Alert archive / Wisconsin / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1989

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 4, NWS La Crosse, WI

May 23, 1989Jackson County, Trempealeau County, Wisconsin

NWS La Crosse, WI issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 23, 1989, 4:40 PM CDT for Jackson County, Trempealeau County, Wisconsin. It was in force for 65 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 23, 1989, 4:40 PM CDT (21:40 UTC)
Expired
May 23, 1989, 5:45 PM CDT
In force
65 min
Issued by
NWS La Crosse, WI
Area
Whole counties

Counties Jackson County, WI, Trempealeau 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 23, 5:00 PM CDTHail 1.75Trempealeau, 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, 9.7 hours before the alert went out and 208 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 1989-05-23Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Minneapolis, MN at 12:00Z on 1989-05-23The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 270 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
1 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
1227 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
44 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
270 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
300 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 KMSN 232140
SVRLSE
WIC053-121-232245-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING 
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
ISSUED BY MADISON WI
440 PM CDT TUE MAY 23 1989

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 
WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 545 PM CDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING 
COUNTIES

   IN THE WEST CENTRAL PART OF WISCONSIN
      WESTERN JACKSON...TREMPEALEAU

 AT 430 PM CDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM IN WEST-CENTRAL BUFFALO COUNTY JUST EAST OF COCHRAN.
BUFFALOA COUNTY SHERIFF REPORTS GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL WITH THIS STORM.
THE STORM IS MOVIVG EAST AT 30 MPH.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS 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 ROADWAYS QUICKLY...
AVOID DRIVING INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE RDOAD.

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 23, 2:53 PM CDT, 1 hour 47 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ROCHESTER MN
250 PM CDT TUE MAY 23 1989

...VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA.....

AT 245 PM CDT RADAR CONTINUES TO SHOW AN AREA OF VERY STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH THROUGH NORTHEAST FREEBORN AND
SOUTHERN MOWER COUNTIES.  THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE LOCATED NEAR
CLARKS GROVE...10 MILES NORTH OF ALBERT LEA AND ON THE MINNESOTA
IOWA BORDER NEAR LEROY...20 SOUTHEAST OF AUSTIN.

THE STATE PATROL REPORTED PEA SIZE HAIL NEAR CONGER AND AT ALBERT LEA
AT 247 PM.  THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL CROSS MUCH OF MOWER COUNTY AND INTO
SOUTHERN STELE AND DODGE COUNTIES BY 345 PM.
END
AMANN
Special weather statement, May 23, 3:00 PM CDT, 1 hour 40 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTION FOR LAST LINE...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ROCHESTER MN
250 PM CDT TUE MAY 23 1989

...VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA.....

AT 245 PM CDT RADAR CONTINUES TO SHOW AN AREA OF VERY STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH THROUGH NORTHEAST FREEBORN AND
SOUTHERN MOWER COUNTIES.  THE STRONGEST STORMS WERE LOCATED NEAR
CLARKS GROVE...10 MILES NORTH OF ALBERT LEA AND ON THE MINNESOTA
IOWA BORDER NEAR LEROY...20 SOUTHEAST OF AUSTIN.

THE STATE PATROL REPORTED PEA SIZE HAIL NEAR CONGER AND AT ALBERT LEA
AT 247 PM.  THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL CROSS MUCH OF MOWER COUNTY AND INTO
SOUTHERN STEELE AND DODGE COUNTIES BY 345 PM.
END
AMANN
Special weather statement, May 23, 3:25 PM CDT, 1 hour 15 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ROCHESTER MN
320 PM CDT TUE MAY 23 1989

...VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN MOWER COUNTY OF SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA...

AT 320 PM CDT RADAR CONTINUED TO INDICATE AN AREA OF VERY STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS FROM NEAR BLOOMING PRAIRIE...13 MILES NW OF AUSTIN...
SOUTHEAST ACROSS MOWER COUNTIE TO LEROY...22 MILES SOUTHEAST OF AUSTIN.

MARBLE-SIZED HAIL WAS REPORTED AT HOLLANDALE...NORTHEAST OF ALBERT LEA
AT 2 50 PM CDT.

THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE MOVING EAST ACROSS MOWER COUNTY AND
INTO SOUTHERN DODGE AND WEST FILLMORE COUNTIES BY 400 PM.  PERSONS IN
THESE COUNTIES MUST BE AWARE OF THE POTENTIAL FOR HAIL...GUSTY WINDS
AND BRIEF HEAVY RAIN IN THEIR AR-EA.
  END
Special weather statement, May 23, 3:58 PM CDT, 42 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ROCHESTER MN
400 PM CDT TUE MAY 23 1989

...VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN SOUTHERN FILLMORE COUNTY OF
   SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA...

AT 350 PM CDT VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE ON THE MINNESOTA...IOWA
BORDER JUST EAST OF LEROY MINNESOTA...22 SOUTHEAST OF AUSTIN AND NEAR
HARMONY ABOUT 40 MILES SOUTHEAST OF ROCHESTER.  OTHER THUNDERSTORMS
WERE BUILDING IN WESTERN WINONA COUNTY NEAR ST. CHARLES.

SOME OF THESE STORMS MAY CONTAIN SMALL HAIL...GUSTY WINDS AND BRIEF
PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN AS THEY MOVE EAST AT 30 MPH.

PERSONS IN BOTH SOUTHCENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA SHOULD BE AWARE
THAT WEATHER CONDITIONS THIS LATE AFTERNOON ARE FAVORABLE FOR VEaRY
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS.
END
BA/JB

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Wisconsin, 1989Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1989

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.