Alert archive / Wisconsin / Tornado Warnings in 1988
Tornado Warning 6, NWS Milwaukee, WI
NWS Milwaukee, WI issued this tornado warning at Jul 16, 1988, 2:23 PM CDT for Walworth County, Wisconsin. It was in force for 24 min.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- Jul 16, 1988, 2:23 PM CDT (19:23 UTC)
- Expired
- Jul 16, 1988, 2:47 PM CDT
- In force
- 24 min
- Issued by
- NWS Milwaukee, WI
- Area
- Whole counties
County Walworth 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, 7.4 hours before the alert went out and 204 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
- 179 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -278 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 902 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 0 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 0 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 0 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 161923
TORMKE
WIC127-162000-
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED/EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE WI
223 PM CDT SAT JUL 16 1988
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 300 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY
IN THE SOUTHEAST PART OF WISCONSIN
WALWORTH
AT 220 PM WALWORTH COUNTY POLICE REPORTED A CONFIRMED TORNADO
TOUCHDOWN AT FONTANA...30 MILES NORTHEAST OF ROCKFORD.
TOWNS IN THE PATH INCLUDE PELL LAKE AND LAKE GENEVA.
IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF A TORNADO...THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE IS IN
A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A WORKBENCH OR PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE.
IF NO BASEMENT IS AVAILABLE...FIND 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
Local storm report, Jul 16, 11:10 AM CDT, 3 hours 13 minutes before
LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE WI
1110 AM CDT SAT JUL 16 1987
ATTN SELS
WEATHER EVENTS OF THE EVENING OF 7/15/1988...NORTH CENTRAL
WISCONSIN
TIME CDT LOCATION AND EVENT
620 PM TREES DOWN...PHILLIPS..PRICE COUNTY.
845 PM FUNNEL CLOUD..WAUSAU...MARATHON COUNTY.
917 PM GOLFBALL HAIL...BEVENT...MARATHON COUNTY.
TZSpecial weather statement, Jul 16, 12:17 PM CDT, 2 hours 6 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MADISON WI 1218PM CDT SAT JUL 16 1988 ...THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPS IN SOUTH..CENTRAL WISCONSIN... AT 1210PM CDT A HEAVY THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED ABOUT 10 MILES NORTH OF MADISON...NEAR DEFOREST WISCONSIN...AND CONTINUING TO GROW. THIS STORM COULD PRODUCE BRIEF HEAVY RAIN...HAIL...AND THREATENING LIGHTNING. IF THIS STORM THREATENS YOUR LOCATION...SEEK SHELTER. THIS STORM SHOULD BE IN THE COLUMBUS AREA BY 1230 PM CDT AND WAS MOVING TOWARDS THE NORTHEAST AT 30 MPH. STIMACH
Special weather statement, Jul 16, 1:07 PM CDT, 1 hour 16 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MADISON WI 105PM CDT SAT JUL 16 1988 ....HEAVY RAINS DROP IN THE MADISON AREA.... SINCE 1245PM CDT...NEARLY A QUARTER OF AN INCH OF RAIN FELL IN A THUNDERSTORM THAT DECIDED TO MOVE INTO THE MADISON AREA. A SMALL LINE OF HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPED IN WESTERN DANE COUNTY AND EXTREME SOUTHERN COLUMBIA COUNTY OF WISCONSIN. THESE STORMS HAVE LOTS OF LIGHTNING WITH THEM. BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY ...THERE HAVE BEEN VERY HEAVY RAINS WHICH HAVE CAUSED ROAD AND HIGHWAY PONDING. MOTORIST SHOULD BE ALEART TO DANGEROUS DRIVING CONDITIONS. AND HOME OWNERS SHOULD BE ALEART TO BASEMENT FLOODING. THIS LINE OF STORMS HAD DEVELOPED IN THE AREA QUICKLIY AND SHOULD MOVE OUT OF THE AREA BY 2PM THIS AFTERNOON. STIMACH
Special weather statement, Jul 16, 1:15 PM CDT, 1 hour 8 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE WI
115 PM CDT SAT JUL 16 1988
...STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER JEFFERSON COUNTY...
AT 110 AM CDT WEATHER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER
JEFFERSON COUNTY NEAR JOHNSON CREEK...31 MILES EAST OF MADISON.
THE STORM WAS MOVING EAST NORTHEAST AT 25 MPH AND WILL BE HEADING
TOWARD PIPERSVILLE AND IXONIA.
THIS STOM MAY PRODUCE GUSTY WINDS...HEAVY RAIN AND SMALL HAIL AS IT
PASSESS THROUGH JEFFERSON COUNTY
TZSpecial weather statement, Jul 16, 2:14 PM CDT, 9 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE WI 210 PM CDT SAT JUL 16 1988 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN... AT 215 PM...RADAR SHOWED A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS FROM NEAR CEDAR GROVE IN SHEBOYGAN COUNTY SOUTH THROUGH WEST BEND IN WASHINGTON COUNTY ...THEN FURTHER SOUTH THROUGH WAUKESHA AND WALWORTH COUNTIES NEAR THE CITIES OF WAUKESHA AND DELAVAN. AROUND 2 PM THE PUBLIC REPORTED MARBLE SIZE HAIL AND 40 TO 45 MPH WINDS AND SMALL TREES DOWN ON THE NORTHWEST SIDE OF WEST BEND IN WASHINGTON COUNTY...OR 31 MILES NORTH NORTHWEST OF MILWAUKEE. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH AND WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT MOST OF SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN THROUGH 4 PM CDT. WINDS OF 40 TO 45 MPH... VERY HEAVY RAIN...FREQUENT AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING STRIKES AND SMALL HAIL WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. ^ IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES SEEK SAFE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY. STUREY
Special weather statement, Jul 16, 2:14 PM CDT, 9 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE WI 210 PM CDT SAT JUL 16 1988 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN... AT 205 PM...RADAR SHOWED A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS FROM NEAR CEDAR GROVE IN SHEBOYGAN COUNTY SOUTH THROUGH WEST BEND IN WASHINGTON COUNTY ...THEN FURTHER SOUTH THROUGH WAUKESHA AND WALWORTH COUNTIES NEAR THE CITIES OF WAUKESHA AND DELAVAN. AROUND 2 PM THE PUBLIC REPORTED MARBLE SIZE HAIL AND 40 TO 45 MPH WINDS AND SMALL TREES DOWN ON THE NORTHWEST SIDE OF WEST BEND IN WASHINGTON COUNTY...OR 31 MILES NORTH NORTHWEST OF MILWAUKEE. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH AND WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT MOST OF SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN THROUGH 4 PM CDT. WINDS OF 40 TO 45 MPH... VERY HEAVY RAIN...FREQUENT AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING STRIKES AND SMALL HAIL WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. ^ IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES SEEK SAFE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY. STUREY
The office that day
Everything else NWS Milwaukee, WI issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 15, 7:59 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MKX | Langlade | 36 min |
| Jul 15, 9:21 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MKX | Marathon | 39 min |
| Jul 15, 9:32 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MKX | Portage | 28 min |
| Jul 16, 2:20 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MKX | Washington, Waukesha | 27 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.