Alert archive / Wisconsin / Tornado Warnings in 1991

Tornado Warning 2, NWS Milwaukee, WI

March 27, 1991Dodge County, Wisconsin

NWS Milwaukee, WI issued this tornado warning at Mar 27, 1991, 2:10 PM CST for Dodge County, Wisconsin. It was in force for 35 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
Mar 27, 1991, 2:10 PM CST (20:10 UTC)
Expired
Mar 27, 1991, 2:45 PM CST
In force
35 min
Issued by
NWS Milwaukee, WI
Area
Whole counties

County Dodge County, WI

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Mar 27, 2:30 PM CSTHail 0.75Dodge, 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, 8.2 hours before the alert went out and 128 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 1991-03-27Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°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 1991-03-27The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 59 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
1516 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
42 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
59 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-11 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 KMKE 272011
TORMKE
WIC027-272045-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
210 PM CST WED MAR 27 1991
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  245 PM CST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS......
 
IN SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN
 
   ...DODGE COUNTY
 
AT 210 PM THE DODGE COUNTY SHERIFF REPORTED A POSSIBLE TORNADO
TOCHDOWN NEAR NEOSHO IN SOUTHEAST DODGE COUNTY. THIS TORNADO
WAS MOVING NORTHEAST AT 50 TO 60 MPH.
 
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.  AVOID WINDOWS.
 
HENTZ
Q

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, Mar 27, 12:01 PM CST, 2 hours 9 minutes before
WIZALL-012-013-015-016-017-018-019-272330-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
1159 AM CST WED MAR 27 1991

...THUNDERSTORMS IN PARTS OF SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN...

A FEW THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED IN PARTS OF SOUTHEAST
WISCONSIN SINCE 11 AM.

RADAR SHOWED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR LOMIRA IN DODGE COUNTY...
ABOUT 55 MILES NORTHWEST OF MILWAUKEE.  IT WAS MOVING RAPIDLY
NORTHEAST AROUND 40 MILES AN HOUR TOWARD FeOND DU LAC.

NO SEVERE WEATHER HAS BEEN REPORTED BUT BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS
CAN BE EXPECTED AS THIS THUNDERSTORM PASSES.

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE DURING THE AFTERNOON
IN ALL OF SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN.
/
HAHN
Special weather statement, Mar 27, 12:45 PM CST, 1 hour 25 minutes before
WIZ010-011-014-015-018-019-272000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MADISON WI
145 PM CST WED MAR 27 1991

...TORNADO WATCH INCLUDING SOUTHERN WISCONSIN IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM CST...

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN AND HAIL WAS DETECTED BY RADAR
55 MILES SOUTHWEST OF MADISON MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH.  THIS IS THE
THUNDERSTORM WHICH PRODUCED A TORNADO NEAR DUBUQUE IOWA AND 3/4 INCH
HAIL AT THE DUBUQUE AIRPORT AROUND THE NOON HOUR.  PERSONS IN SOUTHWEST
WISCONSIN SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER AS THIS IS A
A VERY DANGEROUS STORM.

NOAH
Special weather statement, Mar 27, 12:59 PM CST, 1 hour 11 minutes before
WIZ012-013-014>020-272220-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
1255 PM CST WED MAR 27 1991

...THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING IN NORTHWEST ILLINOIS AND SOUTHWEST
WISCONSIN...

AT 1255 PM THUNDERSTORMS HAVE BEEN DEVELOPING IN NORTHWEST ILLINOIS AND
SOUTHWEST WISCONSIN.  IN SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN ONLY SCATTERED SHOWERS WERE
DETECTD.  HOWEVER THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO INTENSIFY ACROSS
SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN LATER THIS AFTERNOON AS MORE STORMS DEVELOP IN
NORTHERN ILLINOIS AND MOVE NORTHEAST AT 50 TO 60 MPH.

A TORNADO WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT UNTIL 8PM FOR SOUTHERN AND MUCH OF
EAST CENTRAL WISCONSIN.  IF TORNADOES DEVELOP...SOME MAY BE VERY
DAMAGING DUE TO THE STRONG WINDS ALOFT.  THIS HAS THE POTENTIAL TO
BE A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION.

PERSONS IN SOUTHERN AND EAST CENTRAL WISCONSIN SHOULD MONITOR THIS
WEATHER SITUATION VERY CLOSELY.

HENTZ
Special weather statement, Mar 27, 1:13 PM CST, 57 minutes before
WIZ012-013-014>020-272115-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
110 PM CST WED MAR 27 1991

...THUNDERSTORMS HEADING INTO PARTS OF SOUTHCENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST
WISCONSIN...

AT 110 PM THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TO INTENSIFY IN NORTHERN ILLINOIS
SOUTHWEST AND WEST OF ROCKFORD.  THESE STORMS WERE MOVING RAPIDLY
NORTHEAST AT 50 TO 60 MPH AND WILL ENTER SOUTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN NEAR
AND WEST OF JANESVILLE...AND MAY AFFECT PARTS OF JEFFERSON AND
WALWORTH COUNTIUES OF SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN BY 2 PM.

A TORNADO WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT UNTIL 8PM FOR SOUTHERN AND MUCH OF
EAST CENTRAL WISCONSIN.  IF TORNADOES DEVELOP...SOME MAY BE VERY
DAMAGING DUE TO THE STRONG WINDS ALO	FT.  THIS HAS THE POTENTIAL TO
BE A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION.

PERSONS IN SOUTHERN AND EAST CENTRAL WISCONSIN SHOULD MONITOR THIS
WEATHER SITUATION VERY CLOSELY AND LISTEN FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS OR
WARNINGS.

HENTZ
Special weather statement, Mar 27, 1:24 PM CST, 46 minutes before
WIZ011-007-008-272115-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
120 PM CST WED MAR 27 1991

...THUNDERSTORMS MOVING THROUGH PARTS OF CENTRAL WISCONSIN...

AT 115 PM RADAR SHOWED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM MOVING THROUGH PORTAGE
COUNTY OF CENTRAL WISCONISN...ABOUT 30 MILES SOUTH OF WAUSAU. THIS STORM
IS MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 55 MPH. THE STORM WILL BE MOVING INTO
NORTHWEST WAUPACA AND SOUTHWEST SHAWANO COUNTIES BY 2PM.

A TORNADO WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT UNTIL 8PM FOR MUCH OF THE SOUTHERN
HALF OF WISCOSIN.  IF TORNADOES DEVELOP...SOME MAY BE VERY
DAMAGING DUE TO THE STRONG WINDS ALOFT.  THIS HAS THE POTENTIAL TO
BE A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION.

PERSONS IN AND NEAR THE WATCH AREA SHOULD MONITOR THIS WEATHER
SITUATION VERY CLOSELY AND LISTEN FOR FURTHER STATEMENTS OR
WARNINGS.
DAVIS
Special weather statement, Mar 27, 1:39 PM CST, 31 minutes before
WIZ012-013-014>020-272115-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
135 PM CST WED MAR 27 1991

...THUNDERSTORMS MOVING THROUGH PARTS OF SOUTHCENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST
WISCONSIN...

AT 130 PM A LINE OF VERY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS STRETCHED FROM 20 MILES
EAST OF MADISON TO 30 MILES SOUTH OF MADISON...OR FROM SOUTHWEST DODGE
COUNTY TO SOUTHERN DANE COUNTY.  THESE STORMS ARE MOVING VERY RAPIDLY
TO THE NORTHEAST AT ABOUT 60 MPH.  VERY HEAVY RAIN AND HAIL IS LIKELY
WITH THIS LINE OF VERY DANGEROUS STORMS.  THE STORMS WILL BE HEADING
INTO DODGE AND JEFFERSON COUNTY BY 2PM.

A TORNADO WATCH IS ALSO IN EFFECT UNTIL 8PM FOR SOUTHERN AND MUCH OF
EAST CENTRAL WISCONSIN.  IF TORNADOES DEVELOP...SOME MAY BE VERY
DAMAGING DUE TO THE STRONG WINDS ALOFT.  THIS HAS THE POTENTIAL TO
BE A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION.
PERSONS IN AND NEAR THE WATCH AREA SHOULD MONITOR THIS WEATHER
SITUATION VERY CLOSELY AND LISTEN FOR FUR5THER STATEMENTS OR
WARNINGS.

DAVIS

The office that day

Everything else NWS Milwaukee, WI issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 27, 1:45 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMKXDodge, Jefferson60 min
Mar 27, 2:04 PM CSTTornado WarningMKXJefferson41 min
Mar 27, 2:14 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMKXWalworth46 min
Mar 27, 2:24 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMKXKenosha, Racine66 min
Mar 27, 2:34 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMKXMilwaukee, Ozaukee, Washington, Waukesha56 min
Mar 27, 2:34 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMKXFond du Lac56 min
Mar 27, 2:43 PM CSTSevere Thunderstorm WarningMKXSheboygan62 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Wisconsin, 1991Every tornado warning in 1991Tornadoes in 1991

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.