32 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 122353
TORMKE
WIC131-130045-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED/EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED 
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE WI
653 PM CDT SAT JUL 12 1986

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING 
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 745 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY OF

SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN...WASHINGTON

AT 645 PM CDT..A TORNADO WAS ON THE GROUND IN THE TOWN OF NEOSHO
IN EXTREME EASTERN DODGE COUNTY.  NEOSHO IS 34 MILES NORTHWEST OF
MILWAUKEE.  THIS TORNADO WAS MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH AND WILL MOVE
INTO WASHINGTON COUNTY SHORTLY.  SOME TOWNS IN THE PATH OF THIS
TORNADO ARE HARTFORD AND SLINGER..IN WASHINGTON COUNTY.

IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOU...TAKE COLVER IMMEDIATELY.
A BASEMENT..INTERIOR HALLWAY OR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR IS THE
SAFEST PLACE IN MOST BUILDINGS. GET UNDER SOMETHING STURDY.

HAASE

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this tornado 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 12, 2:20 PM CDT, 4 hours 33 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE WI
220 PM CDT SAT JUL 12 1986

...TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN WISCONSIN UNTIL
800 PM CDT...

AT 210 PM CDT..SHOWERS AND A FEW STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER CENTRAL
AND SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN.  THE STRONGEST STORM WAS IN SOUTHWEST DODGE
COUNTY..ABOUT 20 MILES NORTHEAST OF MADISON.  THIS STORM WAS PRODUCING
EXTREMELY HEAVY RAIN AND WILL MOVE ACROSS DODGE COUNTY THROUGH 315 PM.

NO SEVERE WEATHER HAS BEEN REPORTED AS OF 210 PM.

CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND
POSSIBLE TORNADOES IN CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN WISCONSIN THROUGH 800 PM.

YOU ARE ADVISED TO KEEP ALERT TO RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS.
SEEK SHELTER IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES.  REPORT ANY SEVERE
WEATHER TO YOUR NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY WHO WILL THEN RELAY TO
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR COMMERCI=AL RADIO OR TV FOR FURTHER
STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

HAASE
Local storm report, Jul 12, 3:45 PM CDT, 3 hours 8 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MADISON WI
345 PM CDT SAT JUL 12 1986

115  PM CDT  25 TO 30 MPH WIND AND VERY HEVY RAIN IN DEFOREST AREA

218  PM CDT  POSSIBLE TORNADO TOUCHDOWN NEAR LYNDON STATION

222  PM CDT  RADAR INDICATED A POSSIBLE HOOK OVER SOUTHERN ADAMS COUNTY

235  PM CDT  CITIZEN REPORTED FUNNEL CLOUD ALONG I-94 AT DANE-JEFFERSON
             COUNTY LINE.
251  PM CDT  NO SIGHTING OF TORNADO NOR DAMAGE IN MARQUETTE COUNTY.

308  PM CDT  FUNNEL CLOUD NORTHEST OF THE WISCONSIN DELLS BY PUBLIC.

319  PM CDT  WALL CLOUD FROM WEST INTO LAKE DELTON.

ADDISON
Special weather statement, Jul 12, 3:53 PM CDT, 3 hours before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE WI
350 PM CDT SAT JUL 12 1986

...TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN WISCONSIN UNTIL
800 PM CDT...

AT 350 PM CDT..WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS ENTERING WESTERN MARATHON AND WESTERN WOOD COUNTIES.

THE LINE WAS PROGRESSING TO THE EAST AT 30 MPH..WHILE THE STORMS
WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH.

ONE STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 3 MILES WEST OF THE CITY OF
WAUSAU.

PERSONS IN THESE COUNTIES SHOULD BE ALERT FOR STRONG WINDS..HAIL
AND HEAVY RAIN.

GARCIA
Special weather statement, Jul 12, 4:00 PM CDT, 2 hours 53 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MADISON WI
358PM CDT SAT JUL 12 1986

....HEAVY RAINS IN CENTRAL MARQUETTE COUNTY....

AT 355PM CDT RADAR INDICATED A VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORM IN NORTHERN
MARQUETTE COUNTY...ABOUT 10 MILES EAST OF WESTFIELD OR ABOUT 50 MILES
NORTH OF MADISON.  THIS STORM WAS MOVING EASTWARD AT 25 MPH.

THIS STORM COULD PRODUCE HEAVY RAINS...HAIL...AND BRIEF GUSTY WINDS.

HOWEVER IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES...TAKE IMMEDATE STEPS TO
SEEK SHELTER AND RELAY YOUR REPORTS TO YOUR NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT
OFFICE.                                                             ]
STIMACH
Special weather statement, Jul 12, 4:44 PM CDT, 2 hours 9 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE WI
437 PM CDT SAT JUL 12 1986

...TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN WISCONSIN UNTIL
800 PM CDT...

AT 435 PM CDT..WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A FEW THUNDERSTORMS
IN CENTRAL MARATHON..ABOUT 15 MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE CITY OF WAUSAU.

THE STORMS HAVE WEAKENED DURING THE LAST HALF HOUR..BUT ARE STILL
CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SMALL HAIL..HEAVY RAIN AND STRONG WINDS.

A FEW THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALSO ENTERING NORTHWEST PORTAGE COUNTY.

THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT ABOUT 25 MPH.

GARCIA
Special weather statement, Jul 12, 5:28 PM CDT, 1 hour 25 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE WI
525 PM CDT SAT JUL 12 1986

...TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN WISCONSIN UNTIL
800 PM CDT...

AT 525 PM CDT..WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A RAPIDLY EXPANDING
AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MOVING EAST OUT OF COLUMBIA COUNTY
AND INTO WESTERN DODGE COUNTY.

THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE FROM NEAR COLUMBUS NORTHEAST TO BEAVER DAM..
ABOUT 25 MILES NORTHEAST OF MADISON.

THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING TO THE EAST AT 25 MPH.

PERSONS SHOULD BE ALERT FOR THREATENING WEATHER AND BE PREPARED TO
TAKE SHELTER IF NECESSARY.

GARCIA

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 12, 2:40 PM CDTTornado WarningMKXJefferson35 min
Jul 12, 3:32 PM CDTTornado WarningMKXDodge, Washington58 min
Jul 12, 4:05 PM CDTTornado WarningMKXWaukesha25 min
Jul 12, 6:01 PM CDTTornado WarningMKXDodge59 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Wisconsin, 1986Every tornado warning in 1986Tornadoes 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.