Alert archive / Wisconsin / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1988
Severe Thunderstorm Warning 27, NWS Twin Cities, MN
NWS Twin Cities, MN issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 15, 1988, 4:11 AM CDT for Eau Claire County, Wisconsin. It was in force for 34 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 15, 1988, 4:11 AM CDT (09:11 UTC)
- Expired
- Jul 15, 1988, 4:45 AM CDT
- In force
- 34 min
- Issued by
- NWS Twin Cities, MN
- Area
- Whole counties
County Eau Claire 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 15, 4:20 AM CDT | Hail 1.75 | Eau Claire, 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 00:00Z, 9.2 hours before the alert went out and 183 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
- 2856 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 45 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 31 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 317 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.3
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAA00 KMSP 150911
SVRMSP
WIC035-150945-
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MINNEAPOLIS MN
411 AM CDT FRI JUL 15 1988
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 445 AM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING
COUNTY
IN THE WEST CENTRAL PART OF WISCONSIN
SOUTHEAST EAU CLAIRE
AT 405 AM CDT..A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED ABOUT 25 MILES
SOUTHEAST OF EAU CLAIRE NEAR THE TOWN OF FAIRCHILD.
THIS SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING NORTHEAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR.
MAIN THREAT WITH THIS STORM IS THE LIKELIHOOD OF LARGE HAIL.
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND IN EXCESS OF 55 MPH...
DESTRUCTIVE HAIL..DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY RAIN. FOR YOUR
PROTECTION MOVE TO AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF YOUR
HOME OR BUSINESS. HEAVY RAINS FLOOD ROADS QUICKLY SO DON`T DRIVE
INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD. ALSO REMEMBER SEVERE
THUNDERST ORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE TORNADOES WITH
LITTLE OR NO ADVANCE WARNING.
JHMWhat 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, Jul 15, 1:50 AM CDT, 2 hours 21 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MINNEAPOLIS/ST PAUL MN 145 AM CDT FRI JUL 15 1988 ..STRONG THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOP RAPIDLY OVER WESTERN WISCONSIN.. STRONG THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED RAPIDLY ACROSS EXTREME WESTERN WISCONSIN JUST TO THE EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. AT 130 AM CDT..THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING IN A 15 MILE WIDE BAND FROM JUST NORTH OF LA CROSSE TO ABOUT 20 MILES SOUTHWEST OF EAU CLAIRE NEAR THE TOWN OF DURAND. RADAR WAS INDICATING THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS OVER BUFFALO AND TREMPELEAU COUNTIES FROM JUST EAST OF ALMA TO NEAR GALESVILLE. FREQUENT LIGHTNING STRIKES..SMALL HAIL..STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS ARE LIKELY AS THESE STORMS MOVE EAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR. SEVERE WEATHER HAS NOT BEEN REPORTED WITH ANY OF THIS NEW ACTIVITY BUT THAT RAPID INTENSIFICATION WILL BEAR WATCHING SO PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR SOME ADVERSE WEATHER AS THESE STORMS MOVE THROUGH WESTERN WISCONSIN. ELSEWHERE..STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALSO BUILDING RAPIDLY ACROSS SOUTHERN SECTIONS OF THE TWIN CITIES METRO AREA WITH FREQUENT LIGHTNING STRIKES CAUSING POWER OUTAGES IN THE TOWN OF NEW PRAGUE AND ADJACENT AREAS OF SCOTT COUNTY OF THE SOUTHERN METRO AREA REPORTED AT 145 AM. FURTHER STATEMENTS WILL BE ISSUED ON THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION. SWANBERG
Special weather statement, Jul 15, 3:00 AM CDT, 1 hour 11 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MINNEAPOLIS/ST PAUL MN 255 AM CDT FRI JUL 15 1988 ..STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO RUMBLE ACROSS WEST CENTRAL AND NORTHWEST WISCONSIN.. ..SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH HAS BEEN POSTED FOR MUCH OF THE NORTHERN HALF OF MINNESOTA UNTIL 900 AN CDT.. STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE ACROSS PARTS OF NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN WITH REPORTS OF FREQUENT LIGHTNING STRIKES AND SMALL HAIL IN THESE AREAS. AT 245 AM CDT..THE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE OCCURRING IN A SCATTERED NORTH/SOUTH LINE FROM NEAR TURTLE LAKE IN BARRON COUNTY..SOUTH THROUGH EAU CLAIRE AND CHIPPEWA FALLS AND ON TOWARDS BLACK RIVER FALLS AND LA CROSSE. STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE LOCATED SOUTH OF EAU CLAIRE ACROSS EAU CLAIRE AND NORTHERN TREMPEALEAU COUNTIES. FREQUENT LIGHTNING STRIKES..PEA TO MARBLE SIZE HAIL AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS ARE LIKELY AS THESE STORMS MOVE TO THE EAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR. ELSEWHERE..SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSHOWERS WERE OCCURRING ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA BUT MOST OF THIS ACTIVITY HAD WEAKENED CONSIDERABLY SINCE 130 AM. MOVEMENT WAS EAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR. SWANBERG
Special weather statement, Jul 15, 3:51 AM CDT, 20 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MINNEAPOLIS/ST PAUL MN 345 AM CDT FRI JUL 15 1988 ..STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO RUMBLE ACROSS WEST CENTRAL AND NORTHWEST WISCONSIN.. ..SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH HAS BEEN POSTED FOR MUCH OF THE NORTHERN HALF OF MINNESOTA UNTIL 900 AN CDT.. AT 340 AM CDT..STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED ACROSS PARTS OF NORTHWEST AND WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN. MOST OF THE STORMS WERE IN A 15 TO 20 MILE WIDE BAND THAT STRETCHED FROM JUST SOUTH OF BRUCE IN RUSK COUNTY TO AREAS JUST EAST AND SOUTHEAST OF EAU CLAIRE AND ON FURTHER SOUTH TOWARD FAIRCHILD AND BLACK RIVER FALLS. AT 325 AM..MARBLE SIZE HAIL AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING STRIKES WAS REPORTED IN THE CITY OF EAU CLAIRE AS THESE STORMS MOVED THROUGH THE AREA. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORM IN THIS LINE WAS OCCURRING ABOUT 35 MILES NORTHEAST OF EAU CLAIRE NEAR THE TOWN OF HOLCOMBE ON THE RUSK/CHIPPEWA COUNTY LINE. FRE QUENT LIGHTNING STRIKES..PEA TO MARBLE SIZE HAIL AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS ARE LIKELY AS THESE STORMS MOVE TO THE EAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR. SWANBERG
Special weather statement, Jul 15, 3:53 AM CDT, 18 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST CLOUD MN
350 AM CDT FRI JUL 15 1988
...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR NORTHERN HALF OF MINNESOTA UNTIL
9 AM CDT...
AT 345 AM THERE WAS A LARGE AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE
NORTHERN PART OF MINNESOTA ALONG THE CANADIAN BORDER. SOME OF THESE
THUNDERSTORMS WERE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HAIL...HEAVY RAIN...GUSTY
WIND AND NUMEROUS LIGHTNINH STRIKES.
NO THUNDERSTORMS WERE IN CENTRAL MINNESOTA BUT CONDITIONS REMAIN
FAVORIABLE FOR THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT THIS MORNING AND PERSONS
SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR RAPIDLY CHANGING CONDITIONS STAY TUNED FOR
FURTHER UPDATES.
FRASERSpecial weather statement, Jul 15, 3:55 AM CDT, 16 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ST CLOUD MN
350 AM CDT FRI JUL 15 1988
...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR NORTHERN HALF OF MINNESOTA UNTIL
9 AM CDT...
AT 345 AM THERE WAS A LARGE AREA OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE
NORTHERN PART OF MINNESOTA ALONG THE CANADIAN BORDER. SOME OF THESE
THUNDERSTORMS WERE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HAIL...HEAVY RAIN...GUSTY
WIND AND NUMEROUS LIGHTNING STRIKES.
NO THUNDERSTORMS WERE IN CENTRAL MINNESOTA BUT CONDITIONS REMAIN
FAVORIABLE FOR THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT THIS MORNING AND PERSONS
SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR RAPIDLY CHANGING CONDITIONS AND STAY TUNED
FOR FURTHER UPDATES.
FRASERNearby
Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Wisconsin, 1988Every severe thunderstorm warning 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; verification from NCEI's Storm Data; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.