Alert archive / Wisconsin / Flash Flood Warnings in 1994

Flash Flood Warning 1, NWS La Crosse, WI

September 14, 1994Trempealeau County, Wisconsin

NWS La Crosse, WI issued this flash flood warning at Sep 14, 1994, 4:51 AM CDT for Trempealeau County, Wisconsin. It was in force for 3 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Sep 14, 1994, 4:51 AM CDT (09:51 UTC)
Expired
Sep 14, 1994, 8:00 AM CDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS La Crosse, WI
Area
Whole counties

County Trempealeau County, WI

The nearest sounding before it

Minneapolis, MN (KSTC), launched 00:00Z, 9.9 hours before the alert went out and 188 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 00:00Z on 1994-09-14Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 334 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 00:00Z on 1994-09-14The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 42 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
334 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-131 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
802 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
19 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
42 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-108 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 140951
FFWLSE
WIC121-141300-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
451 AM CDT WED SEP 14 1994
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LA CROSSE HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  800 AM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN
 
   ...TREMPEALEAU COUNTY
 
AT 448 AM...RADAR CONTINUED TO INDICATE MODERATE TO HEAVY RAINFALL
OCCURING OVER MUCH OF TREMPEALEAU COUNTY. WATER IS REPORTED TO BE
COVERING HIGHWAY 95...AND TAPPEN CREEK IS BEGINING TO CAUSE FLOODING
NEAR BLAIR.
 
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE OVER TREMPEALEAU COUNTY
THROUGH 600 AM...AND POSSIBLY LONGER.
 
BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHTZ WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE
THE DANGERS OF FLOODS AND FLASH FLOODS.  IF FLASH FLOODING IS
OBSERVED...ACT QUICKLY.  MOVE UP TO ESCAPE FLOOD WATERS.  DO
NOT STAY IN AREAS SUBJECT TO FLOODING WHEN WATER BEGINS RISING.
 
 
BRUCE
&
NNNN

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this flash flood 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, Sep 13, 11:09 PM CDT, 5 hours 42 minutes before
MNZ076-077-078-079-140515-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ROCHESTER MN
1109 PM CDT TUE SEP 13 1994

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA...

AT 1105 PM...ROCHESTER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS IN
SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA. THE LINE EXTENDED FROM NEW PRAGUE...TO CANNON
FALLS...TO RED WING. MOVEMENT WAS TO THE EAST AT 30 MPH. HEAVY RAINS AND
FREQUENT LIGHTNING HAVE BEEN COMMON IN THESE STORMS AND WILL CONTINUE TO
BE THE MAIN FACTORS. ALSO EXPECT GUSTY WINDS TO ACCOMPANY THESE STORMS.

THESE AREAS HAVE HAD COPIOUS AMOUNTS OF RAIN OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF
HOURS SO PONDING AND MINOR STREET FLOODING MAY OCCUR...AS WELL AS
SWELLING OF SMALL STREAMS. IF IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS...TAKE SHELTER
UNTIL THEY PASS.

TEAL
Special weather statement, Sep 14, 12:15 AM CDT, 4 hours 36 minutes before
MNZ076-077-079-086>088-093-140620-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ROCHESTER MN
1215 AM CDT WED SEP 14 1994

...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS JUST NORTH OF ROCHESTER...

AT 1205AM...THE SOUTHERN EDGE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IN SOUTHERN
MINNESOTA WERE FROM LE SUEUR...FARIBAULT...PLAINVIEW...TO WINONA. THE
HEAVIEST BANDS OF RAINFALL WERE IN NORTHERN GOODHUE COUNTY NEAR CANNON
FALLS...AND EASTERN WABASHA COUNTY BETWEEN WABASHA AND WEAVER.
ALTHOUGH MOVEMENT WAS TO THE EAST AT 30 MPH THERE WAS A NOTICEABLE
BUILD UP TO THE SOUTH DURING THE LAST HOUR.

FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND COPIOUS AMOUNTS OF RAINFALL WERE THE MAIN
CONCERN WITH THESE STORMS. IF YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS
...TAKE SHELTER UNTIL THEY PASS.

JT
Special weather statement, Sep 14, 12:59 AM CDT, 3 hours 52 minutes before
WIZ032>034-041-042-053-054-140800-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
100 AM CDT WED SEP 14 1994

...THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE AROUND LA CROSSE...

AT 1258 AM...THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAINS CONTINUED AROUND
LA CROSSE. MOST OF THE ACTIVITY WAS TO THE NORTH OF THE CITY
BETWEEN ALMA AND HOLMEN ALTHOUGH THE STORMS HAD DECREASED IN
INTENSITY OVER THE PAST HOUR. ALL OF THE ACTIVITY WAS MOVING
TOWARD THE SOUTHEAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR. FREQUENT LIGHTNING
AND PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN WILL CONTINUE THROUGH 200 AM.

STAY INDOORS WHILE THUNDERSTORMS ARE OCCURRING. IF DRIVING BE ALERT
FOR PONDING OF WATER IN LOW PLACES. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DRIVE
THROUGH AREAS WHERE WATER HAS ACCUMULATED.

ALBRECHT
Special weather statement, Sep 14, 1:00 AM CDT, 3 hours 51 minutes before
WIZ032>034-041-042-053-054-140800-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
100 AM CDT WED SEP 14 1994

...THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE AROUND LA CROSSE...

AT 1258 AM...THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAINS CONTINUED AROUND
LA CROSSE. MOST OF THE ACTIVITY WAS TO THE NORTH OF THE CITY
BETWEEN ALMA AND HOLMEN ALTHOUGH THE STORMS HAD DECREASED IN
INTENSITY OVER THE PAST HOUR. ALL OF THE ACTIVITY WAS MOVING
TOWARD THE SOUTHEAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR. FREQUENT LIGHTNING
AND PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN WILL CONTINUE THROUGH 200 AM.

STAY INDOORS WHILE THUNDERSTORMS ARE OCCURRING. IF DRIVING BE ALERT
FOR PONDING OF WATER IN LOW PLACES. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DRIVE
THROUGH AREAS WHERE WATER HAS ACCUMULATED.

ALBRECHT
Special weather statement, Sep 14, 2:15 AM CDT, 2 hours 36 minutes before
MNZ076-077-079-082-093-096-140820-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ROCHESTER MN
215 AM CDT WED SEP 14 1994

...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUING ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER...

AT 2AM...SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TO MOVE ACROSS THE SAME
AREA THAT HAS ALREADY RECEIVED HEAVY AMOUNTS OF RAINFALL. THE LEADING
EDGE OF THESE STORMS WAS NORTH OF A LINE FROM NORTHERN LE SUEUR COUNTY
NEAR NEW PRAGUE...TO CANNON FALLS...TO WABASHA...TO JUST SOUTH OF LA
CROSSE WISCONSIN. THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL WAS OCCURRING ALONG THE
MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY BETWEEN RED WING AND LAKE CITY.

THE VERY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON LOW-LYING AREAS
SUCH AS STREETS. PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR
RAPIDLY RISING WATER AND BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO A SHELTER IMMEDIATELY.
MOVEMENT OF THE RAINFALL WAS TO THE EAST AT 25 TO 30 MPH.

AN URBAN AND SMALL STREAMS ADVISORY IS STILL IN EFFECT FOR NORTHERN
GOODHUE AND NORTHERN WABASHA COUNTIES OF SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA UNTIL 4AM.

JT

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Sep 13, 8:10 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningARXVernon35 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Wisconsin, 1994Every flash flood warning in 1994

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.