Alert archive / Wisconsin / Tornado Warnings in 1987
Tornado Warning 4, NWS Milwaukee, WI
NWS Milwaukee, WI issued this tornado warning at Jul 29, 1987, 2:47 PM CDT for Ozaukee County, Wisconsin. It was in force for 43 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 29, 1987, 2:47 PM CDT (19:47 UTC)
- Expired
- Jul 29, 1987, 3:30 PM CDT
- In force
- 43 min
- Issued by
- NWS Milwaukee, WI
- Area
- Whole counties
County Ozaukee 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 29, 3:15 PM CDT | Thunderstorm Wind 52 | Ozaukee, 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, 7.8 hours before the alert went out and 121 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
- 633 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -47 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 789 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 24 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 9 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 154 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- -0.1
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KMKE 291947 TORMKE WIC089-292030- BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED/EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED TORNADO AND SPECIAL MARINE WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE WI 247 PM CDT WED JUL 29 1987 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO AND SPECIAL MARINE WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 330 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY OF SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN...OZAUKEE ...INCLUDING THE ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS OF ..LAKE MICHIGAN AT 235 PM CDT...A FUNNEL CLOUD WAS OBSERVED JUST NORTH OF THE TOWN OF WEST BEND IN WASHINGTON COUNTY MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 30 MPH. WEST BEND IS 30 MILES NORTHWEST OF MILWAUKEE. TOWNS IN THE PATH OF THIS FUNNEL ARE KNELLSVILLE AND PORT WASH(INGTON. IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOU..TAKE COVER IMMEDIATELY. A BASEMENT..INTERIOR HALLWAY OR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR IS THE SAFEST PLACE IN MOST BUILDINGS. GET UNDER SOMETHING STURDY. STUREY
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 29, 11:39 AM CDT, 3 hours 8 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE WI 1140 AM CDT WED JUL 29 1987 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN WOOD COUNTY WISCONSIN... AT 1135 AM CDT...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED IN WESTERN WOOD COUNTY OF CENTRAL WISCONSIN. THE STORMS WERE JUST WEST OF PITTSVILLE..DEXTERVILLE AND BABCOCK...ALL ABOUT 45 MILES SOUTHWEST OF WAUSAU. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST/SOUTHEAST AT 30 MPH. THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOV6E ACROSS WOOD AND PORTAGE COUNTIES THROUGH 1245 PM CDT. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS YOU SHOULD BE ALERT TO RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS. HAASE
Special weather statement, Jul 29, 12:48 PM CDT, 1 hour 59 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE WI 1250 PM CDT WED JUL 29 1987 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN CENTRAL WISCONSIN... AT 1245 PM CDT...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED IN PORTAGE COUNTY FROM NEAR AMHERST JUNCTION..35 MILES SOUTHEAST OF WAUSAU TO ALMOND...50 MILES SOUTHEAST OF WAUSAU. THE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST/SOUTHEAST AT 30 MPH. THESE STORMS HAVE BEEN PRODUCING WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MPH AND HEAVY RAINw. THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE ACROSS CENTRAL AND EASTERN PORTAGE COUNTY THROUGH 130 PM. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS YOU SHOULD BE ALERT TO RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS. HAASE
Special weather statement, Jul 29, 12:58 PM CDT, 1 hour 49 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MADISON WI 1255 PM CDT WED JUL 29 1987 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CDT FOR PARTS OF CENTRAL AND EASTERN WISCONSIN... AT 1251 PM CDT WEATHER RADAR INDICATED AN AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IN CENTRAL WISCONSIN EXTENDING FROM 10 MILES NORTH- WEST OF NECEDAH EASTWARD TO 12 MILES WEST OF COLOMA TO STEVENS POINT OR APPROXIMATELY 30 MILES SOUTH TO 50 MILES SOUTHWEST OF WAUSAU. THIS AREA WAS MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST AT ABOUT 35 MPH. THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL AREA WAS NOTED 12 MILES EAST NORTHEAST OF NECEDAH. NO SEVERE WEATHER HAS BEEN REPORTED TO THIS OFFICE. ADDISON
Special weather statement, Jul 29, 1:29 PM CDT, 1 hour 18 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE WI 130 PM CDT WED JUL 29 1987 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR PARTS OF EAST AND CENTRAL WISCONSIN TIL 600 PM CDT... AT 120 PM...RADAR SHOWED A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS FROM NORTHEAST WAUSHARA COUNTY...TO CENTRAL MARQUETTE COUNTY OR ABOUT 30 MILES NORTH OF MADISON. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 30 MPH AND WILL MOVE INTO WESTERN FOND DU LAC COUNTY AROUND 145 PM CDT OR SHORTLY THEREAFTER. THE SOUTHERN END OF THESE STORMS MAY REACH THE NORTHWEST PART OF DODGE COUNTY ALSO AROUND 145 PM CDT. OTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORMS HAD DEVELOPED RAPIDLY IN SHEBOYGAN COUNTY... ABOUT 10 MILES WEST OF SHEBOYGAN FALL. THESE STORMS WILL CONTINUE IN SHEBOYGAN COUNTY THROUGH 215 PM CDT. ^ GUSTY AND VERY STRONG WINDS...FREQUENT AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING STRIKES VERY HEAVY RAIN AND HAIL WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. BOATING INTERESTS OFF THE WEST SHORE OF LAKE MICHIGAN SHOULD BE ALERT TO RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS...AND BE READY TO SEEK SAFE HARBOR. STUREY
Special weather statement, Jul 29, 2:13 PM CDT, 34 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MADISON WI 215 PM CDT WED JUL 29 1987 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR GREEN LAKE AND MARQUETTE COUNTIES HAS EXPIRED... ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR WAUSHARA COUNTY WAS CANCELLED AT 152 PM CDT... ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CDT FOR PARTS OF CENTRAL AND EASTERN WISCONSIN... AT 210 PM CDT WEATHER RADAR INDICATED AN AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDER- STORMS IN EAST-CENTRAL WISCONSIN EXTENDING FROM 40 MILES NORTH OF MADISON TO 10 MILES EAST OF FON DU LAC OR ABOUT MIDWAY BETWEEN GREEN BAY AND MILWAUKEE. THIS AREA WAS MOVING TO THE EAST SOUTHEAST AT ABOUT 30 MPH. THE AREA OF STORMS OVER MARQUETTE AND GREEN LAKE COUNTY HAS DECREASED IN INTENSITY AND NO LONGER ARE CONSIDERED A THREAT THERE. THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL AREA WAS NOTED 10 MILES EAST OF CAMPBELLSPORT OR ABOUT 30 MILES NORTH OF MILWAUKEE. NO SEVERE WEATHER HAS BEEN REPORTED TO THIS OFFICE SINCE 100 PM CDT. ADDISON
Special weather statement, Jul 29, 2:42 PM CDT, 5 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MADISON WI 240 PM CDT WED JUL 29 1987 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CDT FOR CENTRAL AND EASTERN WISCONSIN... AT 240 PM CDT WEATHER RADAR INDICATED AN AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDER- STORMS IN EAST-CENTRAL WISCONSIN EXTENDING FROM FOX LAKE TO WEST BEND TO GRAFTON OR FROM 45 MILES NORTHWEST TO 15 MILES NORTH OF MILEWAUKEE. THIS AREA WAS MOVING TO THE EAST SOUTHEAST AT ABOUT 30 MPH". VERY HEAVY RAIN WAS NOTED FIVE MILES EAST OF FOX LAKE AND FIVE MILES NORTHWEST OF OF GRAFTON. MOST OF THIS ACTIVITY WAS HEADING FOR THE MILWAUKEE AREA AND SHOULD BE THERE ABOUT 330 PM CDT. ADDISON
The office that day
Everything else NWS Milwaukee, WI issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 29, 1:43 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MKX | Fond du Lac | 57 min |
| Jul 29, 2:12 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MKX | Ozaukee, Sheboygan | 63 min |
| Jul 29, 2:28 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MKX | Washington | 62 min |
| Jul 29, 2:41 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | MKX | Washington | 49 min |
| Jul 29, 3:08 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MKX | Milwaukee, Waukesha | 52 min |
| Jul 29, 3:50 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | MKX | Waukesha | 40 min |
| Jul 29, 3:57 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MKX | Milwaukee, Racine | 33 min |
| Jul 29, 6:03 PM CDT | Tornado Warning | MKX | Clark | 43 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Wisconsin, 1987Every tornado warning in 1987Tornadoes 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.