Alert archive / Wisconsin / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1987
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 48, NWS Milwaukee, WI
NWS Milwaukee, WI issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 20, 1987, 6:12 PM CDT for Washington County, Waukesha County, Wisconsin. It was in force for 18 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 20, 1987, 6:12 PM CDT (23:12 UTC)
- Expired
- Jul 20, 1987, 6:30 PM CDT
- In force
- 18 min
- Issued by
- NWS Milwaukee, WI
- Area
- Whole counties
Counties Washington County, WI, Waukesha 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
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 20, 6:25 PM CDT | Thunderstorm Wind 0 | Waukesha, 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, 11.2 hours before the alert went out and 144 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.
- 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
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KMKE 202312 SVRMKE WIC131-133-202350- BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE WI 612 PM CDT MON JUL 20 1987 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 650 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES OF SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN...WASHINGTON AND WAUKESHA AT 6 10 PM A LINE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WAS INDICATED BY RADAR NEAR THE WESTERN WASHINGTON COUNTY LINE TO THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF WAUKESHA COUNTY...MOVING EAST SOUTHEAST AT 35 TO 40 MPH. THIS IS ABOUT 30 MILES NORTHWEST OF MILWAUKEE. THE STORMS WILL AFFECT ALL OF WAHINGTON COUNTY AND MAINLY THE NORTH PART OF WAUKESHA COUNTY. TOWNS LIKELY TO BE AFFECTED INCLUDE GERMANTOWN.. HOLY HILL..WEST BEND AND HARTLAND AS WELL AS PIKE LAKE STATE PARK. REMEMBER..SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE A TORNADO WITH LITTLE OR NO ADVANCE WARNING..SO BE ON THE LOOKOUT. OSTER
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, 3:56 PM CDT, 2 hours 16 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE WI 355 PM CDT MON JUL 20 1987 ...INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS IN FOND DU LAC AND SHEBOYGAN COUNTIES... GUSTY WINDS AHEAD OF THE STORMS IN DODGE WASHINGTON AND SHEBOYGAN COUNTIES... AT 355 PM WEATHER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS OSHKOSH AND SHEBOYGAN. THESE STORMS WILL SAG INTO DODGE WASHINGTON AND OZAUKEE COUNTIES WITH HEAVY RAINS AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING S~TRIKES. PEOPLE IN DODGE WASHINGTON AND OZAUKEE COUNTIES SHOULD BE SEEK SAFE SHELTER IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES. HENTZ
Special weather statement, Jul 20, 4:24 PM CDT, 1 hour 48 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE WI 423 PM CDT MON JUL 20 1987 ...LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS APPROACHING MILWAUKEE COUNTY... AT 420 PM WEATHER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS DODGE...WASHINGTON...AND OZAUKEE COUNTIES. AT 415 PM TV 6 IN MILWAUKEE REPORTED 47 MPH WIND GUSTS AND AT 417 PM TV 4 REPORTED 36 MPH WINDS. THESE WINDS ARE GUSTING OUT AHEAD OF THE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS. 40 MPH WINDS WERE REPORTED AT TIMMERMAN AIRPORT. THE STORMS ARE MOVING TO THE SOUTH AT ABOUT 30 MPH. STRONG GUSTY WINDS ...HEAVY RAINS...AND POSSIBLE HAIL CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THESE STORMS. PERSONS IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND BE PREPARED TO SEEK SAFETY. FIELD
Local storm report, Jul 20, 4:25 PM CDT, 1 hour 47 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MADISON WI
425 PM CDT MON JUL 20 1987
212 PM CDT WIND DAMAGE IN POYSIPPI FROM STRONG WINDS BY WAUSHARA
COUNTY SHERIFF. POYSIPPI IS IN EASTERN WAUSHARA COUNTY
AND ABOUT 70 MILES NORTH NORTHEAST OF MADISON.
348 PM CDT WIND OF 64 MPH RECORDED 2 MILES NORTHWEST OF NECEDAH.
ALSO PEA SIZE HAIL AT BIG FLATS IN ADAMS COUNTY. A BIG
TREE DOWN IN ADAMS AND ANOTHER AT MONROE CENTER.
352 PM CDT TREES DOWN JUST NORTH OF MAUSTON.
ADDISONSpecial weather statement, Jul 20, 4:53 PM CDT, 1 hour 19 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE WI 452 PM CDT MON JUL 20 1987 ...STRONG WINDS AND SHARP TEMPERATURE DROP OVER SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN... STRONG GUSTY WINDS AHEAD OF A LINE OF INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE BEEN SWEEPING THROUGH SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN. WINDS HAVE BEEN SHIFTING FROM SOUTHWEST TO THE NORTH OR NORTHEAST AND GUSTING TO AROUND 45 TO 50 MPH IN AREAS WITHIN 10 MILES OR SO OF THE LAKE. INLAND THE GUSTS HAVE BEEN A LITTLE LESS. THE ENTIRE AREA HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING A TEMPERATURE DROP OF ABOUT 20 DEGREES IN A MATTER OF A FEW MINUTES. AS OF 450 PM THE WIND SHIFT HAD PASSED THROUGH WAUKESHA..MILWAUKEE AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES AND WILL CONTINUE ON THROUGH WALWORTH..RACINE AND KENOSHA COUNTIES BY 5 OR 515 PM. A BAND OF INTENSE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL..HEAVY RAINS AND ADDITIONAL GUSTY WINDS WILL FOLLOW THE TEMPERATURE DROP BY ABOUT 30 TO 60 MINUTES. THE STORMS WERE JUST ENTERING MILWAUKEE AND WAUKESHA COUNTIES AT 450 AND WILL ENTER JEFFERSON COUNTY BY 5 OR 515. ALL PERSONS IN SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN SHOULD BE ALERT FOR RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS.. ESPECIALLY THOSE ENGAGED IN BOATING AND OTHER OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES AND BE PREPARED TO GO TO SAFETY QUICKLY. OSTER
Special weather statement, Jul 20, 5:45 PM CDT, 27 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE WI 550 PM CDT MON JUL 20 1987 ...PORTIONS OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH CANCELLED... THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 407 IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT IN WISCONSIN NORTH OF A LINE FROM ABOUT PRAIRIE DU CHIEN TO LONE ROCK TO MANITOWOC. THE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS HAVE MOVED SOUTH OF THAT AREA WITH ONLY SHOWERS AND LIGHT THUNDERSTORMS REMAINING TO THE NORTH OF THAT LINE. OSTER
Special weather statement, Jul 20, 6:05 PM CDT, 7 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MADISON WI 605 PM CST MON JUL 20 1987 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM FOR SOUTHERN WISCONSIN ...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR DANE COUNTY HAS EXPIRED... AT 6 PM CDT A LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED MAINLY WEST- NORTHWEST TO EAST-SOUTHEAST THROUGH THE MADISON AREA. THIS LINE HAS WEAKENED AND DOES NOT SEEM A FURTHER THREAT TO DANE COUNTY. WIND GUSTS AT TRUAX FIELD IN MADISON WAS 35 MILES AN HOUR FROM THE NORTHEAST AT 513 PM CDT. REPORTS OF UNCONFIRMED FUNNELS WERE RECEIVED FROM ARENA.. CROSS PLAINS AND SOUTHWEST MADISON. RADAR DID NOT INDICATE FORMATION IN THOSE AREAS. ADDISON
The office that day
Everything else NWS Milwaukee, WI issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 20, 11:04 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MKX | Price, Taylor | 56 min |
| Jul 20, 11:29 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MKX | Clark | 61 min |
| Jul 20, 11:46 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MKX | Lincoln, Oneida | 44 min |
| Jul 20, 11:46 AM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MKX | Vilas | 44 min |
| Jul 20, 12:17 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MKX | Forest, Langlade | 58 min |
| Jul 20, 12:28 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MKX | Marathon | 62 min |
| Jul 20, 1:03 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MKX | Portage | 57 min |
| Jul 20, 3:39 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MKX | Portage, Wood | 31 min |
| Jul 20, 4:49 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MKX | Dodge, Fond du Lac | 56 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.