Alert archive / Wisconsin / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 1994

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 23, NWS La Crosse, WI

August 27, 1994Buffalo County, Wisconsin

NWS La Crosse, WI issued this severe thunderstorm warning at Aug 27, 1994, 8:12 PM CDT for Buffalo County, Wisconsin. It was in force for 48 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Aug 27, 1994, 8:12 PM CDT (01:12 UTC)
Expired
Aug 27, 1994, 9:00 PM CDT
In force
48 min
Issued by
NWS La Crosse, WI
Area
Whole counties

County Buffalo County, WI

The nearest sounding before it

Minneapolis, MN (KSTC), launched 00:00Z, 1.2 hours before the alert went out and 155 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 1994-08-28Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1257 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 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 1994-08-28The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -23 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 km3 km6 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
1257 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-2 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
671 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
49 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-23 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
3 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
-0.2
Supercell composite
-1.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KLSE 280112 RRA
SVRLSE
WIC011-280200-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
812 PM CDT SAT AUG 27 1994
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LA CROSSE HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  900 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN
 
   ...NORTHERN BUFFALO COUNTY
 
AT 811 PM...RADAR INDICATED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM NEAR MAXVILLE...OR
ABOUT 60 MILES NORTHWEST OF LA CROSSE. THE STORM WAS MOVING EAST AT
35 MILES AN HOUR AND WILL AFFECT THE MONDOVI AREA BY 830 PM.
 
A TORNADO IS POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.  PEOPLE IN NORTHERN BUFFALO
COUNTY SHOULD MOVE TO THE BASEMENT NOW.
 
A TORNADO WATCH I S ALSO IN EFFECT FOR THE WARNED AREA.  REMEMBER
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE TORNADOES
WITH LITTLE OR NO ADVANCE WARNING.  REMAIN CALM BUT BE ALERT TO
RAPIDLY CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS.
 
BRUCE
 
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, Aug 27, 6:07 PM CDT, 2 hours 5 minutes before
WIZ032>034-041-042-053-280030-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
607 PM CDT SAT AUG 27 1994

...TORNADO WATCH UNTIL 1000 PM...

AT 604 PM...RADAR INDICATED WIDELY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS OVER
WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN NEAR ELLSWORTH AND DURAND...OR ABOUT 70
MILES NORTHWEST OF LA CROSSE.  THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT
35 MILES AN HOUR...AND NO SEVERE WEATHER WAS INDICATED AT THIS TIME.

ELSEWHERE...SCATTERED LIGHT RAINSHOWERS WERE OVER SOUTHWEST WISCONSIN
...SOUTH OF LA CROSSE.  THE SHOWERS WERE MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 30 MILES
AN HOUR.

A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MOST OF THE LA CROSSE AREA UNTIL
1000 PM.  REMAIN ALERT TO CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS.

BRUCE
Special weather statement, Aug 27, 6:27 PM CDT, 1 hour 45 minutes before
MNZ079-088-093-094-096-280030-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ROCHESTER MN
627 PM CDT SAT AUG 27 1994

...A FEW THUNDERSTORMS RESIDING ALONG THE BORDERS OF SOUTHEAST
MINNESOTA...

AT 620 PM...RADAR SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS NORTHEAST OF RED WING AND LAKE
CITY...ALONG WITH A FEW STORMS NEAR HOUSTON AND LA CRESCENT.  THESE
STORMS WERE DRIFTING TO THE SOUTHEAST INTO WISCONSIN AND IOWA.

WITH A WARM AND HUMID AIRMASS SITUATED OVER THE AREA...THE POTENTIAL
STILL REMAINS FOR THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP RAPIDLY...REACHING STRONG TO
SEVERE LIMITS. A TORNADO WATCH CONTINUES FOR MUCH SOUTHERN MINNESOTA
UNTIL 10 PM.

STAY TUNED IN THE NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL TELEVISION STATION
FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS.

RLT
Special weather statement, Aug 27, 6:28 PM CDT, 1 hour 44 minutes before
MNZ079-088-093-094-096-280030-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ROCHESTER MN
627 PM CDT SAT AUG 27 1994

...A FEW THUNDERSTORMS RESIDING ALONG THE BORDERS OF SOUTHEAST
MINNESOTA...

AT 620 PM...RADAR SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS NORTHEAST OF RED WING AND LAKE
CITY...ALONG WITH A FEW STORMS NEAR HOUSTON AND LA CRESCENT.  THESE
STORMS WERE DRIFTING TO THE SOUTHEAST INTO WISCONSIN AND IOWA.

WITH A WARM AND HUMID AIRMASS SITUATED OVER THE AREA...THE POTENTIAL
STILL REMAINS FOR THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP RAPIDLY...REACHING STRONG TO
SEVERE LIMITS. A TORNADO WATCH CONTINUES FOR MUCH SOUTHERN MINNESOTA
UNTIL 10 PM.

STAY TUNED IN THE NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL TELEVISION STATION
FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS.

RLT
Special weather statement, Aug 27, 6:59 PM CDT, 1 hour 13 minutes before
WIZ032>034-041-042-053-280130-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
659 PM CDT SAT AUG 27 1994

...TORNADO WATCH UNTIL 1000 PM...

AT 655 PM...RADAR INDICATED A THUNDERSTORM...PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN...
NEAR WAUMANDEE...OR ABOUT 45 MILES NORTHWEST OF LA CROSSE.  THE
STORM WAS MOVING NORTHEAST AT 35 MILES AN HOUR...AND WILL BE
AFFECTING THE NORTHERN PORTIONS OF BUFFALO AND TREMPEALEAU COUNTIES
THROUGH 800 PM.

PEOPLE IN THE WHITEHALL...STRUM...AND OSSEO AREAS CAN EXPECT BRIEF
HEAVY RAIN...AND WIND GUSTS TO 40 MILES AN HOUR WITH THIS STORM.
HOWEVER...AT THIS TIME...NO SEVERE WEATHER IS OCCURING.

A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MOST OF THE LA CROSSE AREA UNTIL
1000 PM.  REMAIN ALERT TO CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS.

BRUCE
Special weather statement, Aug 27, 7:40 PM CDT, 32 minutes before
MNZ075>077-079-083>088-092>096-280145-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ROCHESTER MN
740 PM CDT SAT AUG 27 1994

...THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING ALONG AND EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI
RIVER...

IT LOOKS AS IF MOST OF THE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY HAS SHIFTED INTO THE
WISCONSIN...YET A FEW STORMS WERE NEAR THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER.  AT 730
PM...RADAR SHOWED A THUNDERSTORM GAINING STRENGTH IN THE RED WING AREA.
THIS STORM WILL BE MOVING SOUTHEAST TOWARD LAKE CITY AND WABASHA BY 8
PM.  IF THIS STORM CONTINUES ON THE SAME PATH...IT MAY ARRIVE IN WEAVER
BY 830 PM.  HEAVY DOWNPOURS...GUSTY WINDS...AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING IS
POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.

SCATTERED SHOWERS HAVE DEVELOPED NEAR WASECA...FARIBAULT...AND
OWATONNA.  THESE SHOWERS STILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL FOR DEVELOPING INTO
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS RAPIDLY.

PERSONS IN SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA SHOULD LISTEN THE LOCAL TELEVISION AND
RADIO STATIONS FOR FURTHER WEATHER UPDATES.  BOATERS ON THE MISSISSIPPI
RIVER BETWEEN RED WING AND WINONA SHOULD KEEP AN EYE TO THE SKY AND
FIND SAFE HARBOR AS THE STORMS APPROACH.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF SOUTHEAST AND SOUTH
CENTRAL MINNESOTA UNTIL 10 PM.

RLT
Special weather statement, Aug 27, 7:41 PM CDT, 31 minutes before
MNZ075>077-079-083>088-092>096-280145-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ROCHESTER MN
740 PM CDT SAT AUG 27 1994

...THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING ALONG AND EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI
RIVER...

IT LOOKS AS IF MOST OF THE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY HAS SHIFTED INTO THE
WISCONSIN...YET A FEW STORMS WERE NEAR THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER.  AT 730
PM...RADAR SHOWED A THUNDERSTORM GAINING STRENGTH IN THE RED WING AREA.
THIS STORM WILL BE MOVING SOUTHEAST TOWARD LAKE CITY AND WABASHA BY 8
PM.  IF THIS STORM CONTINUES ON THE SAME PATH...IT MAY ARRIVE IN WEAVER
BY 830 PM.  HEAVY DOWNPOURS...GUSTY WINDS...AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING IS
POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.

SCATTERED SHOWERS HAVE DEVELOPED NEAR WASECA...FARIBAULT...AND
OWATONNA.  THESE SHOWERS STILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL FOR DEVELOPING INTO
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS RAPIDLY.

PERSONS IN SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA SHOULD LISTEN THE LOCAL TELEVISION AND
RADIO STATIONS FOR FURTHER WEATHER UPDATES.  BOATERS ON THE MISSISSIPPI
RIVER BETWEEN RED WING AND WINONA SHOULD KEEP AN EYE TO THE SKY AND
FIND SAFE HARBOR AS THE STORMS APPROACH.

A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MUCH OF SOUTHEAST AND SOUTH
CENTRAL MINNESOTA UNTIL 10 PM.

RLT

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 27, 7:29 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningARXJackson46 min
Aug 27, 7:29 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningARXTrempealeau31 min
Aug 27, 8:18 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningARXJackson42 min

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Wisconsin, 1994Every severe thunderstorm 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.