Alert archive / Wisconsin / Tornado Warnings in 1986

Tornado Warning 12, NWS Milwaukee, WI

July 15, 1986Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin

NWS Milwaukee, WI issued this tornado warning at Jul 15, 1986, 4:27 PM CDT for Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin. It was in force for 33 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jul 15, 1986, 4:27 PM CDT (21:27 UTC)
Expired
Jul 15, 1986, 5:00 PM CDT
In force
33 min
Issued by
NWS Milwaukee, WI
Area
Whole counties

County 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.

The nearest sounding before it

Peoria Regional, IL (KPIA), launched 12:00Z, 9.5 hours before the alert went out and 355 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 152127
TORMKE
WIC039-152200-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED/EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED 
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE WI
427 PM CDT TUE JUL 15 1986

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING 
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 500 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY OF

EAST CENTRAL WISCONSIN...FOND-DU-LAC

AT 420 PM CDT...LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS IN FOND DU LAC COUNTY
REPORTED A FUNNEL CLOUD NEAR ROSENDALE...12 SOUTH SOUTHWEST OF
OSKOSH IN FOND DU LAC COUNTY.

IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOU...TAKE COVER IMMEDIATELY.
IN SCHOOLS..HOSPITALS..FACTORIES AND PUBLIC PLACES..MOVE TO
PREDESIGNATED SHELTER AREAS.  INTERIOR HALLWAYS ON THE LOWEST FLOORS
ARE BEST.

THIS WARNING REPLACES THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR FOND DU
LAC COUNTY.
MORRIS

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 15, 1:13 PM CDT, 3 hours 14 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, 2 hours 23 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, 2 hours 20 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 59 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 32 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
Special weather statement, Jul 15, 4:01 PM CDT, 26 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE WI
400 PM CDT TUE JUL 15 1986

...TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 378 PARTIAL CANCELLATION NORTH CENTRAL AND
   WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN...

AS OF 4PM..TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 378 IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT FROM ROUGHLY
LA CROSSE TO ABOUT 40 MILES WEST NORTHWEST OF OSHKOSH. THEREFORE..
THE WATCH NO LONGER IS IN EFFECT IN THE EAU CLAIRE AREA. THE FOLLOWING
ZONES HAVE BEEN CLEARED OF THE TORNADO WATCH..ZONES 6 AND 7..ALL OF 10
EXCEPT LA CROSSE AND MONROE COUNTIES.

TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 378 STILL COVERS A LARGE PORTION OF THE SOUTHEAST
THIRD OF WISCONSIN TIL 7PM.
DRAG

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 15, 4:00 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMKXDodge, Fond du Lac30 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

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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.