Alert archive / Wisconsin / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1987

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 46, NWS Milwaukee, WI

July 20, 1987Portage County, Wood County, Wisconsin

NWS Milwaukee, WI issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 20, 1987, 3:39 PM CDT for Portage County, Wood County, Wisconsin. It was in force for 31 min. 2 reports 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 20, 1987, 3:39 PM CDT (20:39 UTC)
Expired
Jul 20, 1987, 4:10 PM CDT
In force
31 min
Issued by
NWS Milwaukee, WI
Area
Whole counties

Counties Portage County, WI, Wood 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 20, 3:40 PM CDTThunderstorm Wind 56Wood, WI
Jul 20, 3:50 PM CDTThunderstorm Wind 56Wood, 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, 8.7 hours before the alert went out and 133 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 1987-07-20Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 3840 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 12:00Z on 1987-07-20The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 20 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
3840 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-4 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
653 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
13 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
20 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
73 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 202039
SVRMKE
WIC097-141-202110-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE WI
339 PM CDT MON JUL 20 1987

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 
WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 410 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING 
COUNTIES OF

CENTRAL WISCONSIN...PORTAGE AND WOOD

AT 340 PM STORONG WINDS WERE GUSING TO NEAR 60 MPH AND WERE
IN SOUTHEAST WOOD COUNTY AND NORTHWEST PORTAGE COUpNTY.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS..LARGE HAIL AND DANGEROUS
LIGHTNING. IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES TAKE SHELTER.

HENTZ

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 20, 3:00 PM CDT, 39 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE WI
300 PM CDT MON JUL 20 1987

...GUSTY WINDS AHEAD OF A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO
   SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN...

AT 300 PM A LINE OF GUSTY WINDS FROM THUNDERSTORMS IN EAST CENTRAL
AND SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN HAVE PUSHED WELL AHEAD OF THE STORMS AND WERE
MOVING THROUGH FOND DU LAC AND INTO NORTHERN SHEBOYGAN COUNTY.

THESE WINDS WILL GUST TO NEAR 50 MPH.

PERSONS AND BOATERS SHOU5LD PREPARE FOR THESE GUSTY WINDS.

HENTZ
Special weather statement, Jul 20, 3:09 PM CDT, 30 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MADISON WI
308 PM CDT MON JUL 20 1987

...SEVERE THUNDERSTOEM WATCH IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHERN WISCONSIN UNTIL
9 PM CDT...

AT 300 PM CDT WEATHER RADAR INDICATED TWO AREAS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDER-
STORMS OVER MUCH OF CENTRAL WISCONSIN.  THESE AREAS WERE MOVING TO THE
SOUTHEAST AT ABOUT 40 MPH.  THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL AREAS SEEMED TO BE ON
A LINE THAT EXTENDED FROM WAUTOMA TO JUST SOUTH OF OSHKOSH TO MANITOWOC
OR ABOUT 70 MILES NORTH OF MADISON TO 30 MILES SOUTHEST OF GREEN BAY.
AT 212 PM CDT WIND DAMAGE WAS REPORTED IN POYSIPPI BY THE WAUSHARA
COUNTY SHERIFF.

THE SECOND AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS FOLLOWS THE FIRST AREA BY
ABOUT 50 MILES=.  IN THAT AREA A SMALL LINE OF HEAVY RAIN WAS NOTED FROM
NEILSVILLE TO AUBURNDALE OR ABOUT 45 MILES SOUTHWEST OF WAUSAU TO 25
MILES SOUTH SOUTHWEST OF WAUSAU.  NO SEVERE WEATHER HAS BEEN REPORTED
FROM THIS SECOND AREA.

ADDISON
Special weather statement, Jul 20, 3:14 PM CDT, 25 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE WI
310 PM CDT MON JUL 20 1987

...INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN...

AT 310 PM WEATHER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS
FROM OSHKOSH TO NORTH OF SHEBOYGAN. THESE STORMS WILL SAG INTO
FOND DU LAC AND SHEBOYGAN COUNTIES AND WILL LIKELY PRODUCE
STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND INTENSE RAINS.

PEOPLE IN THE FOND DU LAC AND SHEBOYGAN AREA SHOULD EXPECT
THESEB STORMS FROM THROUGH 400 PM.

HENTZ
Special weather statement, Jul 20, 3:24 PM CDT, 15 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE WI
330 PM CDT MON JUL 20 1987

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN...

AT 330 PM WEATHER RADAR SHOWED A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING
FROM 40 MILES NORTHEAST OF WAUSAU TO JUST SOUTHEAST OF WAUSAU TO
JUST WEST OF WISCONSIN RAPIDS.

STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND SOME HAIL ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.
WINDS OF UP TO 50 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED.

PEOPLE IN THE PATHT OF THESE STRONG STORMS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR
THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO A PLACE OF
SAFETY.

HENTZ
Special weather statement, Jul 20, 3:29 PM CDT, 10 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MADISON WI
325 PM CDT MON JUL 20 1987

...SEVERE THUNDERSTOEM WATCH IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHERN WISCONSIN UNTIL
9 PM CDT...

AT 322 PM CDT WEATHER RADAR INDICATED TWO AREAS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDER-
STORMS OVER MUCH OF CENTRAL WISCONSIN.  THESE AREAS WERE MOVING TO THE
SOUTH-SOUTHEAST AT ABOUT 40 MPH.  THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL AREAS SEEMED TO
BE ON A LINE THAT EXTENDED FROM REDGRANITE TO FON DU LAC TO 10 MILES
SOUTH OF MANITOWOC OR ABOUT 60 MILES NORTH OF MADISON TO 40 MILES SOUTH
SOUTHEST OF GREEN BAY.

THE SECOND AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS FOLLOWS THE FIRST AREA BY
ABOUT 50 MILES.  IN THAT AREA A LINE OF HEAVY RAIN WAS NOTED FROM 10
MILES ZNORTHWEST OF BLACK RIVER FALLS TO DEXTERVILLE TO STEVENS POINT OR
ABOUT 30 MILES NORTH NORTHEAST OF LACROSSE TO 20 MILES SOUTH OF WAUSAU.

NO SEVERE WEATHER HAS BEEN REPORTED SINCE 212 PM CDT IN SOUTH CENTRAL
WISCONSIN.

ADDISON
Special weather statement, Jul 20, 3:36 PM CDT, 3 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE WI
335 PM CDT MON JUL 20 1987

...GUSTY WINDS AHEAD OF A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS MOVING INTO
   NORTHERN WASHINGTON AND OZAUKEE COUNTY...

AT 335 PM GUSTY WINDS FROM THUNDERSTORMS IN NORTHERN FOND DU LAC AND
SHEYBOYGAN COUNTIES HAVE PUSHED WELL AHEAD OF THE STORMS AND WERE
MOVING THROUGH NORTHERN WASHINGTON AND WILL PUSH INTO OZAUKEE COUNTY.

THESE WINDS WILL GUST TO NEAR 50 MPH AND `WILL AFFECT THE PORT WASHINGTON
AREA.

PEAOPLE IN THESE AREAS AND ESPECIALLY BOATERS SHOULD PREPARE FOR THESE
GUSTY WINDS.

HENTZ

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 20, 11:04 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMKXPrice, Taylor56 min
Jul 20, 11:29 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMKXClark61 min
Jul 20, 11:46 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMKXLincoln, Oneida44 min
Jul 20, 11:46 AM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMKXVilas44 min
Jul 20, 12:17 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMKXForest, Langlade58 min
Jul 20, 12:28 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMKXMarathon62 min
Jul 20, 1:03 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMKXPortage57 min
Jul 20, 4:49 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMKXDodge, Fond du Lac56 min
Jul 20, 6:12 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMKXWashington, Waukesha18 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Wisconsin, 1987Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1987

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.