Alert archive / Wisconsin / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1989

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 24, NWS Twin Cities, MN

May 24, 1989Pierce County, Wisconsin

NWS Twin Cities, MN issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 24, 1989, 7:06 PM CDT for Pierce County, Wisconsin. It was in force for 39 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued: May 24, 1989, 7:06 PM CDT (00:06 UTC)
Expired: May 24, 1989, 7:45 PM CDT
In force: 39 min
Issued by: NWS Twin Cities, MN
Area: Whole counties

County Pierce 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

Minneapolis, MN (KSTC), launched 00:00Z, 0.1 hours before the alert went out and 94 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 60 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -216 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 569 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 68 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: -57 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: -43 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: -0.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
TTAA00 KMSP 250007
SVRMSP
WIC093-250045-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MINNEAPOLIS MN
706 PM CDT WED MAY 24 1989
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MINNEAPOLIS HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  745 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY...
 
IN WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN
          ...EASTERN PIERCE
 
AT 705 PM...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WAS DETECTED BY RADAR NEAR ELLSWORTH
IN PIERCE COUNTY OF WESTERN WISCONSIN...ABOUT 40 MILES EAST OF
DOWNTOWN ST PAUL. MOVEMENT WAS TO THE EAST AT 30 TO 35 MILES AN HOUR.
CITIES INCLUDED ARE ELLSWORTH ELMWOOD AND PLUM CITY.
 
IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUTSIDE...SEEK SHELTER FROM THE WEATHER IN A
STRONG BUILDING.  DAMAGING WIND...LARGE HAIL...VERY HEAVY RAIN...
AND DEADLY LIGHTNING ARE ALL POSSIBLE. REMEMBER SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE TORNADOES WITH LITTLE ADVANCE WARNING
WILLIS

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 24, 4:50 PM CDT, 2 hours 16 minutes before

KMSP 241946

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MINNEAPOLIS/ST PAUL MN
445 PM CDT WED MAY 24 1989

AT 430 PM...THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL CONTINUED TO
DEVELOP OVER SCATTERED SECTIONS OF CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL...AND
SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA...AS WELL AS WEST WISCONSIN.  THE STRONGEST
OF THESE STORMS WERE IN AN AREA THAT EXTENDED FROM NEAR HUTCHINSON
...ABOUT 60 MILES WEST OF THE TWIN CITIES...NORTH TO NEAR LAKE
MILLE LACS...THEN EAST THROUGH MINONG IN NORTHWEST WISCONSIN.
ANOTHER AREA OF POWERFUL THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM NEAR ROCHESTER
IN SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA...EAST THROUGH LA CROSSE WISCONSIN NORTH
TO NEAR MEDFORD.  THESE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO
PRODUCE LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...EXTREMELY HEAVY RAINFALL
...AND FREQUENT DEADLY LIGHTNING STRIKES.  PERSONS ENGAGED IN
OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES...ESPECIALLY...SHOULD BE ALERT TO THREATENING
WEATHER AND BE PREPARED TO SEEK SAFE SHELTER IF NEEDED.

MOVEMENT OF THE THUNDERSTORMS WAS TO THE NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES
AN HOUR.

TORNADO WATCHES REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL
MINNESOTA AS WELL AS WESTERN AND CENTRAL WISCONSIN UNTIL LATE THIS
EVENING.
KRAFT

Local storm report, May 24, 6:28 PM CDT, 38 minutes before

LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MINNEAPOLIS/ST PAUL MN
625 PM CDT WED MAY 24 1989

      ...ATTN SELS A MSP...

313 PM CDT...WIND MEASURED BY WCMP RADIO STATION AT PINE CITY IN
PINE COUNTY MN...MAX GUST 91 MPH. STRONGEST SUSTAINED 50 TO 60 MPH
FOR OVER 10 MIN. GOLF BALL SIZED HAIL SAME TIME. BUT...A LATER
CALL TO THEM FOR FOLLOW UP INFO DID NOT TURN UP ANY DAMAGE REPORTS!
AND SO IT GOES. NO OTHER SEVERE REPORTS ATTM.
RW

Special weather statement, May 24, 6:37 PM CDT, 29 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MINNEAPOLIS/ST PAUL MN
630 PM CDT WED MAY 24 1989

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS CLEARED A PORTION OF THE TORNADO
WATH WHICH HAD BEEN IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN AND EAST
CENTRAL MINNESOTA UNTIL 8 PM.

SPECIFICALLY..THE AREA WEST OF A LINE FROM NEAR ST. CLOUD TO MANKATO TO
FAIRMONT HAS BEEN CLEARED FROM THE TORNADO WATCH.
RICHARDSON

Special weather statement, May 24, 6:38 PM CDT, 28 minutes before

KMSP 241946

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND RADAR SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MINNEAPOLIS/ST PAUL MN
640 PM CDT WED MAY 24 1989

AT 630 PM...THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL CONTINUED OVER
SCATTERED SECTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL...EAST CENTRAL...AND SOUTHEAST
MINNESOTA...AS WELL AS WEST WISCONSIN.  THEY WERE MAINLY LOCATED
TO THE EAST OF A LINE FROM DULUTH MINNESOTA TO MANKATO TO FAIRMONT.
THE STRONGEST OF THESE STORMS WERE LOCATED JUST WEST
OF FARIBAULT IN SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA AND NEAR CROMWELL..JUST
SOUTH OF DULUTH...IN EXTREME EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA.  THESE
THUNDERSTORMS MAY PRODUCE HAIL...STRONG GUSTY WINDS...FREQUENT
DEADLY LIGHTNING...AND VERY HEAVY RAINFALL.  PERSONS ENGAGED IN
OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES SUCH AS BOATING OR CAMPING SHOULD BE ALERT
FOR THREATENING WEATHER AND BE READY TO SEEK SAFE SHELTER.
MOVEMENT WAS TO THE EAST AT 30 TO 35 MILES AN HOUR.

TORNADO WATCHES REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF SOUTHERN AND CENTRAL
MINNESOTA AS WELL AS WESTERN AND CENTRAL WISCONSIN UNTIL LATE THIS
EVENING.
KRAFT

Local storm report, May 24, 6:55 PM CDT, 11 minutes before

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MINNEAPOLIS/ST PAUL MN
655 PM CDT WED MAY 24 1989
      ...ATTN SELS A MSP...

         ALL TIMES CDT
 520 PM  SIBLEY COUNTY...FARM BLDGS DOWN 4E GREEN ISLE...ACTUAL
         TORNADO SIGHTED
 641 PM  MCLEOD COUNTY...FUNNEL REPORTEDLY DAMAGED FARM 3S PLATO.
 647 PM  SCOTT COUNTY...5 TO 6 HOMES DAMAGED...ROOF BLOWN OFF 1 HOME
         AT NEW PRAGUE.
 .END

Local storm report, May 24, 6:59 PM CDT, 7 minutes before

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MINNEAPOLIS/ST PAUL MN...CORRECTION TO TIMES
655 PM CDT WED MAY 24 1989
      ...ATTN SELS A MSP...

         ALL TIMES CDT
 520 PM  SIBLEY COUNTY...FARM BLDGS DOWN 4E GREEN ISLE...ACTUAL
         TORNADO SIGHTED
 524 PM  MCLEOD COUNTY...FUNNEL REPORTEDLY DAMAGED FARM 3S PLATO.
 620 PM  SCOTT COUNTY...5 TO 6 HOMES DAMAGED...ROOF BLOWN OFF 1 HOME
         AT NEW PRAGUE.
 .END

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Wisconsin, 1989 Every 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.