Alert archive / Wisconsin / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1987

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 1, NWS Twin Cities, MN

May 10, 1987Rusk County, Wisconsin

NWS Twin Cities, MN issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 10, 1987, 4:50 PM CDT for Rusk County, Wisconsin. It was in force for 40 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
May 10, 1987, 4:50 PM CDT (21:50 UTC)
Expired
May 10, 1987, 5:30 PM CDT
In force
40 min
Issued by
NWS Twin Cities, MN
Area
Whole counties

County Rusk 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
May 10, 5:20 PM CDTHail 2Rusk, 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

Minneapolis, MN (KSTC), launched 12:00Z, 9.8 hours before the alert went out and 206 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, Minneapolis, MN at 12:00Z on 1987-05-10Temperature 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°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Minneapolis, MN at 12:00Z on 1987-05-10The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 190 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
2266 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
21 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
190 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
217 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 KMSP 102208
SVRMSP
WIC107-102230-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MINNEAPOLIS MN
508 PM CDT SUN MAY 10 1987

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 
WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 530 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING 
COUNTY OF

WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN...
 RUSK


AT.....A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED JUST NORTHWEST OF BRUCE
WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN...OR 10 MILES WEST OF LADYSMITH.
THIS STORM WAS MOVING TO THE EAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR.
LADYSMITH IS IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM.

REMEMBER SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 60
MPH..DESTRUCTIVE HAIL..DEADLY LIGHTNING AND VERY HEAVY RAIN. ALSO
SEVERE THUN.DERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE A TORNADO WITH
LITTLE OR NO ADVANCE WARNING..SO BE ON THE LOOKOUT AND BE PREPARED
TO MOVE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY IF ONE IS SPOTTED.

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, May 10, 2:38 PM CDT, 2 hours 12 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MINNEAPOLIS/ST PAUL MN
235 PM CDT SUN MAY 10 1987

...THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING ACROSS SOUTHERN PARTS OF THE TWIN
   CITIES METRO AREA...

AT 230 PM CDT...THUNDERSTORMS WERE CONTINUING TO DEVELOP AND STRENGTHEN
ACROSS THE SOUTHERN SUBURBS OF THE TWIN CITIES METROPOLITAN AREAS. THIS
INCLUDED CARVER...SCOTT...AND DAKOTA COUNTIES.  THESE STORMS WERE
CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SMALL HAIL AND STRONG WINDS ALONG WITH BRIEF
HEAVY RAIN ...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING STRIKES. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING
TO THE EAST WHILE STILL DEVELOPING.

METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS FAVOR INTENSIFICATION OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS
THIS SUNDAY AFTERNOON. THE AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL GRADUALLY EXPAND
NORTHEASTWARD.  IT IS CONCEIVABLE THAT SOME OF THESE MAY
INTENSIFY INTO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS LATER THIS AFTERNOON. KEEP TUNED.
NAISTAT
Special weather statement, May 10, 3:02 PM CDT, 1 hour 48 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MINNEAPOLIS/ST PAUL MN
300 PM CDT SUN MAY 10 1987

VERY POWERFUL THUNDERSTORMS SWEPT THROUGH WINONA COUNTY ON THIER WAY
INTO WESTERN WISCONSIN...DROPPING GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL AND ALONG WITH
TREE LIMBS AND POWER LINES...A LITTLE AFTER 2 00 PM CDT THIS AFTERNOON.

THE STORMS MOVED INTO WESTERN WISCONSIN AND GAINED NEW STRENGTH AS THEY
HEADED FOR WHITEHALL AND BLACK RIVER FALLS...AND THEN WEAKENED SINCE.

AT 245 PM CDT...THUNDERSTORMS WERE CONTINUING TO DEVELOP AND STRENGTHEN
ACROSS THE SOUTHERN SUBURBS OF THE TWIN CITIES METROPOLITAN AREAS. THIS
INCLUDED CARVER...SCOTT...AND DAKOTA COUNTIES.  THESE STORMS WERE
CAPABLE OF PRODUCING SMALL HAIL AND STRONG WINDS ALONG WITH BRIEF
HEAVY RAIN ...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING STRIKES.

MOVEMENT WAS TO THE EAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR.
 CARLYON
Special weather statement, May 10, 3:16 PM CDT, 1 hour 34 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MINNEAPOLIS/ST PAUL MN
315 PM CDT SUN MAY 10 1987

STRONG THUNDERSTORMS HAVE BEEN MOVING THROUGH THE SOUTH AND WEST METRO
AREA OF THE TWIN CITIES.  SMALL HAIL AROUND ONE HALF HAIL HAS BEEN
REPORTED AT LAKEVILLE..AND APPLE VALLEY WITH THE GROUND GETTING WHITE
WITH HAIL AT 310 PM CDT.

OTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALSO MOVING INTO THE LAKE MINNETONKA
AREA AND BOATERS SHOULD BE GETTING OFF THE LAKE.  THE STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO BUILD ACROSS THE METRO AREA REACHING
THE NORTHERN AND EASTERN SUBURBS INCLUDING THE ST CROIX RIVER AREA
BY 400 PM CDT.

MORE HAIL IS LIKELY POSSIBLY BRIEFLY UP TO ONE INCH IN DIAMETER IN LOCAL
AREAS.  ALSO LIGHTNING STRIKES AND WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED
IN THE TWIN CITIES METRO AREA IN THE NEXT FEW HOURS.
BRANCH
Special weather statement, May 10, 3:47 PM CDT, 1 hour 3 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MINNEAPOLIS/ST PAUL MN
345 PM CDT SUN MAY 10 1987

STRONG THUNDERSTRORMS HAVE CONTINUED ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE TWIN CITIES
METROPOLITIAN AREA. SEVERAL OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE MOVED TO THE
EAST INTO THE ST CROIX RIVER. THE HISTORY OF THESE THUNDERSTORM CELLS
IS ONE OF BRIEF HEAVY RAIN AND VARIOUS SIZES OF HAIL RANGING FROM
QUARTER IN TO AS LARGE AS ONE INCH.

THE STRONGEST OF THESE CELLS ALONG THE MINNESOTA/WISCONSIN BORDER WAS
EAST OF HINKLEY MOVING INTO BURNETTE COUNTY. ANOTHER CELL TO THE SOUTH
ENTERING WISCONSIN NEAR HUDSON HAS PRODUCED 3/4 INCH HAIL.

MORE HAIL IS LIKELY..POSSIBLY BRIEFLY UP TO ONE INCH IN DIAMETER IN LOCAL
AREAS.  ALSO LIGHTNING STRIKES AND WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH CAN BE EXPECTED
IN THE TWIN CITIES METRO AREA IN THE NEXT FEW HOURS.
DOMBROWSKY
Special weather statement, May 10, 3:49 PM CDT, 1 hour 1 minute before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MINNEAPOLIS/ST PAUL MN
345 PM CDT SUN MAY 10 1987

HAIL PRODUCING THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TO PELT AREAS OF THE TWIN CITIES.
REPORTS FROM APPLE VALLEY AND LAKEVILLE THROUGH COMO PARK IN ST. PAUL OF
MARBLE SIZE AND LARGER HAIL COVERING THE GROUND WITH THESE SLOW MOVING
STORMS.
SCATTERED...THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY TO INTENSE RAINFALL WERE
SPREAD ALL OVER MINNESOTA IN A HELTER SKELTER PATTERN.

OTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED JUST SOUTH OF ST. CLOUD ALONG
THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER ALSO ALONG THE MINNESOTA/WISCONSIN BORDER FROM
ST. CROIX FALLS NORTH TO DULUTH.

THE STORMS IN GENERAL WERE MOVING EAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR INTO WISCONSIN
AND THEN RAPIDLY WEAKENING THE STORMS AROUND THE TWIN CITY METRO AREA
WERE DEVELOPING TOWARD THE NORTH AND AT THE SAME TIME BEING PUSHED TO
THE EAST ALONG WITH THE REST OF THE STORMS.
 CARLYON
Special weather statement, May 10, 4:27 PM CDT, 23 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MINNEAPOLIS/ST PAUL MN
425 PM CDT SUN MAY 10 1987

HAIL PRODUCING THUNDERSTORMS MOVED INTO WEST CENTRAL AND NORTHWEST
WISCONSIN...THUNDERSTORMS WITH PEA TO MARBLE SIZE HAIL WERE REPORTED
DUNN COUNTY JUST EAST OF MENOMONEE MOVING TO THE EAST TOWARD EAU CLAIRE.

POWERFUL THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING THROUGH WASBURN INTO SAWYER COUNTIES
NEAR HAYWARD.

OTHER STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED AROUND EASTERN MINNESOTA MOVING
TO THE EAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR...INTO THE WESTERN HALF OF WISCONSIN.
 CARLYON

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.