Alert archive / Wisconsin / Tornado Warnings in 1988
Tornado Warning 7, NWS Milwaukee, WI
NWS Milwaukee, WI issued this tornado warning at Jul 24, 1988, 7:23 PM CDT for Marathon County, Wisconsin. It was in force for 37 min.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- Jul 24, 1988, 7:23 PM CDT (00:23 UTC)
- Expired
- Jul 24, 1988, 8:00 PM CDT
- In force
- 37 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 00:00Z, 0.4 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
- 466 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -86 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1133 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 27 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 45 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 124 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.5
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAA00 KMKE 250024
TORMKE
WIC073-250100-
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE WI
723 PM CDT SUN JUL 24 1988
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MILWAUKEE HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 800 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
IN CENTRAL WISCONSIN
...MARATHON
AT 720 PM RADAR INDICATED A POSSIBLE TORNADO JUST SOUTH OF THE CITY
OF WAUSAU. ALSO AROUND 720 PM STORM SPOTTERS NEAR ROTHSCHILD REPORTED
ROTATION IN THE CLOUDS. THE STORM WAS MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 25 MPH.
THIS IS A DANGEROUS AND POTENTIALLY LIFE THREATENING SITUATION. IF
YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS STORM 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. AV#OID 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, Jul 24, 2:57 PM CDT, 4 hours 26 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE WI 256 PM CDT SUN JUL 24 1988 ...A CLUSTER OF VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS OVER SOUTHEAST WISCONSINS FOND DU LAC COUNTY... AT 254 PM WEATHER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS STRETCHING FROM JUST SOUTH OF THE CITY OF FOND DU LAC...16 MILES SOUTH SOUTHEAST OF OSHKOSH TO THE CITY OF HARTFORD 30 NORTHWEST OF MILWAUKEE IN WASHINGTON COUNTY. THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE NEAR THE TOWN OF MARBLEHEAD IN SOUTHERN FOND DU LAC COUNTY. AT 245 PM...WINDS GUSTING TO 50 MPH AND 1/4 INCH HAIL WERE REPORTED WERE REPORTED 4 MILES SOUTH OF FOND DU LAC ON HIGHWAY 41 AS THESE STORMS MOVED THROUGH. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT AROUND 30 MPH AND WILL BE EFFECTING SHEBOYGAN...WASHINGTON...AND OZAUKEE COUNTIES WITHIN THE NEXT HOUR. PERSONS IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS ARE ADVISED TO STAY ALERT FOR VERY RAPID DEVELOPMENT...AND BE PREPARED TO SEEK SAFE SHELTER SHOULD THREATNING WEATHER APPROACH. THESE STORMS HAVE A HISTORY OF PRODUCING STRONG GUSTY WINDS...SMALL HAIL...AND HEAVY RAINS. KOCHIS
Special weather statement, Jul 24, 3:53 PM CDT, 3 hours 30 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE WI 350 PM CDT SUN JUL 24 1988 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE IN PARTS OF SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN... AT 345 PM...RADAR SHOWED AN AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS FROM NEAR THE CITY OF SHEBOYGAN IN SHEBOYGAN COUNTY...SOUTHWEST THROUGH WASHINGTON COUNTY NEAR THE CITIES OF WEST BEND AND HARTFORD...OR ABOUT 30 MILES NORTHWEST OF MILWAUKEE COUNTY... THEN INTO WAUKESHA COUNTY NEAR THE CITY OF WAUKESHA. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH. STORMS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS PARTS OF SHEBOYGAN...WASHINGTON AND WAUKESHA COUNTIES THROUGH 445 PM. STORMS WILL MOVE INTO PARTS OF OZAUKEE AND MILWAUKEE COUNTIES AFTER 4 PM. GUSTY WINDS OF 45 MPH...SMALL HAIL...VERY HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING STRIKES WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. IF THREATNING WEATHER APPROACHES...SEEK SAFE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY. ^ BOATERS ON LAKE MICHIGAN FROM MILWAUKEE TO SHEBOYGAN SHOULD BE% ALERT TO RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND BE PREPARED TO SEEK SAFE HARBOR. STUREY
Special weather statement, Jul 24, 3:56 PM CDT, 3 hours 27 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE WI 350 PM CDT SUN JUL 24 1988 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE IN PARTS OF SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN... AT 345 PM...RADAR SHOWED AN AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS FROM NEAR THE CITY OF SHEBOYGAN IN SHEBOYGAN COUNTY...SOUTHWEST THROUGH WASHINGTON COUNTY NEAR THE CITIES OF WEST BEND AND HARTFORD...OR ABOUT 30 MILES NORTHWEST OF MILWAUKEE...THEN INTO WAUKESHA COUNTY NEAR THE CITY OF WAUKESHA. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH. STORMS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS PARTS OF SHEBOYGAN...WASHINGTON AND WAUKESHA COUNTIES THROUGH 445 PM. STORMS WILL MOVE INTO PARTS OF OZAUKEE AND MILWAUKEE COUNTIES AFTER 4 PM. GUSTY WINDS OF 45 MPH...SMALL HAIL...VERY HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING STRIKES WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. IF THREATNING WEATHER APPROACHES...SEEK SAFE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY. ^ BOATERS ON LAKE MICHIGAN FROM MILWAUKEE TO SHEBOYGAN SHOULD BE ALERT TO) RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND BE PREPARED TO SEEK SAFE HARBOR. STUREY
Special weather statement, Jul 24, 5:19 PM CDT, 2 hours 4 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE WI 515 PM CDT SUN JUL 24 1988 AT 510 PM...RADAR SHOWED SCATTERED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN CENTRAL WISCONSIN. THE MOST INTENSE STORM WAS LOCATED AROUND PITTSVILLE IN WOOD COUNTY...OR 45 MILES SOUTHWEST OF WAUSAU. THE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH. THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE OVER PORTIONS OF WOOD COUNTY THROUGH ABOUT 615 PM. A FEW STORMS WILL MOVE INTO PARTS OF PORTAGE COUNTY SHORaTLY. GUSTY WINDS...VERY HEAVY RAIN...FREQUENT AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND EVEN SOME SMALL HAIL WILL BE POSSIBLE IN AND NEAR THESE THUNDER/ STORMS. IF THREATNING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...SEEK SAFE SHELTER. ^ STUREY
Special weather statement, Jul 24, 5:48 PM CDT, 1 hour 35 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE WI 545 PM CDT SUN JUL 24 1988 AT 540 PM... RADAR SHOWED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG THE VILIAS AND ONEIDA COUNTY LINE NEAR THE TOWN OF MINOCQUA...OR 22 MILES NORTHWEST OF RHINELANDER. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 35 MPH. PRESENT MOVEMENT WILL TAKE THESE THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH MUCH OF ONEIDA COUNTY THROUGH 645 PM. STORMS MAY REACH NORTHERN LINCOLN...NORTHERN LANGLADE AND WESTERN FOREST COUNTY BY 630 PM. STRONG AND GUSTY WINDS TO 45 MPH...FREQUENT AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING STRIKES...VERY HEAVY RAIN AND SMALL HAIL WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS. IF THREATNING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...SEEK SAFE SHELTER. ^ STUREY
Special weather statement, Jul 24, 6:09 PM CDT, 1 hour 14 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE WI 610 PM CDT SUN JUL 24 1988 AT 607 PM WEATHER RADAR INDICATED A CLUSTER OF VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS IN NORTHERN MARATHON COUNTY. THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE NEAR THE TOWN OF LITTLE CHICAGO...12 MILES NORTHWEST OF WAUSAU. THESE STORMS HAVE A HISTORY OF PRODUCING STRONG GUSTY WINDS...SMALL HAIL...AND BRIEF VERY HEAVY RAINS. THE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT AROUND 30 MPH AND WILL MOVG ACROSS NORTHERN MARATHON COUNTY OVER THE NEXT HOUR. PERSONS IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS ARE ADVISED TO BE ALERT FOR VERY RAPID DEVELOPMENT...AND SHOULD BE PREPARED TO SEEK SAFE SHELTER SHOULD THREATNING WEATHER APPROACH. KOCHIS
The office that day
Everything else NWS Milwaukee, WI issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 24, 7:34 PM CDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | MKX | Dodge | 56 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.