Alert archive / Wisconsin / Tornado Warnings in 1988
Tornado Warning 10, NWS Milwaukee, WI
NWS Milwaukee, WI issued this tornado warning at Sep 19, 1988, 6:13 PM CDT for Marathon County, Wisconsin. It was in force for 32 min.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- Sep 19, 1988, 6:13 PM CDT (23:13 UTC)
- Expired
- Sep 19, 1988, 6:45 PM CDT
- In force
- 32 min
- Issued by
- NWS Milwaukee, WI
- Area
- Whole counties
County Marathon 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
Green Bay/Straub, WI (KGRB), launched 12:00Z, 11.2 hours before the alert went out and 139 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
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- No buoyant parcel
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 576 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 14 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 266 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 264 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 192313
TORMKE
WIC073-192345-
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE WI
613 PM CDT MON SEP 19 1988
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MILWAUKEE HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 645 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
IN CENTRAL WISCONSIN
...MARATHON
A TORNADO WAS REPORTED BY SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT TO BE ON THE GROUND NEAR
RIB MOUNTAIN...5 MILES SOUTHWEST OF WAUSAU. THE TORNADO IS MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH. THE CITY OF WAUSAU IS IN THE PATH OF THIS
TORNADO.
PERSONS IN THE WAUSAU AREA SHOULD TAKE COVER IMMEDIATELY.
IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE IS A
BASEMENT. GET UNDER A WORKBENCH[ OR PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE.
IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER IN AN INTERIOR ROOM
SUCH AS A CLOSET ON THE LOWEST FLOOR. USE BLANKETS...PILLOWS...
OR CUSHIONS TO COVER YOUR BODY. AVOID WINDOWS.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, Sep 19, 3:58 PM CDT, 2 hours 15 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MADISON WI 357PM CDT MON SEP 19 1988 ....STRONG COLD FRONT WINDS DO DAMAGE.... AT 348PM CDT GRANT COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE REPORTED STRUCTURAL AND TREE DAMAGE FROM WINDS CAUSED BY THE STRONG COLD FRONT WHICH MOVED THROUGH THE AREA. THIS FRONT IS MOVING TOWARDS THE EAST..NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH. PERSONS IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES OF WISCONSIN CAN EXPECT BRIEF HEAVY RAINS WITH WIND GUSTS POSSIBLY UP TO 50 MPH... LAFAYETTE...IOWA... RICHLAND...GREEN...AND SAUK. SEEK SHELTER IF WEATHER THREATENS. STIMACH
Special weather statement, Sep 19, 4:14 PM CDT, 1 hour 59 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MADISON WI 410PM CDT MON SEP 19 1988 ....STRONG COLD FRONT BLITZES SOUTHERN WISCONSIN... AT 405PM CDT THE LEADING EDGE OF AN INTENSE COLD FRONT HAS MOVED TO A LINE FROM 10 MILES EAST OF BLACK RIVER FALLS TO NEAR MONROE WISCONSIN. THIS FRONT IS BACKED BY VERY HIGH WINDS OF UP TO POSSIBLY 55 MPH... AND HAS DAMAGED STRUCTURES AND DOWNED TREES. PERSONS IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES OF WISCONSIN CAN EXPECT BRIEF HEAVY RAINS WITH WIND GUSTS POSSIBLY UP TO 55 MPH BY 500PM CDT...JUNEAU... ADAMS...WAUSHARA...MARQUETTE...SAUK...COLUMBIA...DANE...GREEN...AND ROCK. SEEK SHELTER IF WEATHER THREATENS. STIMACH
Special weather statement, Sep 19, 4:49 PM CDT, 1 hour 24 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE WI
447 PM CDT MON SEP 19 1988
...COLD FRONT TO PRODUCE STRONG GUSTY WINDS OVER SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN
THIS EVENING...
AT 440 PM CDT...SURFACE WEATHER OBSERVATIONS SHOW A COLD FRONT MARCHING
ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN ROUGHLY FROM NEAR VOLK FIELD...70 MILES
NORTH NORTHWEST OF MADISON...THROUGH MADISON TO ROCKFORD ILLINOIS.
SURFACE WINDS IN THE VICINITY OF THE FRONT HAVE PRODUCED GUSTS UP TO
58 MPH AT THE ROCKFORD AIRPORT. THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL REPORTS OF
TREES DOWN ACROSS SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL PORTIONS OF THE STATE
DURING THE PAST FEW HOURS.
THIS FRONT WILL BE MOVING THROUGH WAUSHARA...MARQUETTE...GREEN LAKE...
DODGE...JEFFERSON...AND WALWORTH COUNTIES BETWEEN 450 PM AND 530 PM
THIS EVENING. THE FRONT IS THEN EXPECTED TO AFFECT FOND DU LAC..
WASHINGTON...WAUKESHA...MILWAUKEE...RACINE AND KENOSHA COUNTIES FROM
530 PM UNTIL 700 PM.
PERSONS OVER SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN THIS EVENING SHOULD BE ALERT FOR
A RAPID INCREASE IN WIND SPEED ASSOCIATED WITH THIS FRONTAL PASSAGE.
ZAJDELSpecial weather statement, Sep 19, 5:41 PM CDT, 32 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE WI
540 PM CDT MON SEP 19 1988
...COLD FRONT PRODUCING STRONG GUSTY WINDS OVER SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN
THIS EVENING...
AT 530 PM CDT...SURFACE WEATHER OBSERVATIONS SHOW A COLD FRONT MARCHING
ACROSS SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN FROM CENTRAL WAUSHARA...GREEN LAKE...
CENTRAL DODGE...WESTERN WAUKESHA...WESTERN RACINE AND KENOSHA COUNTIES.
SURFACE WINDS IN THE VICINITY OF THE FRONT ARE PRODUCING GUSTS UP TO
60 MPH WITH SEVERAL REPORTS OF TREES AND SIGNS DOWN OVER WATERTOWN
..JEFFERSON COUNTY AT 515 PM. AT 525 PM A POSSIBLE FUNNEL CLOUD WAS
SIGHTED OVER THE BEAVER DAM AREA OF DODGE COUNTY.
THIS FRONT WILL BE MOVING THROUGH WINNEBAGO..CALUMET..FOND DU LAC..
WASHINGTON...SHEBOYGAN..OZAUKEE AND MILWAUKEE COUNTIES BETWEEN 545 PM
AND 645 PM THIS EVENING.
^
PERSONS OVER SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN THIS EVENING SHOULD BE ALERT FOR
A RAPID INCREASE IN WIND SPEED ASSOCIATED WITH THIS FRGONTAL PASSAGE.
BOATERS OVER LAKE MICHIGAN SHOULD BEGIN TO SEEK SAFE HARBOR IMMEDIATELY.
ZAJDELSpecial weather statement, Sep 19, 5:56 PM CDT, 17 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE WI
555 PM CDT MON SEP 19 1988
...COLD FRONT PRODUCING STRONG GUSTY WINDS OVER SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN
THIS EVENING...
AT 550 PM CDT...SURFACE WEATHER OBSERVATIONS SHOW A COLD FRONT MARCHING
ACROSS SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN FROM CENTRAL FOND DU LAC...CENTRAL
WASHINGTON...WESTERN MILWAUKEE AND EASTERN RACINE AND KENOSHA COUNTIES.
SURFACE WINDS IN THE VICINITY OF THE FRONT ARE PRODUCING GUSTS UP TO
60 MPH WITH SEVERAL REPORTS OF TREES AND SIGNS DOWN OVER DODGE..
AND FOND DU LAC COUNTIES. A WIND GUST OF 55 MPH WAS REPORTED AT HOLY
HILL IN WASHINGTON COUNTY AT 550 PM.
THIS FRONT WILL BE MOVING THROUGH WINNEBAGO..CALUMET..MANITOWOC..
SHEBOYGAN..OZAUKEE COUNTIES BETWEEN 605 PM AND 645 PM THIS EVENING.
^
PERSONS OVER SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN THIS EVENING SHOULD BE ALERT FOR
A RAPID INCREASE IN WIND SPEED ASSOCIATED WITH THIS FRONTAL PASSAGE.
BOATERS OVER LAKE MICHIGAN SHOUPLD BEGIN TO SEEK SAFE HARBOR IMMEDIATELY.
ZAJDELThe office that day
Everything else NWS Milwaukee, WI issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 19, 6:25 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MKX | Lincoln | 35 min |
Nearby
Tornado Warnings in Wisconsin, 1988Every tornado warning in 1988Tornadoes in 1988
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.