Alert archive / Wisconsin / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1992

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 2, NWS La Crosse, WI

May 16, 1992La Crosse County, Wisconsin

NWS La Crosse, WI issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 16, 1992, 1:52 PM CDT for La Crosse County, Wisconsin. It was in force for 53 min. 2 reports 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 16, 1992, 1:52 PM CDT (18:52 UTC)
Expired
May 16, 1992, 2:45 PM CDT
In force
53 min
Issued by
NWS La Crosse, WI
Area
Whole counties

County La Crosse County, WI

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
May 16, 2:43 PM CDTHail 1La Crosse, WI
May 16, 2:50 PM CDTHail 1.25La Crosse, 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, 6.9 hours before the alert went out and 224 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 1992-05-16Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 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 1992-05-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 285 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
657 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
30 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
285 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
250 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 KLSE 161852
SVRLSE
WIC063-161945-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
152 PM CDT SAT MAY 16 1992
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LA CROSSE HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  245 PM CDT
    FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN
 
   ...LA CROSSE COUNTY
 
AT 152 PM...RADAR INDICATED AN ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM JUST
NORTH OF THE CITY OF LA CROSSE MOVING TO THE EAST AT 40 MILES AN
HOUR.  THIS STORM WILL BE NEAR WEST SALEM BY 2 PM AND WILL LIKELY
PRODUCE HAIL 3/4 INCH IN DIAMETER OR LARGER AND WINDS IN EXCESS OF
60 MILES AN HOUR.
 
IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUTSIDE...SEEK SHELTER FROM TH4E WEATHER IN A
STRONG BUILDING.  DAMAGING WIND...LARGE HAIL...VERY HEAVY RAIN...
AND DEADLY LIGHTNING ARE ALL POSSIBLE IN SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS.
STAY INSIDE AWAY FROM WINDOWS UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED.
 
THOMPSON
 
NNNN

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 16, 11:30 AM CDT, 2 hours 22 minutes before
WIZ010-014-161730-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
1130 AM CDT SAT MAY 16 1992

...THUNDERSTORMS MOVING THROUGH THE LA CROSSE AREA...

AT 1130 AM...RADAR INDICATED SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS MOVING THROUGH
THE LA CROSSE AREA.  THE STRONGEST STORM WAS ABOUT 40 MILES NORTH OF
LA CROSSE NEAR WHITEHALL.  ALL OF THE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT
40 MILES AN HOUR AND NO SEVERE WEATHER WAS BEING INDICATED.

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT THE LA CROSSE AREA THROUGH AT
LEAST THE EARLY PART OF THE AFTERNOON.  PERSONS AROUND THE AREA...
ESPECIALLY BOATERS AND CAMPERS...SHOULD BE ALERT FOR DANGEROUS
LIGHTNING...GUSTY WINDS...AND HEAVY RAIN.

GO INDOORS UNTIL THE STORMS PASS AND REMEMBER THAT LIGHTNING
IS A STORMS WORST KILLER.  KEEP LISTENING TO RADIO...TV...OR WEATHER
RADIO FOR THE LATEST STATEMENTS.

THOMPSON
Special weather statement, May 16, 11:34 AM CDT, 2 hours 18 minutes before
WIZ010-014-161730-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...RESENT FOR MEDIA REQUEST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
1135 AM CDT SAT MAY 16 1992

...THUNDERSTORMS MOVING THROUGH THE LA CROSSE AREA...

AT 1130 AM...RADAR INDICATED SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS MOVING THROUGH
THE LA CROSSE AREA.  THE STRONGEST STORM WAS ABOUT 40 MILES NORTH OF
LA CROSSE NEAR WHITEHALL.  ALL OF THE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT
40 MILES AN HOUR AND NO SEVERE WEATHER WAS BEING INDICATED.

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT THE LA CROSSE AREA THROUGH AT
LEAST THE EARLY PART OF THE AFTERNOON.  PERSONS AROUND THE AREA...
ESPECIALLY BOATERS AND CAMPERS...SHOULD BE ALERT FOR DANGEROUS
LIGHTNING...GUSTY WINDS...AND HEAVY RAINX.

GO INDOORS UNTIL THE STORMS PASS AND REMEMBER THAT LIGHTNING
IS A STORMS WORST KILLER.  KEEP LISTENING TO RADIO...TV...OR WEATHER
RADIO FOR THE LATEST STATEMENTS.

THOMPSON
Special weather statement, May 16, 12:20 PM CDT, 1 hour 32 minutes before
WIZ010-014-161830-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
1220 PM CDT SAT MAY 16 1992

...THUNDERSTORMS HAVE MOVED OUT OF THE LA CROSSE AREA...

AT 1220 PM...RADAR INDICATED THUNDERSTORMS HAD MOVED OUT OF THE
LA CROSSE AREA.  THERE WERE STILL SOME SHOWERS AND A FEW STORMS
40 TO 50 MILES NORTH OF LA CROSSE FROM ALMA UP TO OSSEO AND THEY
WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR.

EVEN THOUGH THUNDERSTORMS HAVE MOVED OUT OF THE LA CROSSE AREA...
CONDITIONS ARE RIGHT FOR REDEVELOPMENT AGAIN LATER IN THE DAY.
SINCE SEVERE STORMS ARE CERTAINLY POSSIBLE...PERSONS AROUND THE
AREA...ESPECIALLY BOATERS AND CAMPERS...ARE ADVISED TO KEEP ABREAST
OF THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION ON RADIO...TV...OR WEATHER RADIO.

THOMPSON
Special weather statement, May 16, 1:00 PM CDT, 52 minutes before
WIZ010-014-161830-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
100 PM CDT SAT MAY 16 1992

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS NORTH OF LA CROSSE...

AT 100 PM...RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS 30 TO 50
MILES NORTH OF LA CROSSE FROM NEAR DODGE UP TO OSSEO.  THE STORMS
WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR.  NO SEVERE WEATHER WAS
INDICATED...BUT THEY WERE LIKELY PRODUCING DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...
HEAVY RAIN...AND POSSIBLY SMALL HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS.

THESE STORMS WILL BE MOVING THROUGH ADJACENT AREAS NORTH OF LA CROSSE
THROUGH 2 PM.  PERSONS IN THESE AREAS FROM ETTRICK UP TO HIXTON
AND OVER TO BLACK RIVER FALLS ARE ADVISED TO KEEP ALERT FOR
THREATENING WEATHER.  GO- INDOORS UNTIL THESE STORMS PASS AND KEEP
LISTENING FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION ON RADIO...TV...OR
WEATHER RADIO.

THOMPSON
Special weather statement, May 16, 1:26 PM CDT, 26 minutes before
WIZ010-014-161930-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
125 PM CDT SAT MAY 16 1992

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS NORTH OF LA CROSSE...

AT 125 PM...RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS 25 TO 50
MILES NORTH OF LA CROSSE FROM NEAR MELROSE UP TO MERRILLAN.
THE STORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 40 MILES AN HOUR.  NO SEVERE WEATHER
WAS INDICATED...BUT THEY WERE LIKELY PRODUCING DANGEROUS LIGHTNING...
HEAVY RAIN...AND WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MILES AN HOUR.

THROUGH 2 PM...THESE STORMS WILL CONTINUE MOVING EAST RAPIDLY AND
WILL AFFECT AREAS FROM MELROSE UP TO BLACK RIVER FALLS AND OVER
TO MILLSTON AND HATFIELD.  PERSONS IN THESE AREAS ARE ADVISED TO KEEP
ALERT FOR THREATENING WEATHER.  GO INDOORS UNTIL THESE STORMS PASS
AND KEEP LISTENING FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION ON RADIO...
TV...OR WEATHER RADIO.

THOMPSON
Special weather statement, May 16, 1:43 PM CDT, 9 minutes before
WIZ010-014-162000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
143 PM CDT SAT MAY 16 1992

...THUNDERSTORM MOVING INTO LA CROSSE...

AT 140 PM...AN ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM HAD DEVELOPED OVER THE
MISSISSIPPI RIVER JUST WEST OF THE CITY OF LA CROSSE.  THE
THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING EAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR.

THIS STORM MAY PRODUCE BRIEF HEAVY RAIN...PEA SIZED HAIL...AND
WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50 MILES AN HOUR...ALONG WITH FREQUENT
LIGHTNING.  PEOPLE IN LA CROSSE SHOULD MOVE INDOORS AS THIS STORM
APPROACHES.

BRUCE

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 16, 2:12 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningARXJackson, Monroe48 min
May 16, 2:45 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningARXLa Crosse45 min
May 16, 3:00 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningARXJackson, Monroe60 min
May 16, 3:06 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningARXBuffalo54 min
May 16, 3:28 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningARXLa Crosse27 min
May 16, 5:48 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningARXLa Crosse57 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Wisconsin, 1992Every severe thunderstorm warning in 1992

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.