Alert archive / Wisconsin / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1990

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 30, NWS Quad Cities, IA

July 4, 1990Grant County, Lafayette County, Wisconsin

NWS Quad Cities, IA issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Jul 4, 1990, 6:16 PM CDT for Grant County, Lafayette County, Wisconsin. It was in force for 59 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 4, 1990, 6:16 PM CDT (23:16 UTC)
Expired
Jul 4, 1990, 7:15 PM CDT
In force
59 min
Issued by
NWS Quad Cities, IA
Area
Whole counties

Counties Grant County, WI, Lafayette 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
Jul 4, 6:52 PM CDTHail 1.25Lafayette, 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

Green Bay/Straub, WI (KGRB), launched 12:00Z, 11.3 hours before the alert went out and 267 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, Green Bay/Straub, WI at 12:00Z on 1990-07-04Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2269 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, Green Bay/Straub, WI at 12:00Z on 1990-07-04The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 68 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
2269 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-307 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1140 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
31 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
68 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
73 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 042317
SVRDBQ
WIC043-065-050015-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DUBUQUE IA
ISSUED BY MADISON WI
616 PM CDT WED JUL 4 1990
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  715 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
 
IN SOUTHWEST WISCONSIN
          ...GRANT...LA FAYETTE
 
AT 6;00 PM CDT RADAR DETECTED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS JUST WEST
DICKYVILLE IN GRANT COUNTY JUST WEST OF DARLINGTON IN LAFAYETTE COUNTY
WHILE ALL STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE EAST AT 15 MILES AN HOUR..OTHER
TOWNS IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS
ARE..FAYOT..LAMONT..WIOTA..DICKYVILLE AND CUBA CITY..THE LAFATETTE
COUNTY SHERIFF REPORTED MARBLE TO GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL WITH THESE
STORMS.
 
 
WHEN THUNDERSTORMS ARE OCCURRING...PEOPLE SHOULD MOVE INSIDE A
STRONG BUILDING.  DO NOT STAND BY WINDOWS.  DON'T USE TELEPHONES
OR ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES UNLESS IN AN EMERGENCY UNTIL THE STORM
HAS PASSED.  MOTORISTS SHOULD NOT DRIVE INTO LOW WATER CROSSINGS.
 
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 LO5WEST FLOOR
OF YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS.  HEAVY RAINS FLOOD ROADS QUICKLY SO
DON'T DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD.
 
GRIMM

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, Jul 4, 2:09 PM CDT, 4 hours 7 minutes before
IAZ008-WIZ018-ILZ001-042300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND UPDATE FOR DUBUQUE AND VICINITY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DUBUQUE IA
205 PM CDT TUE JUL 3 1990

...EXCESSIVE HEAT THIS AFTERNOON FOR THE TRI-STATE...

AT 2 PM CDT THE TEMPERATURE AT THE DUBUQUE REGIONAL AIRPORT WAS 90
DEGREES WITH A RELATIVE HUMIDITY OF 62 PERCENT AND A HEAT INDEX OF 101
DEGREES.   DOWNTOWN DUBUQUE REPORTED TEMPERATURES IN THE MIDDLE 90S.

THROUGH 6 PM TEMPERATURES WILL RISE INTO THE MIDDLE TO UPPER 90S WITH
HEAT INDEXES OF 105 TO 110.  SUNSTROKE...HEAT CRAMPS AND HEAT
EXHAUSTION ARE LIKELY.  HEATSTROKE IS POSSIBLE WITH PROLONGED EXPOSURE
AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY.

EVEN THOUGH ITS THE 4TH OF JULY...PERSONS IN THE TRI-STATE AREA SHOULD
USE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS TO GUARD AGAINST THE HEAT.  WEAR LIGHT LOOSE
FITTING CLOTHS...DRINK PLENTY OF WATER...WATCH THE ELDERLY AND
INFANTS...AND DON'T OVER EXERT YOURSELF.

HINNERS
Special weather statement, Jul 4, 3:10 PM CDT, 3 hours 6 minutes before
IAZ008-WIZ018-ILZ001-042300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND UPDATE FOR DUBUQUE AND VICINITY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DUBUQUE IA
305 PM CDT TUE JUL 3 1990

...EXCESSIVE HEAT THIS AFTERNOON FOR THE TRI-STATE...

AT 3 PM CDT THE TEMPERATURE AT THE DUBUQUE REGIONAL AIRPORT WAS 92
DEGREES WITH A RELATIVE HUMIDITY OF 62 PERCENT AND A HEAT INDEX OF 106
DEGREES.   DOWNTOWN DUBUQUE REPORTED TEMPERATURES IN THE MIDDLE 90S.

THROUGH 6 PM TEMPERATURES WILL RISE INTO THE MIDDLE TO UPPER 90S WITH
HEAT INDEXES OF 105 TO 110.  SUNSTROKE...HEAT CRAMPS AND HEAT
EXHAUSTION ARE LIKELY.  HEATSTROKE IS POSSIBLE WITH PROLONGED EXPOSURE
AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY.

EVEN THOUGH IT'S THE 4TH OF JULY...PERSONS IN THE TRI#-STATE AREA
SHOULD TAKE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS TO GUARD AGAINST THE HEAT.  WEAR LIGHT
LOOSE FITTING CLOTHES...DRINK PLENTY OF WATER...WATCH THE ELDERLY AND
INFANTS...AND DON'T OVER EXERT YOURSELF.

HINNERS
Special weather statement, Jul 4, 5:24 PM CDT, 52 minutes before
IAZ008-WIZ018-ILZ001-050130-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND UPDATE FOR DUBUQUE AND VICINITY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DUBUQUE IA
415 PM CDT TUE JUL 3 1990

...EXCESSIVE HEAT THIS AFTERNOON FOR THE TRI-STATE...

AT 4 PM CDT THE TEMPERATURE AT THE DUBUQUE REGIONAL AIRPORT WAS 92
DEGREES WITH A RELATIVE HUMIDITY OF 58 PERCENT AND A HEAT INDEX OF 104
DEGREES.   DOWNTOWN DUBUQUE REPORTED TEMPERATURES IN THE MIDDLE 90S.

THROUGH 830 PM TEMPERATURES WILL STATY IN THE LOW TO MIDDLE 90S WITH
HEAT INDEXES OF 105 TO 110.  SUNSTROKE...HEAT CRAMPS AND HEAT
EXHAUSTION ARE LIKELY.  HEATSTROKE IS POSSIBLE WITH PROLONGED EXPOSURE
AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY.

EVEN THOUGH IT'S THE 4TH OF JULY...PERSONS IN THE TRI-STATE AREA
SHOULD TAKE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS TO GUARD AGAINST THE HEAT.  WEAR LIGHT
LOOSE FITTING CLOTHES...DRINK PLENTY OF WATER...WATCH THE ELDERLY AND
INFANTS...AND DON'T OVER EXERT YOURSELF.

HINNERS
Special weather statement, Jul 4, 5:25 PM CDT, 51 minutes before
IAZ008-WIZ018-ILZ001-050130-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT AND UPDATE FOR DUBUQUE AND VICINITY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DUBUQUE IA...CORRECTION
415 PM CDT TUE JUL 3 1990

...EXCESSIVE HEAT THIS EVENING FOR THE TRI-STATE...

AT 4 PM CDT THE TEMPERATURE AT THE DUBUQUE REGIONAL AIRPORT WAS 92
DEGREES WITH A RELATIVE HUMIDITY OF 58 PERCENT AND A HEAT INDEX OF 104
DEGREES.   DOWNTOWN DUBUQUE REPORTED TEMPERATURES IN THE MIDDLE 90S.

THROUGH 830 PM TEMPERATURES WILL STATY IN THE LOW TO MIDDLE 90S WITH
HEAT INDEXES OF 105 TO 110.  SUNSTROKE...HEAT CRAMPS AND HEAT
EXHAUSTION ARE LIKELY.  HEATSTROKE IS POSSIBLE WITH PROLONGED EXPOSURE
AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY.

EVEN THOUGH IT'S THE 4TH OF JULY...PERSONS IN THE TRI-STATE AREA
SHOULD TAKE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS TO GUARD AGAINST THE HEAT.  WEAR LIGHT
LOOSE FITTING CLOTHES...DRINK PLENTY OF WATER...WATCH THE ELDERLY AND
INFANTS...AND DON'T OVER EXERT YOURSELF.

HINNERS
CORRECTED THE HEADLINE

The office that day

Everything else NWS Quad Cities, IA issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 4, 6:14 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningDVNLafayette46 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Wisconsin, 1990Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1990

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.